Can Ballasts be recycled?

Ballasts manufactured through 1979 may contain PCBs. PCB-containing ballasts become a concern if they are leaking or they will be removed and disposed of as hazardous waste. The non-leaking ballasts can be removed and recycled or disposed of properly.

How can you tell if an electronic ballast is bad?

If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast:

  1. Flickering.
  2. Buzzing.
  3. Delayed start.
  4. Low output.
  5. Inconsistent lighting levels.
  6. Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp.
  7. Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.

What is an electronic ballast used for?

An electrical ballast is a device placed in series with a load to limit the amount of current in an electrical circuit.

Are ballasts worth scrapping?

The worst type of ballast that you can have is a PCB ballast. These are very harmful to the environment and many scrap yards will not want to buy or even take these in as as scrap because they are very difficult to recycle correctly.

How do I WIRE an electronic ballast?

Individual ballast wires each connect to a lampholder on one side of each tube. The common wire(s) connect to all of the lampholders on the other side of the tubes.

How do you wire a ballast?

Connect the black and white wires from the house circuit cable to the black and white wires leading from the ballast, using wire connectors. There should also be a red and blue set of wires on the ballast. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from these wires’ ends, as needed.

How do you test a fluorescent light ballast?

To test the fluorescent light ballast, turn off the circuit breaker for the fluorescent fixture, and remove the fixture’s lens cover. Afterward, remove the bulbs from the fixture. Next, take the ballast cover from the fixture, and replace the ballast if it appears leaking, burned or swollen.

How much does a ballast cost?

Depending on the lamp type, ballast can run from a low of about $100-150 to about $600 bill-out rate – commonly around $300 plus or minus a hundred or so – plus around $170-300 commonly for a transit-setup-diagnosis or minor repair labor/truck fee for a boom truck and electrician.

By Contributing