Is there any other use for florecent light fixture ballasts?

Suzuki4evr

Suzuki4evr

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Hi guys.

I am currently converting all my florecent light fixtures to LED. Now I am no electronics fundi,but is there any other use for the ballasts I removed?

Michael
 
If they're potted with PCB, dispose of them. It's not worth getting that stuff on your skin. Newer ones can be opened, but they're usually potted or conformally coated in some way. Not much use. Making gas glow in glass tubes is what they're good for, unless you can think of another way to put 40 watts of HV/HF to use.
 
If they are magnetic ballasts then you might need to pay to have them handled as hazardous waste. If they are electronic ballasts then you can put them in normal electronic recycling. (Might be different in Washington) I just got rid of bunch of magnetic ballasts. I paid something around $4 each at Batteries Plus Bulbs.

There is no use for either, AFAIK.
 
If you were an "electrical tinkerer", newer (non-PCB) ballasts might have some use. I wouldn't advise using one as an ignition coil, but for a small fence charger it might be done. They are coils designed to limit current for an intentional short circuit, the arc lamp. There are uses for them, but many (most) can be replaced for a few cents with a more suitable device.

.
 
I'm trying to remember if mine are still in the fixture after upgrading. :dunno:
 
Our plant had all 283 2 bays swapped to led and the units were wired to new electronic ballasts. I ask the contractor why ballasts and his reply was to avoid line voltage shocking a service person. That is all I got.
Pierre
 
Scrap yard pays a decent price for them around here.
 
pdentrem said:
Our plant had all 283 2 bays swapped to led and the units were wired to new electronic ballasts. I ask the contractor why ballasts and his reply was to avoid line voltage shocking a service person. That is all I got.
Pierre
Click to expand...
Yea, that is the reason they sight. Some idiot could insert a bulb with their finger on the pins and shock themselves. Of course the same idiot probably sticks butter knives in outlets as well :dunno: Using a ballast with LED bulbs waste is mind boggling as you are wasting tons of electricity to power the ballast that you don't need anymore?


At work if I am in a 480 cabinet and some one is nearby I tell them not to lick anything if I have to grab a tool or something. They think its funny but sometimes I wonder if one of them will one of these days the stuff they pull?
 
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