ballast lifespan

If you disconnect all the fluorescent lights from a ballast, but the ballast still gets power, does it harm the ballast?

Reply to
zawy
Loading thread data ...

The ballast is frequently in series with the lamp(s). So if the lamp is removed, no power flows through the ballast. But there are variations on this theme, so no answer is universal.

Reply to
Richard Crowley

Ballasts designed to be used with replaceable lamps must be designed to survive for an indefinite length of time with no lamps connected while the ballast is connected to its power source. The ballast can shut itself down when there is no lamp load in order to survive, but it should not burn out.

That being said, I do not recommend leaving ballasts connected to a power source when they do not have a lamp load. While the ballast will not "burn out", the additional heat that *might* be generated in the ballast *could* lead to shorter ballast life AND it does waste energy, which none of us should be doing.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
Reply to
Victor Roberts

Not only that but you have a physical device that is connected to power just waiting for the mice to chew through the power cable!

If you don't need it, cut it off!

Peter

p.s. Hope my wife doesn't read this!

Reply to
Bushy

I've seen some comments which make me think that in the EU at least, they are required to shut down when a lamp dies (which for some types of lamp death, would be pretty indistinguishable from lamp missing).

I've used a couple of types of electronic ballast which say if you replace a lamp live, the ballast won't attempt to use it until supply is next interrupted.

--
Andrew Gabriel
Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I plead guilty!

This *is* a lighting group, not an automobile group. However, I do believe in energy conservation.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
Reply to
Victor Roberts

It's also an electronics group as well... :-)

Tom

Reply to
Tom MacIntyre

You are correct about ballasts with "End of Lamp Life" protection, meaning they shut down if a lamp fails. I definately depends on what type of lamps and ballasts you are using. I believe a Rapid Start ballast will use a very small amount of energy when no lamp ends are in the sockets. If a lamp fails, or breaks, the ballast will attempt to start the lamp continuously, unless it has end of lamp life protection.

Scott

Reply to
Scott M

End of Life Protection is not necessarily the same as a ballast that shuts down when the lamp fails or is not present.

When the electrodes in T5 and smaller fluorescent lamps fail, or start to fail, the end of the lamp can overheat and cause the lamp to fall out of the socket or start a fire. A ballast with End of Life Protection is designed to prevent this problem. In many cases the lamps with these "failed" electrodes would continue to operate if the ballast did not shut down because of the End of Life Protection circuit.

Other ballasts are designed to reduce stress on the ballast itself by turning off the ballast if a lamp fails to start in a predetermined amount of time after power is applied (which includes the case of a missing lamp), or the lamp stops working while power is applied.

Both of these protection circuits do turn off the ballast, but they shut down the ballast in response to different situations.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
Reply to
Victor Roberts

If we're talking about saving energy, I find it important to consider all the major factors. A household with all decora low efficinecy incandescent lamps who has a Civic as the primary commuter vehicle will be releasing less junk into the air than a household with all CFL lighting who has a 12mpg(5km/l) 5.4 liter V8 Excursion as the primary commuter vehicle. Ofcourse, only in the USA would you see 12mpg(5km/l) vehicles used as a daily driver.

Reply to
AC/DCdude17

Household size factors. If you gotta transport three adults, two juvies, four rug rats, a mewler, a dawg, plus all their light bubs and a day's worth of the standard American diet, an Excursion Assault Vehicle would save energy over three or four Civics to do the same thing. Agree that an oversized ego machine for a single commuter is a waste for which future generations will never be able to forgive. Wonder what mpg(km/l) the 1950s model cars get in Cuba. Or how many joules W will burn flying over the course of his election campaign.

Lighting - gotta remember what we're here for ...........

Reply to
William H. Hathaway

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.