Light ballasts are used to control and restrict the electrical currents and connections to fluorescent bulbs. Without the restriction of electrical currents provided by the ballast, the fluorescent bulbs would heat up and burnout. Simon Electric would like to cover the basic and essential functions that ballasts provide and how they improve efficiency and longevity of fluorescent light bulbs.
Ballast Working Principle
Ballasts are essential to lighting systems. They help control electrical currents and ensure that proper voltage is properly delivered to the system when activated. When a fluorescent light is turned on, the ballast prevents shocking the light system with too high and too many volts. In short, with ballasts, a fluorescent light bulb would burn out or pop immediately upon activation. Ballasts are not only important for fluorescent light bulbs, they also help LED bulbs as well. There is a major controversy that ballasts are not used for LED bulbs or by removing the ballasts you can improve the LED longevity and efficiency. When talking with a professional electrician we will never agree that ballasts are not needed or used for LED bulbs. LED bulbs also need to regulate and control electrical currents. If the ballasts are either removed or never used for LED bulbs you will have the same outcome as fluorescent bulbs. The LED bulbs will overheat, burnout and or pop. Both LED and fluorescent light bulb efficiency is also severely affected without the use of ballasts.
Electronic VS Magnetic Ballasts
Today there are two types of ballasts that are used to regulate and control electrical currents. One is an electronic ballast and the other is a magnetic ballast. Each functions slightly different but achieves the same job. Electronic ballasts have a capacitor resistor and more elaborate circuit board that helps control the flow of electricity. The circuit system controls and puts out a specific amount of wattage per second and ensures a steady flow of energy when activated or while the system is still running. A magnetic ballast function is far more simplified. Mostly made of coiled wiring near the light bulb socket, the magnetic ballast rapidly converts and directs DC currents in an AC current. As the two types of currents cycle between each other, it creates a magnetic field that will disrupt the proper amount of energy to the light bulb. Magnetic ballasts are less efficient than electronic ballasts and are no longer used in most modern light fixtures.
Calculate Ballast Wattage
Some people will blame the ballast when light bulbs burnout quickly. However in most cases people will use the wrong wattage bulb for the ballast requirements. It is important to know what wattage light bulb for both fluorescent and LED that matches the ballast. However, there are times a ballast will go out and needs to be replaced. If the bulb blows out shortly after replacing them and the wattage matches the ballast requirements, then have the ballast inspected and if needed, replaced.
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