Fluorescent Ballast Change Out

Mike Finley

I've got a 4 foot 2 bulb fluorescent light in a closet in my house that is about 1 year old, it started flickering for about a month and now it looks like it is putting out about 10% of the light it should.

Is this as simple as removing and installing a new ballast? I don't see any starter in there. I picked up a t8 rel-2p32-sc at home depot. Anything else I need to know or just install it?

mdshunk

After about a year? Weird? I suppose you tried new lamps first? That would be my first step. Ballasts normally just crap out, and you won't get any light at all. If new lamps are no help, changing the ballast is as simple as cutting the old one out and installing the new one color for color. The ballast has a wiring diagram right on it. Cut the wires going to the lampholder ends and wire nut them on the new ballast leads. Don't try to get the old ballast leads out of the lampholder ends. The effort isn't worth it.

Mike Finley

MD to the rescue. Um, I didn't even think the bulbs were the culprit, probably why I'm not an electrician and a remodeler instead, my idea is to tear out the entire closet and rebuild it because of the light not working.

I guess specifically I'm wondering does the ballast matter? As long as it says 120V 60Hz on it any are okay? I guess I am wondering if you can put the wrong one in?

mdshunk

The ballast will have a chart on it that says exactly what lamps it will fire up. That ballast is for two F32T8 lamps. As long as you have T8 lamps, you're in good shape. Even if you had T12's before, you can rewire the fixture according to the diagram on the ballast label, and use T8 lamps instead. If you had previously, and intend to use in the future, T12 lamps, then you have the wrong ballast. Read the chart on the ballast when you buy it as to what lamps and how many of them that the ballast is designed to light up.