What is the purpose of a ballast?

In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw.

What are the differences in ballasts?

And there are two types of ballasts in each family: magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are the older ballast technology. For HIDs, some metal halides and HPS lamps use magnetic ballasts. Magnetic ballasts are typically the culprit for buzzing and flickering because they regulate electricity incrementally.

How does a transformer ballast work?

The transformer elements in a magnetic ballast use this principle to regulate the current in a fluorescent lamp. But the alternating current powering a fluorescent light is constantly reversing itself, so the ballast only has to inhibit increasing current in a particular direction for a short amount of time.

Does a ballast change voltage?

Fluorescent lamps use a ballast which transforms line voltage to a voltage to start up and operate the lamp(s). Newer fluorescent ballasts are usually rated for both 120 volts and 277 volts. Ballasts have a wiring diagram to show how they connect to the lampholders.

What are the two functions of ballast?

The functions of ballast are as follows :

• It provides levelled bed or support for the railway sleepers.
• It transfers the load from sleepers to subgrade and distributes the load uniformly on subgrade.
• It holds the sleepers in a firm position while the trains pass by.

Can a ballast shock you?

Old magnetic ballasts can shock installers of LED tube replacements if not deenergized first. To date, UL has not received any reports of persons receiving an electric shock while replacing lamps on these older magnetic 40W ballasts.

Does ballast consume power?

Ballasts restrict the current through linear fluorescent, compact fluorescent and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps. They consume a small amount of power in the process – about 25\% of the rated power of the lamp being operated.

How do you test a ballast output?

To measure it, set your digital multimeter to around a thousand ohms resistance setting. Connect the black leads to the white ground wire on your ballast. Afterward, test every other wire with the red lead. When you do this test, a good ballast will return an “open-loop” or max resistance.

How many watts does a ballast use?

They consume eight to 10 watts when operating with the lamp in the circuit. The ballast will consume about four watts when the lamps are removed although the ballast is still energized. Electronic ballasts start and regulate fluorescent lamps with the use of electronic components.

What is a ballast in construction?

A variety of materials have been used as track ballast, including crushed stone, washed gravel, bank run (unwashed) gravel, torpedo gravel (a mixture of coarse sand and small gravel), slag, chats, coal cinders, sand, and burnt clay. The term “ballast” comes from a nautical term for the stones used to stabilize a ship.