How to Change Ballasts
- 1). Remove all electrical power from the light fixture. Open the protective lens case and pull the bulbs. Inspect the fluorescent bulbs for any dark ends. Check HID bulbs for any burnt interior gas bulbs. These indicate a bad bulb. Test the ballast by replacing with new bulbs and re-energizing the light fixture. If the bulbs fail to illuminate, remove the power. Open the fixture with a screwdriver.
- 2). Lay the electrical covers to the side, Inspect the ballast for any burnt wires or leaking oil. If the ballast is leaking oil, wear gloves when handling the ballast. Dispose of properly. Identify all wires that are connected to the ballast. Use a piece of clear tape and mark the tape with a pen.
- 3). Observe if there is a capacitor in the lighting circuit. Remove the capacitor from the fixture. Cut the electrical wires from the ballast with the wire cutters. Leave plenty of wire to make new connections. Pull the ballast from the fixture. Retain all mounting screws as the ballast replacement may not contain new mounting hardware.
- 4). Install the new ballast into the light fixture. Terminate all wires as per your identification tags. Strip each wire with the wire strippers. Twist the bare ends together with the pliers. Cover the bare twisted pair with a wire nut.
- 5). Install the capacitor if removed. Replace the electrical covers. Install the new light bulbs. Reinstall the lens cover. Apply power to the light fixture.