It will be located next to a neutral wire, usually white, which you will also need to cut. We also offer our own 30 Day Purchase Satisfaction Policy, For any other questions, we staff an expert team of specialists to handle your questions and requests. Is there a way to get to the ballast without going through the attic (there is no access in my house)? Remove the fixture cover, and unscrew the bulb. We have several high rise condo's with 6" lights running down the hallways. 6. If you are able to work on the fixture with it on a table instead of in the housing of the ceiling for added safety that would be the best way to perform this task. Remove the fluorescent tube bulbs from the fixture. If your fluorescent light fixture makes buzzing noises, is flickering, struggles to turn on, or does not turn on at all, the most likely problem is a faulty ballast.A fluorescent light fixture that has a bad ballast will cause different types of issues which troubleshooting will indicate the ballast needs to be replaced. You need to find the breaker box and determine the breaker switch for the power in that area. Connect remaining wires. 3. 1. Remove the ballast from the fixture. If you are trying to retrofit a fixture from fluorescent to LED lamps, you may need to bypass the ballast for this purpose. In the light fixture, you will see a metal cover protruding into the light area. You can either completely remove the ballast or choose to cap the wires to make sure there is no circuitry provided to the ballast. Hazardous Area / Explosion Proof Lighting. Terms | Privacy, Use of this site signifies your acceptance of 1000Bulbs.com, okb-app-06 // afbb1de8ed8b9c85cc030d0e5948e7dd. 1000Bulbs.com offers a special 30-Day Return Policy solely for customer satisfaction, From local pick-up to international shipping, we do our best to deliver your bulbs on your time-table, Many products carry manufacturer warranties. Furthermore, if you find yourself questioning whether your wiring setup is applicable to these instructions, please call an electrician. Reconnect the wires. Turn the breaker switch off. You should never work on any wiring or internal elements with electricity in the unit. From here, you will need to connect the input and output wires from the fixture to … I hope this information helps you troubleshoot your problem and or upgrade your lights. Our lighting experts can help you find direct wire LED tubes if you’re ready to tackle bypassing the ballast, or plug and play if you don’t want the hassle. Remove the ballast. Bring the ballast with you to … This is the ballast cover. These wires are usually red or blue. 2) Locate your ballast. 2. If you’re unsure where the bulb connects, pull the sides of the light fixture back gently to locate the slots. Contact your customer service support team about products, services and more. Most T8 tubes will have a hidden ballast, covered with a casing and resting behind the tube light. … Take the ballast with you to your local home center or hardware store and purchase a like replacement. It may be located on the side or in the middle of your fixture. Pull the cover down on the side with the tabs and it will be released but still be hung from the other side. In any case, it should be obvious how to remove it. The same connection needs to be made between the neutral socket wires and the neutral wire from the building. Remove the Bulbs and Fluorescent Light Fixture Cover. 3. Press the two metal tabs down using pliers or a screwdriver. 3. Industrial and commercial lighting at wholesale prices. Leave the longer length of wire (coming from the fixture) for attachment to the main power lines coming from the building. Remove the Ballast. 3.Use a non-shunted lamp holder, and connect the N and L wires of the mains to the N and L ends of the lamp holder. In case your mental state continues to be one of confusion after reading this article, please call an electrician. You may have seen this warning on our website before: “Ballast bypass installation required. A hot wire carries the power to the fixture. 5. This way no small children, overly helpful neighbors, or established enemies accidentally turn on the power while you are rerouting the wires. This metal cover is held by one or two screws, or it slides into slots cut into the fixture. Strip about one inch of the colored insulation off of all the remaining wires. From here, you will need to connect the input and output wires from the fixture to the wires in the ceiling power source. You need to make sure the switch is off, the breaker is off, and there is absolutely no power to the unit at all. In any case, once you identify the hot wire, the neutral will be on the same side. If you are comfortable with your abilities and have experience with this area, you might be able to take a DIY approach. Loosen the bulb 1 end at a time until it is free from the fixture. In this video, I remove and replace a dead ballast from a fluorescent light fixture in my garage. Use of this site signifies your acceptance of 1000Bulbs.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Remove the screws that hold the ballast in place and remove it from the fixture. Slide the side of the cover with the slot of the longer corner towards you. Note: The attachment method for ballast covers varies widely among manufacturers. Cut the hot and neutral wires. Step 4 - Remove Ballast Cover. The bypass method is often required for most retrofit installations that are not using plug-and-play LED tubes. The bite is that an electrician trip charge (which includes 30 or 60 minutes work) is going to be $75-150 probably - for about 5 minutes work on each light fixture. Choosing the best retrofit LED can be a daunting task; some retrofit LEDs can even be installed without bypassing the ballast. #1 in Customer Satisfaction warehouse-lighting.com © 2020 - All rights reserved. This connection can be achieved using push-in connectors or wire nuts that screw on to complete the circuit of power. Again, use the services of a professional especially if you are in a commercial situation with a lot of fixtures. Cut the hot and neutral wires. In many T8 fixtures, the ballast is covered by a casing and the T8 tubes are on top of it, meaning you need to take out the tubes and unscrew the casing to get to the ballast. 2.Cut the output wires on the ballast. You will need to cut the hot wire which is the wire providing power to the fixture. Its purpose is to show you step by step how to convert your current 4 foot t8 or t12 fluorescent tube light fixture to use the starled ballast. Connect the input wires to the output wires. In many T8 fixtures, the ballast is covered by a casing and the T8 tubes are on top of it, meaning you need to take out the tubes and unscrew the casing to get to the ballast. 3. How to Upgrade to LED Lighting with Ballast Fixtures This creates a problem when someone wishes to upgrade to more efficient LED lighting from CFL lighting. This frees the tooth from the corner. Let’s pause for a brief summary of steps 3 and 4: Cut all the wires that are keeping the ballast in the fixture within 2 inches of length. So if you’re ready to upgrade to LED tube lights, give us a call at 1-800-624-4488. Either in doubt, hesitation, or just plain ol’ don’t-want-to-climb-a-ladder-today: please call a professionally licensed electrician. Your ballast removal is now complete. It is important to note that T8 LED tubes only need power on one end. These wires run to the ballast from the socket and should be unshunted. Each hot wire from the fixture (meaning multiple lamps in a fixture equals multiple sockets, therefore multiple hot wires) needs to connect to the hot wire from the building. Now, locate the ballast on the existing fluorescent fixture. Uncover the ballast compartment to reveal the ballast and the internal wiring. Remove the ballast from the lamp holder or tuck the wires away. Before you go to the trouble of replacing the ballast, you should determine if a bad ballast is indeed the likely cause of the problem. Each side of the fixture … 1.Disconnect main power before installation. Remove it by pushing the sides of the metal cover together or unscrewing the screws, whichever is required on your fixture. 2140 Merritt Dr, Garland, TX 75041 Remove the cover from the fixture and remove the bulbs. Make sure there is no electricity present prior to performing this step! Once this step is complete, you will have removed the ballast competent and can now install your lamps. THESE ARE THE BASIC STEPS ONLY PLEASE RESEARCH CORRECTLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING. Replace the entire fixture instead. Remove the metal ballast cover from the center of the fixture. Note the number of tubes in your fixture and their wattage, length, … Do you need a ballast with LED lights? Than remove the 10mm nuts 1 holding each ballast in place, Note: They will be a bit heavy and if your on a ladder take care to slip off or drop one. Now look in the fixture. In most fixtures, the ballast will be behind the tubes and covered by a metal encasing you will need to remove. Make the cuts a few inches from the ballast, to leave the remaining wiring long. These instructions will help you to bypass electronic ballasts, which are most likely being used with T8 fluorescent tubes. It is important to note that if you do not feel confident taking on this task, you need to call a professional in because electrical shock can cause severe injury and death when a novice takes on more than they can chew. However, for commercial properties, the ballast may be integrated into the light fixture, not the lamp. A ballast bypass is a common procedure and method that removes the ballast from the existing fixture. Remove the ballast … They are NHPSIC-626ELAT, CFL (4-pin) fixtures. Pull the metal cover down and remove it, laying it aside … Remove any covers, case, lenses, or lamps that block your access to the ballast and set them aside. If there is a circular white plastic thing in the fixture that the lamp(s) are around, then unfortunately you can't easily replace the ballast in your fixture. Subscribe to get special offers and once-in-a-lifetime deals. You need to cut these wires close to the ballast; these are input wires because they send power to the fixture. Support the ballast with one hand (to prevent it from falling) and remove its mounting nut (s) or bolt (s) with a nut driver or socket wrench. You can either completely remove the ballast or choose to cap the wires to make sure there is no circuitry provided to the ballast. A replacement ballast costs about $10-25 depending on capacity and brand. 3) Remove any pieces that may be covering it so it is exposed and you are able to see the wires attached to it. Be sure to turn off power (especially if you're working with 277V) and have a good flash light, take your time, have patience and it will all work out.. … Remove any covers, case, lenses, or lamps that block your access to the ballast and set them aside. Universal ballast refers to the input voltage only usually 100-277v. Remove the ballast by lowering the side held by the nut, and sliding it in that direction. Turn off the power. In many T8 fixtures, the ballast is covered by a casing and the T8 tubes are on top of it, meaning you need to take out the tubes and unscrew the casing to get to the ballast. Unplug the fixture or turn off the power at the main panel. You only need to connect the input wires to one set of output hot and neutral wires. Remove the fluorescent ballast compartment cover to expose the internal wiring and ballast. Be careful when handling fluorescent light bulbs as they contain some amount of mercury, which can be harmful to children and pets. Fluorescent light fixtures have a lot going for them. To be installed by licensed electrician only.” While bypassing or removing a ballast from the power circuit in order to install LED lamps is easy to do, it is also fairly easy to create a renovation nightmare. It is typically covered in black or red, meaning “hot” or “live”. © 2021 1000Bulbs.com | All Rights Reserved. Remove all lamps and ballast covers for easy access. Cut the socket lead wires. They produce a lot of light, they don't cost a lot to operate, and the fluorescent tubes last a really long time. Once you remove the tube and expose the ballast, cut … Tuning off the switch isn’t enough either. Note the black and white wires coming from the house circuit connected to the power wires on the … 1) Shut off power for your fixture from the source. (Unlike other fixtures, I do not need to remove the light bulbs to access the ballast cover.) The cover is in the middle of the fixture, and there are wires coming out of the endcaps going to the lightbulbs. It is an easy process that reduces energy draw and prevents any potential functionality problems. Now that the wires are cut, you can remove the ballast. Flipping the light switch to the “off” position does not necessarily end the flow of electricity. In this situation the fixture would be retrofitted for non-shunted T8 LED tubes upon the completion of these steps. Now that you have severed the wires that create the circuit through the ballast, you can unscrew the ballast and physically remove it or curl up the remaining shorter ballast wires and tuck them away. Handle these carefully because they are fragile. Become a partner and get extra discounts! Cut the hot and neutral wires. There looks like there is a screw with … Therefore, please read the following warning carefully: “If a person is lacking the expertise to be able to install electrical equipment safely and correctly, it is strongly recommended that they request the services of a professional electrician before proceeding with their reconstruction.”. 1. I cannot find a way to remove the ballast cover on one of my fluorescent light fixtures. It is helpful to note that if you discover a magnetic ballast hiding in your fixture’s casing, you need to find the separate starter device and disconnect it as well. This is the same cover you would remove to relamp the fixture. This wire is usually red or black. When it comes to how to bypass a ballast, it is simple enough in theory. I have a set of recessed CFL (4-pin) lights and a few of the ballasts are failing (CFLs fail to start randomly, even after replacing them with new sets). Fixtures with multiple lights may have more than one set of wires on one end of the ballast. These output wires provide the power to the lamps. The socket lead wires (most likely red and blue-colored wires) are located on the other side of the ballast and connect to wires going out of the ballast to the sockets (which should be non-shunted sockets for T8 LEDs). Cut The Hot And Neutral wires. Remove the case, lamp, and any cover that prevents you from reaching the ballast. Never try to work around the lamps since it will hinder your visibility. Over 125,000+ reviews! 5. Now that the wires are cut, you can remove the ballast. Make sure you cut them close to the ballast but leave the longer end for the attachment through the ceiling opening for the power source. 4. Remove the panel that covers the internal wiring and ballast (this varies depending on the fixture, but usually is held on with one or two screws) Cut the wires coming from the ballast with wire cutters. However, it is recommended by many manufacturers to have a professional perform this step. Remove any covers, case, lenses, or lamps that block your access to the ballast and set them aside. This is best done with a nut driver or socket wrench. 1000Bulbs.com is proud to offer our customers products that have earned the government's ENERGY STAR label. 3 Slide the bulb out of the light fixture to remove it. At the other end of the ballast, you will find the socket lead wires. The input hot and neutral wires (black and white) coming from the building need to be connected to the output hot and neutral wires coming from the fixtures. Disassemble the Light Fixture. You can either remove the ballast or keep it, it’s not useful in this case anyway. Locate your ballast. Remove the ballast. A neutral wire (for the sake of simplicity) is a white wire which completes the circuit back to the electrical panel. Switch off power to light fixture; Remove the light casing; Remove the bulbs; Remove the ballast from the fixture; If the ballast looks burnt, it definitely needs replacing; Set your multimeter to the ohm setting; Insert first probe of the multimeter to the wire connecting the red wires together; Touch the second probe to the … Please use caution when performing this task. Learn about our policies, benefits and more. We’ll help you pick the right wattage and color temperature for your specific application so that you can get the most out of your lights. This can’t be stressed enough! Locate the ballast cover on one end of the fixture, unscrew it and remove it. Not long ago a friend installed a universal ballast in a 4 tube t8 lamp fixture, the lights did not work because the ballast was for 2' fluorescents. Whatever you do, don't drop them. Cut back additional wiring on opposite side of ballast as the led tube lamp only requires power at one end. LED lights can operate with or without a ballast. Its very difficult to stand on a ladder while trying to get both hands inside the 6" opening. Wiring diagram how to bypass ballast for led tube.