What is an instant start electronic ballast?
Instant start. An instant start ballast does not preheat the electrodes, instead using a relatively high voltage (~600 V) to initiate the discharge arc. It is the most energy efficient type, but yields the fewest lamp-start cycles, as material is blasted from the surface of the cold electrodes each time the lamp is turned on.
What is a rapid start ballast?
rapid start ballast is a type of fluorescent light ballast that starts the lamp quickly. It does this by using a higher voltage than traditional ballasts, and it also has an electronic starter. This type of ballast is becoming increasingly popular, as it helps to reduce energy costs and save time.
What is a rapid start electronic ballast?
What is the difference between rapid start and instant start?
- Rapid Start (RS) Rapid start ballast applies a low filament voltage to preheat the cathodes. ...
- Instant Start (IS) Electronic instant start ballast applies a high voltage across the lamp with no preheating of the cathode.
- Glow to Arc Transition. ...
How to wire ballast 1?
- Turn off the power. Flipping the light switch to the “off” position does not necessarily end the flow of electricity.
- Locate your ballast.
- Cut the hot and neutral wires.
- Cut the socket lead wires.
- Remove the ballast.
- Connect the input wires to the output wires.
What does a rapid start ballast do?
A rapid start ballast applies voltage and heats the cathodes simultaneously. It provides superior lamp life and more cycle life, but uses slightly more energy as the electrodes in each end of the lamp continue to consume heating power as the lamp operates.
Is an electronic ballast an instant start ballast?
Electronic instant start ballast applies a high voltage across the lamp with no preheating of the cathode. THIS IS THE MOST ENERGY-EFFICIENT starting method for fluorescent lamp ballasting.
Does rapid start ballast require a starter?
Rapid-start Method Used in older T12 and some T8 tubes, this method functions without a starter. Unlike pre-heat—where the filaments receive current via the starter only to heat the mercury gas—with rapid start, the ballast keeps a small amount of current flowing continuously through the filaments.
What are the three types of ballast?
Types of BallastBroken stone Ballast. Broken stone is a widely used ballast in railways. ... Sand Ballast. Sand can also be used as a ballast material. ... Gravel Ballast. Ad. ... Moorum Ballast. Moorum is formed by the decomposition of laterite. ... Coal Ash or Cinder Ballast. ... Brickbat Ballast.
How do I know what type of ballast I have?
Stand under the light or a place close to the light and point your cell phone camera at the light. If you can see some strong dark strips flickering in your camera, it must be a magnetic ballast based light. Otherwise it should be an electronic ballast based light.
Do you have to change ballast for LED lights?
No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast. You will find ballast-compatible or "plug-and-play" LEDs that are designed to replace linear fluorescents, compact fluorescents, or HIDs. Incandescent and halogen lamps do not require a ballast.
Whats the difference between a rapid start and instant start ballast?
Typically, instant start ballasts use 1.5-2 watts less per lamp than rapid start ballasts. Instant start lamps also start reliably at temperatures as low as zero degrees.
Can I replace a rapid start ballast with an instant start ballast?
4 lamp rapid start magnetic ballasts should be replaced with one 4 lamp instant start electronic ballast. Each lampholder has four separate connections. Connect each of the individual blue wires from the instant start ballast to each pair of the lampholder individual wires (red and blue) of lamps 1 and 2.
Are there different types of ballasts?
There are two categories of ballasts – magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are the most basic type and operate bulbs through a core and coil transformer.
How do I know if a ballast is compatible?
Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that is likely to work with direct drop-in LED tubes (with caveats: see the next section below).
What can I do with an old ballast?
According to EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulations, the material must be incinerated. The entire lighting fixture does not need special handling and disposal as long as the ballast (electrical box) is not leaking. The non-leaking ballasts can be removed and recycled or disposed of properly.
Why do you need a ballast for lights?
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 is the difference between electronic ballast and magnetic?
Magnetic ballasts work at a frequency of around 60 Hz, whereas electronic ballasts work at an increased frequency of around 20,000 Hz. This is why fluorescent lamps using electronic ballasts do not flicker or emit any buzzing sounds. Electronic ballasts are also quite smaller in size and weight.
What are the types of fluorescent ballasts?
There are two basic types of fluorescent ballasts: magnetic (low frequency) and electronic (high frequency). Most fluorescent ballasts are now electronic, which are more efficient than magnetic ballasts.
Can you replace a rapid start ballast with an instant start ballast?
4 lamp rapid start magnetic ballasts should be replaced with one 4 lamp instant start electronic ballast. Each lampholder has four separate connections. Connect each of the individual blue wires from the instant start ballast to each pair of the lampholder individual wires (red and blue) of lamps 1 and 2.
Are rapid start ballast magnetic?
The two types of fluorescent ballasts are magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are an older technology that mostly commonly comes in either preheat start or rapid start methods. These ballasts tend to be less expensive than others, but have the tendency to hum and flicker at about 120 times per second.
How many watts does an instant start ballast use?
Instead, they send a high amount of voltage across the lamp upon the strike. Typically, instant start ballasts use 1.5-2 watts less per lamp than rapid start ballasts. Instant start lamps also start reliably at temperatures as low as zero degrees. Shop instant start ballasts.
What is a programmed start ballast?
Programmed start ballasts. Programmed start ballasts are typically paired with occupancy or motion sensors. If you turn fluorescent lights on and off repeatedly under short time spans, you’re actually using more energy than if you had left the light on.
How does a rapid start ballast work?
Imagine if an oven was preheated all the time so you could bake cookies at any given moment. Rapid start ballasts rely on this preheating method so when the light switch is turned on, the lamp turns on right away.
Why do my ballasts buzz?
Magnetic ballasts are typically the culprit for buzzing and flickering because they regulate electricity incrementally.
What are the drawbacks of rapid start ballasts?
There are two drawbacks to rapid start ballasts: Rapid start ballasts are not very energy efficient. Lamps paired with rapid start ballasts will not reliably turn on if they are in sub 50-degree climates, like a freezer room or outside in cold climates. Shop rapid start ballasts.
What are the two types of ballasts?
There are two lamp families that work with a ballast: fluorescent and HID. And there are two types of ballasts in each family: magnetic and electronic.
How many starting methods are there for HID ballasts?
There are only two types of starting methods for HID ballasts.
How does an instant start ballast work?
Instant start ballast apply high voltage across the lamp with no preheating of the cathode. THIS IS THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT starting method for fluorescent lamp ballasting. I.S. ballast use 1.5 to 2 watts less per lamp than rapid start ballast. Other I.S. ballast benefits typically include parallel lamp circuitry, (ballast wired with parallel lamp circuitry is what allows other lamps to continue burning when one or two go out without damage to the ballast or lamp), longer remote wiring distance, easier installation due to less complicated wiring, and capability to start lamps at 0 degrees F versus 50 degrees for rapid start.
What is a rapid start ballast?
Rapid-start ballasts are typically wired in series. This means that if one lamp fails, all other lamps in the circuit will extinguish.Rapid start ballast apply a low filament voltage to preheat the cathodes. Simultaneously, a starting voltage (lower than that used in instant start) is also applied to strike the arc.
Do fluorescent ballasts use less energy?
Since they do not provide lamp electrode heating, fluorescent ballast consume less energy than comparable rapid-start, program rapid-start or programmed-start ballasts. As a result, they provide the most energy efficient solution to fluorescent lamp ballasting.
How does an instant start ballast work?
Instant start ballast apply high voltage across the lamp with no preheating of the cathode. THIS IS THE MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT starting method for fluorescent lamp ballasting. I.S. ballast use 1.5 to 2 watts less per lamp than rapid start ballast. Other I.S. ballast benefits typically include parallel lamp circuitry, (ballast wired with parallel lamp circuitry is what allows other lamps to continue burning when one or two go out without damage to the ballast or lamp), longer remote wiring distance, easier installation due to less complicated wiring, and capability to start lamps at 0 degrees F versus 50 degrees for rapid start.
What is a rapid start ballast?
Rapid Start (RS) Rapid start ballast applies a low filament voltage to preheat the cathodes. Simultaneously, a starting voltage (lower than that used in instant start) is also applied to strike the arc. When the cathodes are hot enough, the lamp will strike.
How to achieve full rated lamp life?
In order to achieve full rated lamp life, a ballast should start a lamp so that the time from when the lamp begins to glow to the time the lamp arc strikes should be as short as possible.
How does a rapid start ballast work?
With ionizing the gas, the rapid start ballast obtains a low current flow of electricity moving through the lamp which causes the ballast to glow lightly. This helps start heating the gas throughout the lamp which further illuminates the light and adds ionization and further lowers the gas resistance. At the same time, the ballast is directing ...
How many volts does a ballast have?
Rapid start ballasts are designed with a independent set of windings that transmit lower voltages – approximately 3.5 volt s to the electrodes for a second before the lamp ignites. Rapid start ballasts are normally wired in series so if one lamp fails, all remaining lamps in the circuit cease to operate.
How many ballasts are needed for a rapid start fluorescent?
Most rapid start fluorescent feature two, three, four T12 (1.5″ diameter) lamps with one ballast managing a limit of two lamps each. When there are more than two lamps, it is common that two ballasts are employed.
What is rapid start?
The majority of fluorescent fixtures with more than two lamps are typically known as rapid start. This style of ballasts do not contain a starter and instead leverage a minimal amount of electrical current circulating to filaments continuously, or for some models, during the start-up period which also usually leverages a capacitor ...
What temperature do rapid start ballasts warp?
Programmed rapid start ballasts will most often be set to warp the lamp’s cathodoes to 1,202°F or 650°C temperatures with glow being often non-existent before voltage is transferred to the lamp.
How many volts does a F32T8 ballast use?
The initial voltage is typically less than that of an instant ballast which will normally use a voltage between 405-550 volts for F32T8 lamps.
Do rapid start ballasts need to be grounded?
Because rapid-start ballasts are grounded, there is typically no actual wire connecting the ballast and reflector – in place of this, contact is made through metal parts of the fixture requiring. To help with the starting operation, contact between the ballast and metal surface is required about the entire length of the lamps, and of course for safe operation, grounding properly is required.
Why is a ballast called an instant start?
They’re called instant start because they start the lamp instantly by sending about 600 Volts through the lamp to kick start the cathodes. Programmed start, aka programmed rapid start, ballasts are slower to start, but don’t have the damaging effects of an instant start ballast when used with more frequent on-off cycles.
What is an electronic ballast?
Electronic ballasts operate relatively quietly, eliminating the flicker common in magnetic ballasts, and are more energy efficient. This type of ballast can be rapid start, instant start, or programmed start methods. Instant start ballasts are the quickest to turn on the lights.
How does a fluorescent bulb start?
In order to start a fluorescent bulb, an arc between two electrodes in the lamp must be produced. This arc occurs when the ballast quickly supplies the correct amount of voltage and electrical current to strike the arc.
What is the purpose of a ballast in a fluorescent light fixture?
A ballast provides the correct amount of voltage to start the lamps and regulates the amount of current that flows to them once they’re on.
Why do ballasts fail?
They tend to fail gradually so the lamps go from slight issues sustaining full light output to complete failure to light. All ballasts fail at some point, so it’s important to know the signs of failure. If your lights seem to be dim, buzzing, flickering rapidly, or changing color, it may be time to service your fixture.
Why are cold cathodes more energy efficient than other ballasts?
Since cold cathodes take more power to ignite, these ballasts are more energy efficient than other ballasts. They are designed for rooms with frequent on/off cycles like stairwell, hallways, or bathrooms fitted with occupancy/vacancy sensors.
How many times does a magnetic ballast flicker?
These ballasts tend to be less expensive than others, but have the tendency to hum and flicker at about 120 times per second.
How fast does an instant start ballast start?
Instant start electronic ballasts use a high starting voltage (about 600 volts) to start very quickly (less than 0.1 seconds). There is no preheating of the electrodes for the highest energy efficiency, but are best suited for a limited amount of switching (10,000 to 15,000 switch cycles before failure).
How long does it take for a program start ballast to start?
Programmed start electronic ballasts start quickly in about 1.0 - 1.5 seconds. They preheat the electrodes in a controlled manner before applying the starting voltage. Programmed start ballasts minimize electrode stress and maximize lamp life for frequent starting (areas with occupancy sensors). They can operate up to 50,000 switch cycles before failure. Programmed start ballasts are wired in series.
How many volts does a fluorescent ballast use?
Newer fluorescent ballasts are usually rated for both 120 volts and 277 volts. Some are rated for only 120 volts, others for only 277 volts (used in commercial environments).
How long does it take for a ballast to start?
Rapid start electronic ballasts heat the electrodes while applying the starting voltage (about 500 volts) to start the lamps quickly in about 0.5 to 1.0 seconds. Electrode heating continues while the lamps are on and consume a little more power (about 2 watts per lamp) than instant start ballasts. They can operate 15,000 to 20,000 switch cycles before failure. Rapid start ballasts are wired in series.
What does the T stand for in a lamp?
The T stands for tubular and the number indicates the diameter in 1/8 of an inch. Lamp diameter is determined by ballast type. A fixture with a T12 ballast must use a T12 bulb. A fixture with a T8 ballast must use a T8 bulb, etc.
Do CFLs have a ballast?
CFLs for the home have a built-in ballast at the base of the bulb. Commercial CFLs use a separate balla st. Ballasts have a wiring diagram to show how they connect to the lampholders.
Magnetic Ballasts vs. Electronic Ballasts
Types of Fluorescent Ballasts
- Fluorescent ballasts use three different types of starting technologies: rapid, instant, and programmed.
Types of Emergency Ballasts
- Emergency ballasts belong in their own category. Their purpose is to power a lamp at reduced light output for up to 90 minutes. Also, did you know that most emergency ballasts recharge themselves after each use? It’s a pretty cool feature, but if the ballast is frequently used or at the end of its life, you need to make sure you replace it. The rec...
What Is Rapid Start Ballast?
- Rapid start ballast is a technology used in fluorescent lighting that starts the lamp quickly. It is a type of electromagnetic rapid start ballast. The majority of large-scale fluorescents are a rapid start. This sort of ballast does not have a starter, instead of relying on a little quantity of electricity flowing through the filaments constantly ...
Technical Specification and Design of Rapid Start Ballast
- Rapid start ballasts are designed to provide electricity to the lamps in a fluorescent lighting system at the moment they are switched on. This means that they can reduce electrical inrush and lamp-initiating inrush currents when the lamps are first turned on. These reduced currents allow for more rapid switching from a dark state to a light state, hence rapid start. The rapid star…
Programmed Rapid Start Ballast
- Rapid start ballast circuitry that is specifically designed to start fluorescent lamps quickly. They are usually linked in series, so if one burns out, all other lights in the circuit will cease to function. Programmed rapid start ballasts provide a number of benefits over standard rapid start ballasts, including less noise when the lamps are first turned on, as well as less power consumption. Whe…
Conclusion
- That’s all for now on rapid start ballasts. If you have any questions about them, let us know in the comments section below. We love getting feedback from our readers and we’re always happy to help out if we can. Thanks for reading!