Spare ballest

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derelectric

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Hello,
In a 4 ' florescent 4 bulb fixtures. If 2 bulbs are taken out should the ballest also be disconnected?
Thanks,
Derelectric
 
that's not alwat's true,,,,,,an older t12 DOES NOT DRAW POWER WITH NO BULBS IN IT. This does not hold true on all lights,,,,but I've seen a slu of them that I know for a fact the tombstones break the circuit
 
Took an amp reading on 4 ballast with no bulbs. 2 ballast were electronic & 2 magnetic.
The 2 electronic ballast read 0 amps. The 2 magnetic ballast read 10 amps. So unhooking the Magnetic ballast makes sense. Not sure if its worth the time on the electronic. I have close to 500 electronic ballast and 100 magnetic
 
Sorry I had a typo error. magnetic ballest was 1.0 not 10!

Took an amp reading on 4 ballast with no bulbs. 2 ballast were electronic & 2 magnetic.
The 2 electronic ballast read 0 amps. The 2 magnetic ballast read 1.0 amps. So unhooking the Magnetic ballast makes sense. Not sure if its worth the time on the electronic. I have close to 500 electronic ballast and 100 magnetic
 
mcclary's electrical said:
that's not alwat's true,,,,,,an older t12 DOES NOT DRAW POWER WITH NO BULBS IN IT. This does not hold true on all lights,,,,but I've seen a slu of them that I know for a fact the tombstones break the circuit
Click to expand...

Many of the older luminairs with magnetic ballasts for F96t12 lamps have socket cut outs but F40t12?
 
SEO said:
Many of the older luminairs with magnetic ballasts for F96t12 lamps have socket cut outs but F40t12?
Click to expand...


I remember those too, but I don't recall seeing socket neutral cutouts on the old 4'-T12 lamps.
 
mcclary's electrical said:
that's not alwat's true,,,,,,an older t12 DOES NOT DRAW POWER WITH NO BULBS IN IT. This does not hold true on all lights,,,,but I've seen a slu of them that I know for a fact the tombstones break the circuit
Click to expand...


That is only with 'slimline' single pin lamps, I have never seen a bi-pin lamp break the circuit.
 
derelectric said:
Sorry I had a typo error. magnetic ballest was 1.0 not 10!

Took an amp reading on 4 ballast with no bulbs. 2 ballast were electronic & 2 magnetic.
The 2 electronic ballast read 0 amps. The 2 magnetic ballast read 1.0 amps. So unhooking the Magnetic ballast makes sense. Not sure if its worth the time on the electronic. I have close to 500 electronic ballast and 100 magnetic
Click to expand...

I dont believe that an energised ballast, without lamps could possibly draw 120 watts, as a current of 1 amp and a line voltage of 120 volts might suggest. (and if at 277 volts it is even more unlikely)
The ballast would catch fire if disipating 120 watts.
I would consider it likely that the ballast contains a capacitor for power factor correction, and that the 1 amp is at a very low leading power factor.

With no lamps connected, any power used must end up as heat.
Leave the ballast energised for some hours without lamps and observe the surface temperature, if warm it is useing power, if not then it is useing either no power or only a minute amount.

UK type ballasts with a glow starter consume no power whatsoever with lamp removed, but I dont think that these are widely used in the USA.
Transformer type ballsts normally use a few watts if unloaded since the primary winding is still connected to the supply.
 
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