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Thread: electronic ballasts

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    electronic ballasts

    here something i learnt yesterday...if you take a tube out of a light fitting which has an electronic ballast 4 ft or 5 ft double fittings it goes into a fault safe mode and will not work until you switch off the power and switch it back on...or some have a time delay which could be a couple of hours.

    how many of you have removed the ballast and returned it to be replaced because it is still new...without knowing about this fall safe mode?

    i have brand new electrocnic ballasts on my workbench as we speak which have been removed because i didnt know about this...i changed the tube without switching off the power and the light stopped working so i replaced the ballast and then they worked so now i will test these new ballast to make sure they are actually faulty.

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    Dave A (23-Sep-10)

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    Manufacturer?
    T5 T8?

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    Email problem daveob's Avatar
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    Sounds like an opportunity for a dodgy electrician to replace your 'faulty' unit with a 'new' unit - the same 'new' unit that he took out the last unsuspecting customers light.

    So he gets to charge for a new replacement every time without having to buy a new unit.
    Watching the ships passing by.

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    Email problem upsinformant's Avatar
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    I have never heard of that, having worked with hundreds of ballasts when replacing them with low energy units for green purposes. Interesting though..

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    the ones i am refering to are standard 5ft double flu. fittings with electrocnic ballasts ..."make"... you would need to check with your lighting supplier as to which make reacts in what manner...i spoke to my supplier and he told me the same thing today and advised me he was aware of the problem so i asked him why he had not notified us of this issue before...because on numerous occassion i have just removed the whole fitting with the electronic ballast complete and replaced with the old standard fittings with a starter and wire wound ballast.

    you live and learn.

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    Interesting. We've used hundreds of T5 & T8 Tridonic, Osram & Philips electronic ballasts and I've never come across this. They have been shorted, cross connected, the V grips have failed, but I can't say I've ever had a problem. But then, as soon as we something wrong we turn the system off, check, correct and then turn the system back on. We never connect or disconnect tubes while the ballast is powered for fear of damage or electrocution.

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    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    I've not come across this on standard electronic ballasts, only independently addressable, dimmable ballasts which are on DALI lighting systems. It was probably inevitable this trend would eventually extend to normal ballasts but like I say I haven't seen them yet in the commonly used fittings.
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    i got caught like that as well.i tend to install or replace tubes live.i have found many fittings (36+58 watt electronic ballasts,different makes ) that you have to switch off and on again to get it to work. i havent noticed long reset periods though.

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    Now why would you install or replace tubes live? Like changing a cars spark plug on the move!

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    i always do it live and if the fitting has a starter which clips in from the side i change it at the same time even if it works...like the geyser thermostat...while repairing replacing the element just replace the thermostat at the same time...

    the only time i switch off the power is when i open the cover...to replace components inside the fitting.

    i havent personally had the time delay either i heard this from someone else who experienced it...a maintenance person in a factory with plenty of 5 ft fittings...you can believe it not...i have a ballast i replaced recently and am gona run some tests on it.

    i have stopped installing fittings with electronic ballasts due to their quick failure....this could have been due to the make supplied bt the wholesaler.

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