Home > Home-and-Garden > Home-Improvements-and-Repairs > h1 class="firstHeading">Replace the Ballast in a Fluorescent Lighting Fixture
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h1 class="firstHeading">Replace the Ballast in a Fluorescent Lighting Fixture
1 First determine if the problem is the ballast or the bulbs (tubes) by replacing the tubes with new ones.The tubes are usually bad when they have turned black at one or both ends, (See photo right). If this does not correct the problem go to Step 2. |  |
2 Remove the tubes as well as place them in a safe location. | |
3 Turn the light off at the switch. Turn the metal taps (see photo right) near the center of the fixture perpendicular to it length. It will fall away from the fixture. Pull it toward you as well as store it in a convenient place. Do the same with the other side. |  |
4 Locate the ballast as well as follow the wires until you find the wire nuts connecting like colored wires together. If there are no wire nuts you will have to cut the wires about 12 inches from the center of the fixture on each side. Complete this untile all wires are cut or wire nut taken off. Black, White, Red, as well as Blue |  |
5 Unscrew the nut holding the ballast to the fixture while holding it in place with your other h as well as . This is best done with a nut driver or socket wrench. Remove the ballast by lowering the side held by the nut, as well as sliding it in that direction. |  |
6 Take the ballast with you to your local home center or hardware store as well as purchased a like replacement. |  |
7 Install the replacement ballast by reversing the instructions in step 5. Be sure the red as well as blue wire face the end with red as well as blue wires, as well as the black as well as white wires face the other end. | |
8 Cut the wires so they overlap the fixture wires by about 6 inches |  |
9 Strip about 1/2" of insulations of the ends of all 8 of the wires | |
10 Wire nut the blue wire to the blue wire, the red to the red, the white to the white, as well as the black to the black | |
11 Reverse step 3. make sure the taps are in the holes at the end of the fixture |  |
12 Replace the new tubes | |
13 Turn on the light |
