Author Topic: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast  (Read 6101 times)
Foxtronix
Member
*****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

Formerly "TiCoune66". Also known here as Vince.


GoL UCs4tSgJSCoCIMGThBuaePhA
WWW
Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « on: July 09, 2008, 10:51:40 PM » Author: Foxtronix
I tested today my CGE and my Universal ballast. Both are half-dead (only one lamp starts up). So I wired a temporary fixture above my workshop with my Universal one. I plugged the first lampholder on the proper circuit (the red wires) and the second one on the yellow wires. When it starts up, this old ballast makes a soft buzzing (which I absolutely LOVE!  ;D) and it seems normal, but will the ballast overheat with this wiring configuration or will it break the lamp?
Logged

don93s
Member
****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery


Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #1 on: July 11, 2008, 01:46:57 PM » Author: don93s
Can you be more specific....is it magnetic rapid start or electronic? Best thing is to monitor ballast and if it gets unusually hot or has bad oder or makes any other noises....discontinue immediately! If lamp seems normal brightness, and the electrode ends look normal, I guess lamp will be fine.
Logged
Foxtronix
Member
*****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

Formerly "TiCoune66". Also known here as Vince.


GoL UCs4tSgJSCoCIMGThBuaePhA
WWW
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #2 on: July 11, 2008, 10:05:31 PM » Author: Foxtronix
It's a magnetic rapid start ballast. And yeah all seems normal. The ballast is slightly warm after about 15 - 20 min. of operation, normal brightness and I don't really worry about the buzzing...
Logged

Mr. Big
Guest
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #3 on: July 12, 2008, 01:50:47 AM » Author: Mr. Big
It's a magnetic rapid start ballast. And yeah all seems normal. The ballast is slightly warm after about 15 - 20 min. of operation, normal brightness and I don't really worry about the buzzing...

Slightly warm is fine, too hot to touch is a warning to turn it off I've had that happen to me before with a GE bonus line ballast, it got too hot to touch AND zapped me!! As a result, It got tossed across the room! It smelled bad too, what had happened was the cap went bad and leaked PCBs all over the inside of the ballast! that was a mess :-\
Logged
DimBulb
Member
**
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery


Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #4 on: July 12, 2008, 03:39:32 AM » Author: DimBulb
Just don't leave it unattended! A few years ago, I had an old GE rapid start ballast go bad in one of my garage fixtures. I left for a couple of hours and forgot to turn the lights off. When I got back, the garage was full of smoke and the ballast was leaking black PCB tar all over the floor and in my tool box! This ballast was old and didn't have a thermal switch.
Logged

My very first word was LIGHT!

TudorWhiz
Member
*****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

GoL
WWW
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #5 on: July 12, 2008, 10:09:29 AM » Author: TudorWhiz
Yeah Rudy, I remember pictures of your fixture that had the bad ballast with leaking tar.......I was a new member that time....:-)
Logged

For pictures of my streetlight collection and other streetlight pictures with some various pictures that are not in this website, please visit http://www.galleryoflights.org/  under GullWhiz

Administrator of Galleryoflights.org

Foxtronix
Member
*****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

Formerly "TiCoune66". Also known here as Vince.


GoL UCs4tSgJSCoCIMGThBuaePhA
WWW
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #6 on: July 12, 2008, 12:45:56 PM » Author: Foxtronix
Fortunately, my Universal ballast has a thermal switch
Logged

Mr. Big
Guest
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #7 on: July 12, 2008, 07:12:31 PM » Author: Mr. Big
Fortunately, my Universal ballast has a thermal switch

In this case, mine didn't!
Logged
GE M-400A1
Member
***
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

My Pontiac 6000 STE


Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #8 on: July 28, 2008, 12:04:51 AM » Author: GE M-400A1
I have had a garage fire because of a old ballast that had no therm switch!
Logged

My Cars:

1986 Pontiac 6000 STE

1996 Chrysler Concorde LXi

1998 Chrysler Cirrus LXi

Foxtronix
Member
*****
Offline

Gender: Male
View Posts
View Gallery

Formerly "TiCoune66". Also known here as Vince.


GoL UCs4tSgJSCoCIMGThBuaePhA
WWW
Re: Using a 2 lamp ballast as a 1 lamp ballast « Reply #9 on: August 08, 2008, 10:11:12 PM » Author: Foxtronix
Oh...  :-\ Not cool.... Recently I leaved the ballast with 1 lamp for a while and the thermal protection blew up (I though this first). After a 1h cooling down, I see that the thermal protection is auto-reset! The good quality of the past...  :D
Logged

Print 
© 2005-2024 Lighting-Gallery.net | SMF 2.0.19 | SMF © 2021, Simple Machines | Terms and Policies