How do you wire a 2 lamp ballast?

Asked by: Luther Granger

How do you install a 2 bulb ballast?

And all I have to do is flip them. And just simply stab them in the way those. And it'll just like be on the wine that so I'll just take one red wire stub it in a wiggle.

What color wires are on a 2 lamp 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. An instant start ballast uses a single wire which connects from the ballast to each of the lamp terminals.

Can you wire a two lamp ballast for one lamp?

Wiring this can be done a number of ways. If you had a double-lamp fixture (with it’s double-lamp ballast) and two lamps hooked up and running, and then one of the bulbs burned out early, the other one would still work fine. This happens all the time and is no big emergency.

What do I do with the yellow wires on a ballast?

The common yellow wires connect from the ballast to push-in connectors on one of the right holders of lamp 1 or 2. Two yellow wires connect the common lampholders together.

How is a ballast wired?

Individual wires of one ballast connect to the one side of the fixture, individual wires from the other ballast connect to the other side of the fixture. The common wires of each ballast are connected to the other side of the fixture from each of the individual wires.

How do you wire a ballast with two blue wires?

So you're gonna take the two blue. And wire not that into one of the blue leaving the other and then this is kind of counterintuitive. Because you've got two Reds you know blue red whatever.

What color wire are the hot in ballast?

Generally, the hot wire on the ballast is black, and the neutral is white. The other colors are the wires that connect the ballast to the fluorescent tube holders and to each other.

Where does the red wire go on a ballast?

You have your black inner right here.

What happens if you wire a ballast wrong?

If a ballast fails, it can cause a short, burn out tubes or even cause a fire, so it must be replaced. Lights that don’t turn on, fluorescent tubes blackened near their ends, and brown, burnt tube electrodes are all indicators that a ballast is bad.

How many wires does a ballast have?

Wires on the Replacement Ballast / Transformer



The replacement ballast provides 5 wires: black, white, blue, blue (equivalent) and red. Incoming electrical power at the fixture connects to the line BLACK and WHITE wires shown on the diagram.

How do you install a light ballast?

Piece out in the middle. And there's just some little clamps here but we just have to squeeze. And pull in a little bit. And now we have the ballast exposed. This is what we're gonna replace.

How do I know if my ballast is magnetic or electronic?

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.

What is the difference between a magnetic ballast and an electronic ballast?

Magnetic ballasts work at a frequency of around 60 Hz, whereas electronic ballasts work at an increased frequency of around 20,000 Hz. This is why fluorescent lamps using electronic ballasts do not flicker or emit any buzzing sounds. Electronic ballasts are also quite smaller in size and weight.

Does an electronic ballast need a starter?

Magnetic ballasts required a starter to get the lamp lit, electronic ballasts do not require a starter.

How do you wire a magnetic ballast?

Wiring is actually pretty simple once you know how it goes obviously hot. And neutral or self-explanatory. You will then connect the only red you have with the yellow leads in the light fixture.

How do you wire a instant start ballast?

Using a screwdriver nut driver or socket remove. The old magnetic ballast install the new electronic ballast with the black and white wires facing the wires on the fixture that connect to the line.

How do you wire a CFL ballast?

Red wires connect to one side of the lamp, blue wires connect to the other. Yellow terminals are not used. Red wires connect to one side of one lamp, blue wires connect to one side of the other. Yellow terminals wires connect to the remaining pins.

How do you ground a ballast?

If the ballast has no direct ground connection then you can use a blue (for #14 and #16 wire) stake-on fork on the stranded wire from the cord and attach it directly under the ground screw or you can wrap a short piece of solid green or bare #14 wire around the screw and attach it to the cord by a wire connector.

Do CFL lights need a ballast?

All fluorescent bulbs require a ballast. All compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs require a ballast, which is often integrated. All HID bulbs require a ballast, which is sometimes integrated. No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast.

Is it safe to bypass a ballast?

The most significant negative to a ballast-bypass linear LED is the risk of electric shock since the sockets carry line voltage. It’s a common practice to place a finger on the lamp pins while you are trying to install it, and this becomes a risky endeavor when using single-ended ballast-bypass lamps .

What is the difference between a 2 pin and 4 pin CFL?

2-pin CFLs can only be used with magnetic ballasts, and 4-pin CFLs only with electronic ballasts. Many of these bases feature a stabilizing block that helps keep the bulb secure in the fixture once installed.

Will LED lights work with a ballast?

Since plug and play LEDs are compatible with ballasts, you can simply remove a fluorescent bulb and replace it with an LED. Since no additional modification or wiring is required, it’s as easy as replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs in your home.

How do I know if my ballast is T8 or T12?

If no markings are available, the size in diameter of the tube is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch.

How do I convert a fluorescent ballast to LED?

You also need wire strippers and a way to cut wires if your wire strippers have a cutter you can use those. But I prefer to use side cutters for that job.