How do ballasts go bad?
The good news is that a typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, so you won't have to worry about replacing them very often. However, cold environments and bad bulbs can factor into the mix, causing the lifespan of the ballast to decrease significantly.
- Low output. If the lights remain dim for several minutes after you've turned them on, you could have an issue with your ballast, especially if you've just replaced your bulb.
- Flickering. ...
- Buzzing. ...
- Inconsistent lighting levels. ...
- Delayed start.
Generally speaking, if you increase the maximum operating temperature by 10°C, you will lower the ballast's life in half. Additionally, if your ballast is not properly wired to the fluorescent lamps, which can also cause it to malfunction.
Ballast overheating can result from: High line voltage. Poor lamp maintenance. High temperature around the fixture.
Heat and moisture are enemies #1 and #2 to your ballast. Every ballast has an ambient operating temperature range and UL location rating. When it's too hot or too cold, the ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps at all.
A giveaway that a ballast isn't working properly is a buzzing sound coming from the bulb. If you have more than one bulb in a fitting and all the bulbs are flickering or out then it's highly likely to be the ballast.
When a ballast starts failing, it will typically buzz or causes the bulbs to flicker. These issues can sometimes happen while it is operating as expected, so it's important to check the equipment before assuming a replacement is necessary.
Turn off the switch to your fluorescent bulb, expose the ballast in its housing, and set your multimeter to the highest resistance setting. Place the black probe on the white ground wire and the red probe on each of the other wires. A good ballast is expected to read “OL” or max resistance.
According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years.
Eventually, the whole ballast bed will need replacing – ballast can last around 20 years (depending on traffic) while the other track components can be double that.
Are ballasts repairable?
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.
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.
According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years.
Without a ballast, fluorescent bulbs would use the 120V current and quickly burn out and ruin the product. If it goes bad, you'll see or hear symptoms that tell you it's time for a potential replacement.
For energy savings, reliability, and longevity – replace ballasts – not bulbs. In addition to energy efficiency issues, older ballasts simply do not offer the reflection geometry newer options do.
