When your fluorescent light flickers or makes a loud and annoying hum, a degrading ballast is the cause. Replacing a ballast is different than replacing a light fixture. However, buying a ballast can be expensive, so consider pricing a brand-new fixture for comparison. You can find a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.
What Is a Fluorescent Light Ballast?
The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the light bulbs, stabilizing the output of the light. In other words, this is what makes the light stay lit. A fluorescent light has to have a ballast in order to work, without it, the current would increase as it passed through, ruining the lamp all together.
The good news is that a typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, so you won’t have to worry about replacing them very often. However, cold environments and bad bulbs can factor into the mix, causing the lifespan of the ballast to decrease significantly. There are several different types of ballasts, and they’ll say how many lamps they can regulate at once as well as what kind of lamps they’re compatible with.
