sen5241b October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 What is a ballast? What does it do? Why don't other light fixtures have ballasts or do they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilan October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 A ballast is used for types of lighting that requires a different voltage than what's supplied from you wall outlets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 basically a transformer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Ward October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 ... and all flourescent lighting has ballasts - including the little twist lights (CFLs) that are popular now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 (edited) A ballast also limits current in gas-discharge lamps. They are necessary because these lamps exhibit a negative resistance characteristic which would cause them to burn out quickly without the ballast. Incadescent lights don't need them because they have a postive resistance characteristic. Edited October 22, 2008 by Origami2547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 They have wires and black stuff in em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar October 22, 2008 Share October 22, 2008 They're expensive and you'll let the smoke out of them if they get wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sikryd October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 They're expensive and you'll let the smoke out of them if they get wet. If they get wet, you can smoke em'??@?@?@? Yeah BUDDY! Gunna go fry it now... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefmontalvo October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 And lets not forget you also have; Magnetic, Solid State type ballast and then pulse start and probe start type bulbs that go along with those type of ballast. Now don't get worried there is plenty of information on the web for both types. You should mainly worry about the Kelvin values and the wattage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 Never let the smoke out of 'em. All electronic devices require a certain amount of captive smoke. It you let the smoke out, the device will stop working and may even become more susceptible to spontaneous combustion. This may then cause the smoke to be released from wood and other nearby organic and man-made substances, an ugly chain reaction that really isn't pleasant to consider! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 you guys are always funny. That aside, I'm glad the question was asked - I knew only that a ballast is like the engine for lighting - take it away and nothing works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 Never let the smoke out of 'em. All electronic devices require a certain amount of captive smoke. It you let the smoke out, the device will stop working and may even become more susceptible to spontaneous combustion. This may then cause the smoke to be released from wood and other nearby organic and man-made substances, an ugly chain reaction that really isn't pleasant to consider! So hold your smoke. Bob said so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrubberbandman October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 Replacing them is soooo fun........my eyes get blurry from all the wires. some ballasts can get quite heavy to......must be the tar inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b October 23, 2008 Author Share October 23, 2008 Alright I cut them open with mu Saw-zaw but no smoke came out. Now what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Garrison October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 Alright I cut them open with mu Saw-zaw but no smoke came out. Now what? Check your purchase order to see if you bought the smokeless kind, if that is not the case then check your warranty because you ballasts were missing essential compenents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b October 23, 2008 Author Share October 23, 2008 Check your purchase order to see if you bought the smokeless kind, if that is not the case then check your warranty because you ballasts were missing essential compenents They're definitely the smoke type. When I plugged'em back in --then the smoke started coming out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Garrison October 23, 2008 Share October 23, 2008 They're definitely the smoke type. When I plugged'em back in --then the smoke started coming out! Great!!!! At least we know you got the product you paid for... of course now you need new ballasts because you let the smoke out.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav October 25, 2008 Share October 25, 2008 (edited) Saw-Saw... Free acro frag to anyont that can explain this clasic HowardofNOVA refrence. Edited October 25, 2008 by Grav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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