ballast transplant to dead fl. light????

17 years ago

I have a bank of 4 double bulb fluorescent lights in my shop, plugged into a pair of GFIs. Last night I heard a THUNK as I turned them on and noted that one unit had died. Obviously it is not the GFI and both bulbs wouldn't burn out simultaneously, so I assume the ballast has gone bad in one unit.

I have several fluorescent fixtures that I have picked up for nothing at garage sales. Would it make sense to transfer the ballast from one of these to my dead unit? I could replace one with the other but then the bank would have one odd looking fixture in the midst of the three others. Can a ballast transfer be done or are there other factors that I'm missing?

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Comments (6)

davidandkasie
17 years ago
if they use the same type of ballast, then yes it can be done.

before you do it, verify the bulbs in another fixture AND verify that the ballast you are putting in works.

we change them out at work all the time, as it is easier to change the ballast than to change out the fixture.
joed
17 years ago
If the ballast is rated for the same # and type of tubes, the same voltage and will physically fit in the fixture then use it.
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Mark , I meant to try to answer you sooner, but lost track of your post. 1) I saw the SL16 label on a box the last time I went to Home Depot. I had the box opened and saw they had the correct SL15 ballasts in them. I believe that they may be changing the style of the fixture and just used the old number and upped it by one, not realizing that somebody initially based the product number on the ballast number. Beats me. I always open one box to see if its got the SL15. Sunpark doesnÂt make an SL16. 2) The traditional T12 fluorescents were designed to use 430mA each, and use a magnetic ballast. The newer T8Âs have been designed for 265mA of current. The SL15 ballast is able to drive the old F40T12Âs, but it causes the circuitry to operate different, drawing less current than the older design normally would use. I use F40T12Âs in them, both out-of-the-box and overdriven. An overdriven fixture really lights up the older style 430mA tubes. (Extra design info: T12HO=800mA , T12VHO=1200mA, 34wT12=460mA, 20wT12=380mA, 20w/40w slimline=425mA, and thereÂs more, each different T5 wattage has a different current design.) 3) Probably not. It is nearly always cheaper to buy a good, inexpensive shoplight and remove the ballast Especially that Home Depot one. 3b) I donÂt know. I had downloaded brochures on them from GE months ago. They may be designed differently, as they are supposed to have special features, such as automatic line voltage matching. 4) I donÂt know the fixture you speak of, but reflecting back light that otherwise would escape is always a good thing. 5) Power Factor (not ballast factor) is a ratio of the how efficiently the current and voltage waveforms match due to the circuit design. Without trying to remember how to explain it, I can tell you this Â donÂt worry. Poor Power Factor normally does not cost you. It costs the electric company, unless they have special meters on your house to detect it. That is rare. 7) DonÂt try to switch in and out of overdrive. Too late for details, but youÂre asking for trouble if you do it If you are using a single SL15 to light each bulb, then put any switches on the line-side/power-side of the ballasts (black wire). Zink
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jaansu
Original Author
17 years ago
The two fixtures at least resemble each other, contains 2 bulbs and looks like the generic shop fixture. I will test the donor fixture before I move the ballast. I assume it is only reconnecting a couple of wires and packing it into the ballast hold of the fixture, nothing tricky.
davidandkasie
17 years ago
if they are the cheap shop lights from Lights of America, or similar, then they don't even have a ballast. they have transformers.
davidandkasie
17 years ago
dang it i hit post while trying to edit.

they have transformers and a regulator board.

most of the el cheapo disposable lights i have seen are not meant to be repaired. you can, but they are not designed for such. 9 out of 10 times the only problem is a loose wire at teh socket. the wires just push in the tabs similar to a back stab on an outlet, and they wear out at the contact point. i solder mine in place and for at least 12 fixtures so far that has solved the problem.
DavidR
17 years ago
I'm seeing more and more of these cr@ppy nonstandard shoplights these days, with weird ballasts built into the lamp tombstones and such. They're sold at the big box stores, usually for less than $10 each. They're basically disposable fixtures. When the ballasts quit, you're supposed to junk the whole fixture. These are bad news, IMO.

But if yours are older ones (or better quality) they'll have standard, if perhaps slightly shrunken, ballasts inside the steel cases. Remove the lamps, take out the screws or clips, and open 'em up. If inside you find rectangular black boxes with wires coming out of 'em, those are the ballasts. If they serve the same kinds of lamps (rapid start vs instant start, same wattage, T12 vs T8, etc.) they are usually pretty much interchangeable.

To say it another way, most ballasts for the same # of 32 watt instant start lamps are interchangeable. Most ballasts for the same # of 40 watt rapid start lamps are interchangeable. Watch out for the weird ones that also support 25 watt lamps, common in shoplight.s If you have 25 watt lamps you might have to replace them with 40 watt lamps.

HTH.

ballast transplant to dead fl. light????

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davidandkasie

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ballast transplant to dead fl. light????

Comments (6)

davidandkasie

joed

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