ballast lifespan

[zawy]

If you disconnect all the fluorescent lights from a ballast, but the
ballast still gets power, does it harm the ballast?

 

[Richard Crowley]

"zawy" wrote ...

If you disconnect all the fluorescent lights from a ballast, but the
ballast still gets power, does it harm the ballast?

The ballast is frequently in series with the lamp(s).
So if the lamp is removed, no power flows through the ballast.
But there are variations on this theme, so no answer is universal.

 

[Victor Roberts]

On 23 Jul 2003 06:50:10 -0700, zawy@yahoo.com (zawy) wrote:

If you disconnect all the fluorescent lights from a ballast, but the
ballast still gets power, does it harm the ballast?

Ballasts designed to be used with replaceable lamps must be designed
to survive for an indefinite length of time with no lamps connected
while the ballast is connected to its power source. The ballast can
shut itself down when there is no lamp load in order to survive, but
it should not burn out.

That being said, I do not recommend leaving ballasts connected to a
power source when they do not have a lamp load. While the ballast will
not "burn out", the additional heat that *might* be generated in the
ballast *could* lead to shorter ballast life AND it does waste energy,
which none of us should be doing.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com

 

[Bushy]

Not only that but you have a physical device that is connected to power just
waiting for the mice to chew through the power cable!

If you don't need it, cut it off!

Peter

p.s. Hope my wife doesn't read this!

 

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article <3F2CDC17.12E24F28@prontoremovethismail.com>,
AC/DCdude17 <JerC@prontoREMOVETHISmail.com> writes:

That being said, I do not recommend leaving ballasts connected to a
power source when they do not have a lamp load. While the ballast will
not "burn out", the additional heat that *might* be generated in the
ballast *could* lead to shorter ballast life

How about the effect of starting voltage being applied to insulation
continuously?

AND it does waste energy,
which none of us should be doing.

I've seen some comments which make me think that in the EU at least,
they are required to shut down when a lamp dies (which for some types
of lamp death, would be pretty indistinguishable from lamp missing).

I've used a couple of types of electronic ballast which say if you
replace a lamp live, the ballast won't attempt to use it until supply
is next interrupted.

--
Andrew Gabriel

 

[Victor Roberts]

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 09:55:35 GMT, AC/DCdude17
<JerC@prontoREMOVETHISmail.com> wrote:

AND it does waste energy,
which none of us should be doing.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but you sound like an energy
conservationist.

I plead guilty!

Seeing that you say none of us should be wasting a few
watts here and there, how do you feel about energy inefficient
automobiles?

This *is* a lighting group, not an automobile group. However, I do
believe in energy conservation.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com

 

[Tom MacIntyre]

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 13:51:08 GMT, Victor Roberts
<Vic@RobertsResearchInc.com> wrote:

On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 09:55:35 GMT, AC/DCdude17
JerC@prontoREMOVETHISmail.com> wrote:


AND it does waste energy,
which none of us should be doing.

I'm not sure if it's just me, but you sound like an energy
conservationist.

I plead guilty!

Seeing that you say none of us should be wasting a few
watts here and there, how do you feel about energy inefficient
automobiles?

This *is* a lighting group, not an automobile group. However, I do
believe in energy conservation.

It's also an electronics group as well...

Tom

 

[Scott M]

andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel) wrote in message news:<bgj0mb$nuh$5@new-usenet.uk.sun.com>...

In article <3F2CDC17.12E24F28@prontoremovethismail.com>,
AC/DCdude17 <JerC@prontoREMOVETHISmail.com> writes:

That being said, I do not recommend leaving ballasts connected to a
power source when they do not have a lamp load. While the ballast will
not "burn out", the additional heat that *might* be generated in the
ballast *could* lead to shorter ballast life

How about the effect of starting voltage being applied to insulation
continuously?

AND it does waste energy,
which none of us should be doing.

I've seen some comments which make me think that in the EU at least,
they are required to shut down when a lamp dies (which for some types
of lamp death, would be pretty indistinguishable from lamp missing).

I've used a couple of types of electronic ballast which say if you
replace a lamp live, the ballast won't attempt to use it until supply
is next interrupted.

You are correct about ballasts with "End of Lamp Life" protection,
meaning they shut down if a lamp fails. I definately depends on what
type of lamps and ballasts you are using. I believe a Rapid Start
ballast will use a very small amount of energy when no lamp ends are
in the sockets. If a lamp fails, or breaks, the ballast will attempt
to start the lamp continuously, unless it has end of lamp life
protection.

Scott

 

[Victor Roberts]

On 5 Aug 2003 13:26:26 -0700, smicucci@quorumintl.com (Scott M) wrote:

I've used a couple of types of electronic ballast which say if you
replace a lamp live, the ballast won't attempt to use it until supply
is next interrupted.

You are correct about ballasts with "End of Lamp Life" protection,
meaning they shut down if a lamp fails. I definately depends on what
type of lamps and ballasts you are using. I believe a Rapid Start
ballast will use a very small amount of energy when no lamp ends are
in the sockets. If a lamp fails, or breaks, the ballast will attempt
to start the lamp continuously, unless it has end of lamp life
protection.

End of Life Protection is not necessarily the same as a ballast that
shuts down when the lamp fails or is not present.

When the electrodes in T5 and smaller fluorescent lamps fail, or start
to fail, the end of the lamp can overheat and cause the lamp to fall
out of the socket or start a fire. A ballast with End of Life
Protection is designed to prevent this problem. In many cases the
lamps with these "failed" electrodes would continue to operate if the
ballast did not shut down because of the End of Life Protection
circuit.

Other ballasts are designed to reduce stress on the ballast itself by
turning off the ballast if a lamp fails to start in a predetermined
amount of time after power is applied (which includes the case of a
missing lamp), or the lamp stops working while power is applied.

Both of these protection circuits do turn off the ballast, but they
shut down the ballast in response to different situations.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com

 

[AC/DCdude17]

X-No-Archive: Yes

Victor Roberts wrote:

This *is* a lighting group, not an automobile group. However, I do
believe in energy conservation.

If we're talking about saving energy, I find it important to consider
all the major factors. A household with all decora low efficinecy
incandescent lamps who has a Civic as the primary commuter vehicle will
be releasing less junk into the air than a household with all CFL
lighting who has a 12mpg(5km/l) 5.4 liter V8 Excursion as the primary
commuter vehicle. Ofcourse, only in the USA would you see 12mpg(5km/l)
vehicles used as a daily driver.

 

[William H. Hathaway]

AC/DCdude17 wrote:

X-No-Archive: Yes

Victor Roberts wrote:



This *is* a lighting group, not an automobile group. However, I do
believe in energy conservation.

If we're talking about saving energy, I find it important to consider
all the major factors. A household with all decora low efficinecy
incandescent lamps who has a Civic as the primary commuter vehicle will
be releasing less junk into the air than a household with all CFL
lighting who has a 12mpg(5km/l) 5.4 liter V8 Excursion as the primary
commuter vehicle. Ofcourse, only in the USA would you see 12mpg(5km/l)
vehicles used as a daily driver.

Household size factors. If you gotta transport three adults,
two juvies, four rug rats, a mewler, a dawg, plus all their
light bubs and a day's worth of the standard American diet,
an Excursion Assault Vehicle would save energy over three or
four Civics to do the same thing. Agree that an oversized ego
machine for a single commuter is a waste for which future
generations will never be able to forgive.
Wonder what mpg(km/l) the 1950s model cars get in Cuba. Or how
many joules W will burn flying over the course of his election
campaign.

Lighting - gotta remember what we're here for ...........