What is the Difference Between a T8 and a T12 Ballast?
People have a hard time deciding between T8 and T12 ballasts. This can lead to inefficient lighting and problems with your system. The solution is to understand the differences between the two types of ballasts. The main differences between T8 and T12 ballasts are in their energy efficiency, the size of the lamps they […]
Why Does Tungsten Filament Ballast a Mercury Vapor Bulb?
One of the things that confuses people is the use of a tungsten filament as a ballast for a mercury vapor bulb. People wonder why you use tungsten, which is typically in incandescent bulbs, as a light ballast in some lighting systems, especially with mercury vapor bulbs. I’ll explain why this is the case and […]
Can You Use a 600W Bulb with a 400W Ballast?
Using a 600-watt bulb with a 400-watt ballast gives you a problem with not enough power, which can either result in reduced performance or be a safety hazard. No, you don’t use a 600-watt bulb with a 400-watt ballast. If you mismatch the wattage of your bulb and ballast, you can have bad lighting, your […]
What’s the Best Digital Ballast to Buy?
Choosing the right digital ballast can be confusing for a lot of people with all the choices out there. Get the wrong ballast, and you can have inefficient lighting, higher energy costs, and reduce the life of your bulbs. I’m going to help you pick the best digital ballast, so you have great performance and […]
Can You Use a 1000 Watt MH Bulb in a 600 Watt Digital Ballast?
Using a 1000 watt metal halide (MH) bulb in a 600 watt digital ballast to try and get better performance might sound good, but it can lead to worse performance, safety issues, and damage to your lighting system. Instead of improving your lighting setup, mismatching the wattage between your bulb and ballast can cause […]
Anyone Use Electronic Digital Ballasts?
Old school magnetic ballasts are big, inefficient and get hot. Luckily, electronic digital ballasts are a cool, efficient alternative for high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems. They save more energy, make your lamps last longer and have extra features like dimming and multi-wattage capability. You’ve got electronic digital ballasts that are super efficient, save more […]
How to Replace a 4-Bulb Ballast?
If your fluorescent lights are flickering or not working at all, it’s probably time to replace the fluorescent ballast. Don’t pay an expensive professional to do it for you. Read this simple guide to learn how to do it yourself. Replacing a 4-bulb ballast involves turning off the power, taking the fixture cover down, […]
How Does a Bad Ballast Resistor Affect an Ignition System?
A bad ballast resistor can cause your vehicle to be hard to start, stall out or not run at all. These problems will interrupt the performance of your vehicle. Knowing the symptoms of a bad ballast resistor can keep you from having trouble. A bad ballast resistor can cause your vehicle to be hard […]
How Can I Tell if a Ballast is Bad?
A bad ballast can cause your lights to flicker, be slow to start or not start at all. This can interrupt the operation of your business. Knowing the symptoms of a bad ballast can prevent you from having trouble. The symptoms of a bad ballast include flickering lights, dim output, weird noises, and slow […]
Is It Safe to Bypass Ballast?
Many people think about bypassing the light ballast in their lighting system when they’re converting to LED technology. They wonder about the safety risks of doing so. If you do it wrong, you can create electrical hazards, damage your fixtures, or even cause a fire. You need to know the right way to do […]
How to Wire a 4-Tube Ballast to a 2-Tube Fixture?
Wiring a 4-tube ballast to a 2-tube fixture can be confusing if you don’t know how to connect the wires. If you wire it wrong, you can make a bad connection, have your lights not work as well, or even damage your light. You need to understand how to wire it correctly to make […]
How Does a Ballast Resistor Work in LED Lights?
Not understanding how lamp ballast resistors work can lead to poor performance, inefficiencies, or damage to your LED components. Knowing how to use ballast resistors correctly will help protect your LEDs and keep them working well. You need to understand how a ballast resistor works and why you need it in some LED lighting […]