Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4' T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will need its own switch.
Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the switches after the ballast??
OR
Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch before the ballast?
Thanks SO much for your help!
-My name is Yes Duffy
If you have to ask this question, I don't know that you are qualified to do the wiring. Keep safe and get professional help.
You can not switch after the ballast, period..... You need a separate ballast for each bulb (usually for each TWO bulbs, or each fixture). Single bulb fixtures seem to be a thing of the past except for portable or (under 2 foot bulbs).
Do you say "YES" to everything? ? ? ? ? Will you give me ten million dollars? (Just say "YES")
Yes Duffy,
I've had excellent results with this company and their ballasts, and have installed 24 of them so far. The ballast below handles 4 tubes of the T8 style, and you could use two of these to handle your project for about $30. The wiring is quite simple, and the spec sheet is available on the web site. You switch power to the primary side of the ballasts with a simple single pole switch, thus turning all 8 tubes on or off.
Smarty
Forgot to add, if you need to switch each of the 8 tubes independently, you must use 8 ballasts, and the cost and complexity would increase. Each of the
8 ballasts would again have its' primary (110 volt) input switched with a single pole switch.Smarty
For what you intend to do, you would buy eight, individual F32T8 strips. Each will have an integral ballast and you can wire eight individual single pole switches, one for each fixture to a common power source
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