Fluo Light Ballasts

[Bob Urz]

Read the specs on the ballast. It should list a temperature range. Normal ballasts are NOT usually good for low temp conditions. Also keep in mind the higher current ballast's that use HO or VHO lamps use a different lamp holder. The higher current lamps have a different pin arrangement You can go on line to Mfg. site and get ballast specs and numbers. The more expensive ones are going to be lower temp rated and probably electronic.

Of course, the cheapest ones at home dept. are NOT going to be low temp rated. Sometimes you can buy the whole fixture there for cheaper than the cost of the ballast. Look for fixtures that are HO or VHO. Then read the fine print for temp ratings. I use 8' VHO's in my cold garage.

Bob

[Stormin Mormon]

I figure some out there in AHR land oughta know this one.

A friend of mine has a grocery store. The walk in cooler has four fluorescent lights. Each light has two bulbs, eight feet long each.

Two fluo light fixtures don't work. They are boht getting power, and we tried brand new bulbs in the fixtures that are dark.

One of the ballasts that isn't working is Universal brand. It is a model

480-XLH-TC-P. The ballast wires are black and white to 120 volt power. The one end of the ballast has two yellows (same end as the line power). The two yellows go to the bulbb ends.

The toher end of the ballast has two reds and two blues going to the other end of the bulb.

Anyhow, he's got antoher ballast, Magnetic brand. number 806-SLH-TC-P. New int h box. But the wires are arranged differently. It has black and white (which also go to ends of the bulbs, and the line power blakc and white go to the "other terminal" on the same end as the black and white to the ballast.

The second end of the "another" ballast has two yellow wires.

Questions: Is it likely the ballasts are the problem?

Would this "another" work in the place of the first one? It would take some custom wiring.

What is a heating and AC guy doing standing on a ladder in a walk in beer cooler, anyway?

[Matt]

Can't really say if it will work or not, as different ballasts are designed for different bulbs. Also can't say if the ballast is the problem (could be the sockets).

Also have no idea what temp range the ballast is designed for (maybe someone else can comment on what effect, if any, being in a cooler would have on a flo. fixture).

Try it out, see what happens.

The easier route is to just go to HD and get a whole new fixture. I bought a few recently (not the basement shop variety, but the kind for the bulbs with the "nipple" ends (sorry, have no idea of the correct term) vs the kind with the 2 pins on each end (again, sorry for the terminology) for about $25 each.

If you do this, make sure you inspect the package contents before you leave the store. I found when I got home that in 2 of the 4 I bought, some wiseguy had bought the fixtures, swapped his bad ballasts and sockets with the new, put it all back in the original boxes, and then took them back to the store for a refund.

People.

[Matt]

Oh yeah... I forgot.... when I took the fixtures back to the store to get untampered goods, I had the kid do a spot inventory of the other fixtures waiting to be sold. Out of the 10 boxes we looked at, 5 had had their new guts ripped out and replaced with burned out ballasts and cracked sockets.

[HeatMan]

Stop right there.

In a walk-in, the temps are 40° or lower, right? Most ballasts don't work good at temps below 50°, or so I've seen. (At least if they are on and off, if they stay on all the time they'll work better.

In a walk-in around here, you have to have a a sealed case. When I change out a flourescent fixture in a walk-in, I do 2 things. I install a vapor-tite case and a low temp ballast. The low temp ballasts are designed to work at temps below 40°.

Oh, and drop the religious crap.

[bumtracks]

your SLH replacement wont work as its a standard T12 lamp 50 degree F ballast and the one you need replacement for is a T12HO -20° F, ballast .. the XLH

[Art]

One time I bought the old fashioned flourscent fixture, brought it home and in the box was the newer type with the skinnier lower wattage bulbs. But the best story is the faucet I bought at home depot. My wife noticed water was dripping from the sealed box. We opened it and somebody's old faucet was inside. Someday I'm going to back up and weeks worth of garbage and bring it to Home Depot for a refund.

[Stormin Mormon]

Right, in a walk in cooler it tries to maintain 40F. Sealed case sounds good (condensation). The fellow already got a ballast for me to put in. Don't you love customers like that? Didn't know they make low temp ballasts, I'll have to check on that.

[Stormin Mormon]

So, the XLH is the low temp one? I'm learning already.... thank you.

[Stormin Mormon]

I know what you mean about gettng the whole fixture.

The hardware store across the street had ONE ballast, which included the XLT rating (and did mention light bulbs down to -20F).

I installed it this afternoon, and the lights came on. Now, the test is if it will work when they turn the lights on tomorrow, and the whole thing is

40F. We'll be watching.

Thank you for your very good advice.