Can electronic ballast go bad?

Can electronic ballast go bad?

When your fluorescent light flickers or makes a loud and annoying hum, a degrading ballast is the cause. The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the bulbs. A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly.

How do you troubleshoot an electronic ballast?

How to Troubleshoot Electronic Ballasts

1. Step 1 – Disconnect the Electrical Power From the Light.
2. Step 2 – Remove the Protective Covering and Observe the Ballast.
3. Step 3 – Testing the Ballast.
4. Step 4 – Testing the Low Voltage Side of the Transformer.

How do you know if it’s the bulb or ballast?

Take out your current bulbs and replace them with the new bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit. If the ballast is good, an analog multimeter has a needle that will sweep to the right across the measuring scale. If the ballast is bad, then the needle won’t move.

How do you test an electronic ballast?

To measure it, set your digital multimeter to around a thousand ohms resistance setting. Connect the black leads to the white ground wire on your ballast. Afterward, test every other wire with the red lead. When you do this test, a good ballast will return an “open-loop” or max resistance.

How do you tell if a fluorescent ballast is bad?

If the ballast is bad, the needle on the multimeter will not move. If the ballast is still good, the needle should sweep to the right across the face of the multimeter. Install a new ballast, if necessary. Replace the ballast cover on the fluorescent light fixture.

What happens if I use the wrong ballast?

If you use a wrong sized ballast the LRC will not be tuned so you are likely to not start the lamp at all. There is the possibility of burning out components pre-maturely also due to overcurrent and overvoltage conditions particularly if using a larger ballast on a smaller fixture.

How do you tell if the ballast is bad in a fluorescent light?

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

1. Flickering.
2. Buzzing.
3. Delayed start.
4. Low output.
5. Inconsistent lighting levels.
6. Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp.
7. Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.

What happens when a light ballast goes bad?

But there is a good chance your ballast could be the cause of your lighting woes if your lights are dim, buzzing, changing colors, or flickering rapidly. You should check all parts of the fixture, including the bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit.

How do you test an electronic ballast with a multimeter?