Electronic Ballast
- Thread starter jgking21
- Start date
This can happen, but you got to know if the problem is the ballast or the bulb. Replace the bulb and see if you still have the problem. If the bulb works, the original bulb was bad. If not, the ballast is bad.
One trick you can do if you have a multiple bulb fixture is to swap the bulbs. If you don't have a space bulb, you might as well get one. You'll use it sooner or later anyway. I usually save the old bulbs when I change them just in case I need to do a test like this.
To answer your specific question, I've had electronic ballasts fail after only a year, but it's unusual. I've also had some for many years, and they are still OK, so you just never know.
On some electronic ballasts, there is a fuse. Be sure to check that also.
One trick you can do if you have a multiple bulb fixture is to swap the bulbs. If you don't have a space bulb, you might as well get one. You'll use it sooner or later anyway. I usually save the old bulbs when I change them just in case I need to do a test like this.
To answer your specific question, I've had electronic ballasts fail after only a year, but it's unusual. I've also had some for many years, and they are still OK, so you just never know.
On some electronic ballasts, there is a fuse. Be sure to check that also.
jgking21
Member
It is a MH ballast, made by Brilliant. It's a cheaper ballast I believe, so I'm not completely surprised by it just failing. I'll look into the fuse and see if I can find something, otherwise I don't believe it's the bulb as I don't ever hear the ballast firing. For the time being I have an old PC fixture (new bulbs) that I'm using just to give the tank some light, but I know that will only work for a few days.