fluorescent lamps burn out

[MIKEL WAYNE]

what might cause lamp burnout prematurely, I have had mutiple lamps burnout mostly 32 watt they have electronic ballast. All are 120v mostly controlled by occ sensors. The line current per fixt is app .25 amps. Voltage is normal no problem with any other equip. Total ciruit current app 11 amps but are a lot of fixtures on this circuit.

 

[cadpoint]

Someone posted a great read on how a flourscent lamps acts as it burns out, maybe they can again.

44 lamps and on OCC, Did you take a reading at the farthest fixture...

What's the model of the ballast?

 

[MIKEL WAYNE]

We are checking this out today. The most fixtures on a circuit is 35, the ballast is advance smartmate multi watt. The panel is about 40' away.

 

[LarryFine]

It may simply be due to rapid cycling, meaning many on-off cycles in a day. Two suggestions:

1) Burn-in new tubes for at least 24 hours (some say as much as 72 or 100) by bypassing the switching.

2) The sensors themselves may be suspect. Can you bypass 1 or 2 and see if those tubes outlast the others?

 

[Bigrig]

Program rapid-start ballast

Program rapid-start ballast

If you are controlling fluorescent fixtures from occupancy sensors, the use of program rapid-start ballasts would be recommended. Otherwise you will have shorter lamp life. I know that Advance has a program rapid-start ballast for linear T8, they may now have them for CFLs as well.