Problems with new ballast and LEDs

[MissLiz]

have installed new electronic T-8 ballast to retrofit old T-12 lamps in garage and installed new LED trims in recess lights. Customer called and said that when garage lights are turned on they lose TV reception on one station cut lights off comes back on then recently GFIC outlet trips when same lights are turned off and on. all receptacles and lights are on different breakers. any help in cause and maybe ways to solve problems.

 

[Sierrasparky]

Cheap LED's ?

 

[curt swartz]

Bad coax, or video cables (HDMI) that are picking up noise from high frequency ballast's and LED drivers.

 

[JFletcher]

Coax cable should be at least 12" from ballasts. Make sure that any unused ports on coax splitters are capped off, and all coax lines from the splitters go to a tv or modem- any unused coax wall plates should also be capped off. These things:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-F-Connector-Terminator-Caps-2-Pack-73519/202829226

Any marginal/badly done/damaged coax terminations could also be the culprit and should be redone with quality compression fittings.

GFCI trpping is a separate problem. Recess and hardwired lights arent normally so protected. Do other devices plugged into that receptacle cause its GFCI to trip?

 

[steve66]

Probably cheap fluorescent ballasts. With specification fixtures you can specify an RF filter or a capacitor on the ballast input.

Probably same thing with the GFCI tripping - either from cheap ballasts that cause a surge of leakage current, or from a cheap GFCI that is too sensitive.

I had the same problem once with a GFCI tripping when the lights were turned off, and I swapped out the receptacle with a brand name GFCI, and it never tripped again.

 

[robertd]

Are the new ballasts listed for residential use or for commercial use only?
Under FCC rules devices listed for residential use are required to produce less
EMI/RFI than devices listed for commercial use only. The idea is there will be less
radios and TVs in a commercial setting to interfere with than in a dwelling.

There is also a lot of real cheep stuff coming in from other counties that doesn't
meet any FCC standards, regardless of what the label may say.