What type of ballast to get for flourescent and how do I hook them up?

Find a "preheat" circuit diagram in Sam Goldwasser's fluorescent lamp article/FAQ, at

As for switching - the whole circuit will draw about 5.5-6 amps. The circuit will be inductive, so any old switch rated to handle this much current and your line voltage may not do. A 1/2 or 3/4 horsepower motor draws a similar amount of current and is somewhat less inductive, so I think you want a switch rated for switching motors of at least 1 horsepower, maybe more if you want the switch to really last a long time. A regular 15 or 20 amp switch without a horsepower rating will work but its life may be limited.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)