Electronic Fluorescent Ballast

[Dave.H]

I have a 240 volt fluorescent light fixture running an 18 watt UV
blacklight, and I was wondering whether I could replace the old
magnetic ballast with a 15 watt electronic ballast I salvaged from a
dead CFL (the failure was the tube, not the electronics). Is the any
problems with running the 18 watt UV blacklight at 15 watts?

Dave
Australia

 

[Don Klipstein]

I have a 240 volt fluorescent light fixture running an 18 watt UV
blacklight, and I was wondering whether I could replace the old
magnetic ballast with a 15 watt electronic ballast I salvaged from a
dead CFL (the failure was the tube, not the electronics). Is the any
problems with running the 18 watt UV blacklight at 15 watts?

The blacklight has a fair chance of being underpowered because it
probably has a lower voltage drop and higher design current than the CFL's
tube.

If the filaments in the blacklight do not get close to normal operating
temperature, they may fail to emit electrons normally and then will run
into "sputtering" - blackening the ends of the tubing and running into
short life.

Some CFL integral ballasts normally self-destruct when the tube fails.

Good luck!

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])

 

[neon]

You may run an 15w light on a 18 w lamp fixture but not viceversa.