Hi,

I have a fluorescent Sunshine Garden with 4 - 48" tubes that I bought
from Charley's Greenhouse. It's about 2 years old. Tubes #3 and #4 are
very dim. The problem is not the bulbs: I replaced the bulbs with new
tubes, and they're still dim. I switched tubes #1 and #2 with tubes #3
and #4, and in positions #3 and #4, they are still dim. I'm assuming
that the problem is the ballast.

I've never replaced a ballast. Is this an easy thing to do? Are all
ballasts the same? Would I be better off just buying a whole new unit
(cost $249 new)? Charley's does not sell replacement ballasts for this
unit, and I'm not finding anything for this particular unit on the Web.

Thanks for any help.

You would definitely be better off buying a new ballast, as they shouldn't
cost more than about $50, and that's getting an electronic one that's more
efficient than the older electromagnetic types. The wiring diagram is
usually printed right on the ballast, and if you lay out the new one before
disconnecting the old one, you can get the layout fixed ahead of time.

The particular ballast will depend upon the bulbs used in the fixture (check
the label near one end) and the bulb output. W.W. Grainger, for example
lists three GE Ultramax ballasts that for three- or four bulb fixtures,
using F32T8, F17T8, F25T8, or F28T8 bulbs (low, medium, and high light
output) for $30, $30, and $35.

I'm sure that if you took the fixture to a local electrical supply shop,
they could help you out.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"OrchidKitty" <devonadors [at] comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1128871636.889827.89030 [at] g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have a fluorescent Sunshine Garden with 4 - 48" tubes that I bought
> from Charley's Greenhouse. It's about 2 years old. Tubes #3 and #4 are
> very dim. The problem is not the bulbs: I replaced the bulbs with new
> tubes, and they're still dim. I switched tubes #1 and #2 with tubes #3
> and #4, and in positions #3 and #4, they are still dim. I'm assuming
> that the problem is the ballast.
>
> I've never replaced a ballast. Is this an easy thing to do? Are all
> ballasts the same? Would I be better off just buying a whole new unit
> (cost $249 new)? Charley's does not sell replacement ballasts for this
> unit, and I'm not finding anything for this particular unit on the Web.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>

Ray gave you good advice. Here are several additional thoughts.

1) The illustration of your fixture on Charley's website shows the
ballasts mounted on one side of the fixture instead of in the center, so
be sure to select a similar replacement ballast to maintain the weight
balance so your fixture will hang level (magnetic ballasts are *much*
heavier than electronic ones).

2) There are 2 common types of 48" fluorescent tube (older standard 1.5"
diameter = T12 and newer standard 1" diameter = T8). Make sure your
replacement ballast matches the type of your tubes. Some ballasts are
"universal" and will work with either diameter.

3) Hardware stores and home centers often stock replacement ballasts.

John

Thanks Ray and Joh! I'll see what I can do.

OrchidKitty wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a fluorescent Sunshine Garden with 4 - 48" tubes that I bought
> from Charley's Greenhouse. It's about 2 years old. Tubes #3 and #4 are
> very dim. The problem is not the bulbs: I replaced the bulbs with new
> tubes, and they're still dim. I switched tubes #1 and #2 with tubes #3
> and #4, and in positions #3 and #4, they are still dim. I'm assuming
> that the problem is the ballast.
>
> I've never replaced a ballast. Is this an easy thing to do? Are all
> ballasts the same? Would I be better off just buying a whole new unit
> (cost $249 new)? Charley's does not sell replacement ballasts for this
> unit, and I'm not finding anything for this particular unit on the Web.
>
> Thanks for any help.

I have replaced many ballasts over the years. All you really need to do
is match up the color of the wires and attach them together. Write down
the number on the end of the tubes you use and make sure the ballast is
labeled to run 2 of those. The last couple of times I bought ballasts, I
picked up a couple of them when I was at a Lowes store (75 miles away so
I don't get there very often). They cost about $14 each there. I can
actually buy them down the street from here but that electric store
sells them for nearly twice as much.

Steve

IT WORKED! I took the fixure apart, got the ballast specs from the
manufacturer's Web site, and then comparison shopped. I bought two
replacement ballasts at a local electrical supply, thinking that if one
ballast died, the other probably would too. The cost for the pair was
only $29 (versus $22 each on the manufacturer's Web site). I laid out
the wires as suggested, stripped the ends, then twisted, capped, and
secured them with electrician's tape. I reassembled the fixture, and
everything works fine. Thanks everyone for your advice!

Good for you!

(Uh oh, we've created a monster...)

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"OrchidKitty" <devonadors [at] comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1129141629.998132.176870 [at] o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> IT WORKED! I took the fixure apart, got the ballast specs from the
> manufacturer's Web site, and then comparison shopped. I bought two
> replacement ballasts at a local electrical supply, thinking that if one
> ballast died, the other probably would too. The cost for the pair was
> only $29 (versus $22 each on the manufacturer's Web site). I laid out
> the wires as suggested, stripped the ends, then twisted, capped, and
> secured them with electrician's tape. I reassembled the fixture, and
> everything works fine. Thanks everyone for your advice!
>