How much is a ballast replacement?

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A replacement ballast costs about $10-25 depending on capacity and brand. The bite is that an electrician trip charge (which includes 30 or 60 minutes work) is going to be $75-150 probably – for about 5 minutes work on each light fixture.

What is the lifespan of a ballast?

According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use.

How do I know if a ballast is compatible?

You can determine whether you have a compatible fixture in seconds. Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that will work with direct drop-in LED tubes.

Are all fluorescent light ballasts the same?

Types of fluorescent ballasts Fluorescent ballasts use three different types of starting technologies: rapid, instant, and programmed.

Can you replace a ballast yourself?

A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.

Can a ballast be repaired?

While simply swapping burned out bulbs in an existing ballast is deemed “ballast repair” by many – and can offer advantages in longevity and energy savings – sometimes this simple “fix” is not enough.

How do I know if a ballast is bad?

If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast:

Flickering.
Buzzing.
Delayed start.
Low output.
Inconsistent lighting levels.
Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp.
Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.

What causes a ballast to fail?

Ballast failure is often caused by the surrounding environment—mainly heat and moisture. When it’s too hot or too cold, a ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps. Heat, along with continuous condensation inside an electronic ballast, can cause corrosion over time.

What are the red and blue wires on a ballast?

2 and 3 lamp instant start ballasts use blue wires for individual connections, and red wires for common connections. Black wire is for line voltage and white wire for neutral.