Can you use a 2 lamp ballast for a single lamp?

How to Replace 1 Lamp Rapid Start Ballast with 2 Lamp Rapid Start. A 1 lamp rapid start (series) ballast can be hard to find, but it can be replaced with a 2 lamp rapid start ballast. Here is how a 2 lamp ballast is wired to a 1 lamp fixture.

Why does my light fixture have 2 ballasts?





Light Fixtures with Two Ballasts



This is because the wire colors on the ballast and the lampholders do not match up on two of the connections. On the 4 lamp instant start ballast diagram below, each individual wire is connected to a pair of individual wires on the lampholders.

How do you bypass a double ballast?

How to Bypass A Ballast

  1. Step 1: Disconnect All Power So There is No Electrical Current. …
  2. Step 2: Find the Ballast. …
  3. Step 3: Locate and Cut Only the Hot and Neutral Wires. …
  4. Step 4: Cut the Socket Lead Wires. …
  5. Step 5: Remove the Ballast (if you wish) …
  6. Step 6: Connect the Wires. …
  7. Step 7: Reattach Any Coverings and Turn On.


Can you splice ballast wires?

In the case of installing an electrical fixture, a splice is used to connect the lead wires of your fixture (it doesn’t matter whether it’s a ceiling fan, ballast, or downlight housing, they all have cable leads) to your house’s line voltage.

What happens if you wire a ballast wrong?





If a ballast fails, it can cause a short, burn out tubes or even cause a fire, so it must be replaced. Lights that don’t turn on, fluorescent tubes blackened near their ends, and brown, burnt tube electrodes are all indicators that a ballast is bad.

What do you do with the extra blue wire on a ballast?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Both your two blue wires on the new ballast are going to go to one side of the bowl. And then you have a middle red wire on your new ballast as well that red wire you're gonna need to split.

How do you convert a double ballast to LED?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: The end result and the end goal is on a double-ended LED tube we need to supply power to both ends one in this hot and one in this neutral. We have all kinds of drawings and diagrams on our website.

Can you wire two ballasts together?

Fluorescent tube light fixtures with two ballasts are typically wired in the same manner. Individual wires of one ballast connect to the one side of the fixture, individual wires from the other ballast connect to the other side of the fixture.

How do you bypass a 2 ballast on a 4 light fixture?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Make sure the power has been turned off at the breaker remove existing fluorescent tubes removed ballast cover – exposed ballast and wiring clip the power wires leading into the ballast.

What do I do with the yellow wires on a ballast?

The common yellow wires connect from the ballast to push-in connectors on one of the right holders of lamp 1 or 2. Two yellow wires connect the common lampholders together.

What is the red wire on a ballast?

2 and 3 lamp instant start ballasts use blue wires for individual connections, and red wires for common connections. Black wire is for line voltage and white wire for neutral.

Can a fluorescent ballast shock you?



UL said in a release that its recent testing confirmed that luminaires with magnetic ballasts intended for F40T12 fluorescent lamps may pose a risk of electric shock during installation of LED lamps intended for direct substitution of a fluorescent lamp while the circuit is energized.

How do you rewire a ballast?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: And then the red one goes down and connects to both of those wires. So those two that blue and red get twisted together. And goes to this red one and that's as simple as that.

What voltage comes out of a ballast?

Many fluorescent ballasts are now universal voltage, meaning they can be run on line voltage from 120 to 277 volts. For international or industrial use, 347-480V ballasts are available.

How do you test a 2 wire ballast?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: More or less than 36 Watt was in reason to test whether a ballast is good or bad first thing to do is visually inspect it check that it's not bulging or discolored.

Does ballast need to be grounded?



The fixture or ballast does not have to be grounded through an equipment ground to operate. Yes, the ballast case has to be electrically connected to the sheet metal behind the lamps for them to ignite.

How do you install a 2 bulb ballast?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: And all I have to do is flip them. And just simply stab them in the way those. And it'll just like be on the wine that so I'll just take one red wire stub it in a wiggle.

How do I know if my ballast is T8 or T12?

If no markings are available, the size in diameter of the tube is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch.

What happens if you put a T8 bulb in a T12 fixture?

T12 vs T8 Fluorescent Tubes



T12 tubes are 1.5″ in diameter while T8s are just one inch. All other things—socket sizes, lengths, distance between pins—are the same. T8 LED tubes won’t fall out if you try to install them in a T12 fixture—they’ll fit just fine.

Can I replace a T12 ballast with a T8?



The easiest and lowest price option to replace a T12 is a T8 linear fluorescent. They have become the go-to option for pre-existing T12s. If you still have magnetic ballasts, switching to a T8 will require a ballast swap. Another option is to move forward with an LED retrofit.