What is the use of electronic ballast?

Asked by: Herthoel Dubreuil

An electronic ballast uses solid state electronic circuitry to provide the proper starting and operating electrical conditions to power discharge lamps. An electronic ballast can be smaller and lighter than a comparably-rated magnetic one.

What are the advantages of electronic ballast?

Electronic ballasts are more efficient and more compact in size and weight. They also provide the ability for continuous power adjustment at different settings. A disadvantage is that power fluctuations may cause a failure but this can be offset by adding a buffer capacitor. Operation of the ballasts generate heat.

What are the basic function of the ballast?

Functions of Ballast



It transfers the load from sleepers to subgrade and distributes the load uniformly on subgrade. It holds the sleepers in a firm position while the trains pass by. It prevents the longitudinal and lateral movement of sleepers. It offers good drainage to the track.

Do you need a ballast for LED lights?

No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast. You will find ballast-compatible or “plug-and-play” LEDs that are designed to replace linear fluorescents, compact fluorescents, or HIDs. Incandescent and halogen lamps do not require a ballast.

What is the difference between magnetic and 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.

Is a ballast a transformer?

A transformer changes the amperage and / or voltage. It literally “Transforms” electrical energy. A ballast is like a capacitor. Think of a ballast as a short-term battery.

How do you wire an electronic ballast?

Here. This black and white is coming directly from the ceiling. So your power source goes directly into the ballast. Now from that your two blue wires go directly to one end of the bowl.

What is electronic ballast for fluorescent lights?

In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw.

How many types of ballasts are there?

And there are two types of ballasts in each family: magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are the older ballast technology. For the fluorescent family, both T12 linear fluorescents and two-pin CFLs use magnetic ballasts. For HIDs, some metal halides and HPS lamps use magnetic ballasts.

Does a ballast use electricity if no bulbs are present?

No, unlike LEDs, the fluorescent bulb itself (or rather the tube) can not use power when it burns out, however, the ballasts may use a trace of energy whether or not there is a bulb installed.

Can you use LED tubes with electronic ballast?

Ballast-compatible, “plug and play,” or “direct drop-in” LED tubes make upgrading to cost-saving, long-life LED technology easy: simply take the fluorescent tubes out of your fixture and put the LED tubes in. However, direct drop-in LED tubes are compatible only with fixtures that have electronic ballasts.

How do I know which ballast to use?

The only things that matter when you're replacing a ballast are we're number one the number of bulbs number two the type of bulbs number three the voltage.

Can you mix magnetic and electronic ballasts?

There is no problem with replacing the magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts, one at a time, light fixture by fixture, just keep track of the type of lamps that are specified on the label of the new electronic ballasts which will most likely be the T8 type lamps.

Why do fluorescent lights need a ballast?

A fluorescent light bulb needs a ballast to regulate the current to the system as well as providing the proper voltage for the system to operate effectively. Without a ballast to regulate the current and voltage, a fluorescent lamp would continue to draw current and burn itself out within seconds.

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 do you tell a magnetic ballast from an electronic ballast?

Stand under the light or a place close to the light and point your cell phone camera at the light.

1. If you can see some strong dark strips flickering in your camera, it must be a magnetic ballast based light.
2. Otherwise it should be an electronic ballast based light.

Can I replace magnetic ballast with electronic ballast?

Fortunately, compatibility isn’t really an issue, as most electronic ballasts have been designed to replace existing magnetic ballasts. A preferable electronic ballast is the T8 model. This option has several advantages over the T10 and T12, including improved lighting efficiency.

How long do electronic ballasts last?

about 20 years

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. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.

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.

Why do electronic ballasts fail?

Causes of Ballast Failure



When it’s too hot or too cold, the ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps at all. Heat combined with prolonged condensation inside an electronic ballast can cause corrosion. Some people may suggest removing the parts of the ballast casing and cleaning the electrical board.

How can you tell if an electronic ballast is bad?

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 is the voltage output of a ballast?

Specifications

What’s inside an electronic ballast?

A magnetic ballast (also called a choke) contains a coil of copper wire. The magnetic field produced by the wire traps most of the current so only the right amount gets through to the fluorescent light. That amount can fluctuate depending on the thickness and length of the copper wire.

Does a ballast convert AC to DC?

Working Principle of an Electronic Ballast



Electronic ballast takes supply at 50 – 60 Hz. It first converts AC voltage into DC voltage. After that, filtration of this DC voltage is done by using a capacitor configuration.

Can a fluorescent light work without a starter?

Can a fluorescent lamp work without a starter? Some modern fluorescent lights do work without a starter because they come pre-equipped with a ballast that has extra windings. It constantly supplies a small amount of voltage to give heat to the filaments.