How Do You Know if a Fluorescent Ballast Is Bad
Two days before Thanksgiving I walked into our laundry to launder my underwear and noticed the light wasn't working.
After a curt three-word phrase (utilise your imagination) I started to take flashbacks about what led to this moment in time.
First, our laundry room low-cal was struggling to turn on for several days prior to this.
So it simply stopped working altogether.
If you lot give me five minutes I'll show you how to fix this and y'all'll salvage $75 to $ninety by doing it yourself. Let's get started!!
Getting Started: How to Check that Your Fluorescent Low-cal Ballast is Cleaved
Yous'll only need three kinds of tools for this project:
- Combination Stripper
- Screwdrivers
- Voltage Detector
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One clue that your ballast is the reason for a non-working fluorescent light is the low-cal bulbs struggle to turn on.
Equally I said in the intro, we noticed this happening over a iii-4 week menstruum.
A expert manner to check that your ballast is the culprit is to turn on a voltage detector and hold it next to the wires supplying power to the ballast.
If power is going into the ballast and none is flowing to the fluorescent light bulbs this is an indicator the ballast is expressionless – unfortunately much like the cool old guy named Blue in One-time School (for all you lot Will Ferrell fans, Blue the character dies while, ahem, wrestling!!)
How to Remove Your Old Ballast and Light
Before doing annihilation farther, plough off the circuit that supplies power to the light.
Then double-check that no electricity is running to the light by using your voltage detector. Many cheers to Mark for reminding me that I forgot to add this SUPER Important tip. Just that'southward why I take great fans similar you who catch my absent-mindedness!!!!
There are only a few screws holding the anchor to the fluorescent low-cal.
Remove these screws using a screwdriver only don't toss them in the garbage. Primarily considering you may non get news screws with the new ballast.
You lot can choose to remove the ballast before or after you lot remove the fluorescent light from the ceiling.
To avoid having shattered glass all over the floor I highly recommend removing the fluorescent light bulbs. They're attached to the ballast and y'all'll take to detach the plug.
But exist careful, equally you'll run across in the video I almost bankrupt the low-cal bulb during this step. I'yard such a dummy sometimes.
But ii screws hold the fluorescent light to the junction box. Use a screwdriver to loosen these screws and only be enlightened that the light will drop slightly from the ceiling.
Slide the calorie-free'due south frame and pull information technology down off the junction box screws.
At this point accept a moving-picture show of the existing wiring. This will give you a reference and assist with wiring the new anchor.
If you're non peculiarly strong or have weak shoulders get a friend or relative to help with this part.
Have them hold the low-cal while yous unwire the ballast from the junction box. Or, if you really don't like electricity or your friend/relative (but kidding) you tin can concord the calorie-free instead and permit someone else unwire it.
Loosen all the wire basics. I like to accept apart the black or hot wires, then the white or neutral wires, and lastly the basis. It but makes me feel better to do it in this order.
Pull the ballast wires out from the frame.
That's how simple it is to remove a fluorescent light ballast.
Adding a New Ballast to Your Fluorescent Low-cal
You'll demand to accept your old ballast with yous to the hardware store. It'south a skilful thought to call and encounter if they have the right ballast in stock.
I called around to several places that didn't accept the ballast I needed. And in fact, I still ran into a bit of trouble with the anchor I bought (I explain at the end of the video).
Identify the new anchor on the fluorescent light'south frame and tighten it with the screws that you saved from the old ballast.
Fish the new ballast's black, white, and green wires through the hole in the calorie-free.
Get your friend or relative to hold the lite while yous wire it to the junction box. Seriously, I had to phone call my wife into the laundry room to assistance. I felt bad that she had to hold the light up while I fiddled with the wires.
But, hey that'southward what union is all most — helping each other through DIY sickness or health!!
If you take kinked wires like in the motion picture beneath cut them with your combination strippers and strip off 3/4 of an inch of the insulation.
Wire the new ballast in the same fashion as the old ane. This time around I recommend wiring the basis outset, then neutral (white wire), and lastly the hot wire (black in colour).
Twist the wire nut until the connection between the wires from the ceiling and the ballast are secure.
Push all the wires back into the junction box as neatly as possible.
Slide the fluorescent low-cal frame onto the screws you left in the junction box. Tighten the screws, add the fluorescent light bulbs, and supervene upon the light shade.
BAM!!!! You're washed.
Hither's my stride-past-pace video tutorial for your viewing enjoyment. It'll show you just how like shooting fish in a barrel it is to supervene upon a ballast, or at to the lowest degree I hope then!!
If y'all tin can change out a light switch or outlet you can definitely supervene upon an old anchor that doesn't work.
As I said in the get-go, you'll save yourself $75 to $90 doing this fix yourself. Years agone I paid our electrician to do a similar gear up at a rental and this is how much the fee was.
Rightfully so, too!! But I like saving money for the grocery listing that seems to abound every week.
What's Next
If you lot're installing other electrical devices we have several tutorials on how to wire a light switch, how to wire a dimmer switch, and how to install GFCI outlets in bathrooms.
If y'all're doing a bathroom remodel and need help, bring together one of our online courses – they'll make your bath renovation much easier!
Allow me know if you have any questions and I'll practice my best to help.
Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.
Thanks,
Jeff
Set Fluorescent Light Ballasts
Source: https://homerepairtutor.com/fix-your-fluorescent-light-ballast/