# Fluorescent strip fixtures- ballast count



## 153929 (Jul 19, 2017)

Hello, I am working with a company that is retrofitting LED lighting into commercial businesses. I need to be accurate in my counts of T8 fixtures and I am having some trouble with florescence strip lighting. Basically I need to know how many ballasts there are and sometimes it's difficult because the strip lights are in a continuous line which makes it difficult to tell if i'm looking at a long row of 4 foot 2 bulb T8 fixtures or 4 bulb 8 foot T8 fixture for example. 
I just need some direction to be accurate in my fixture count. 
Thanks!


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

Just count the lamps.
We just had a company come in and do a count for the entire Airport. Both the terminal, accessory buildings and tower lights. Over 2 million square ft in the terminal.
I'm not expecting the count to be perfect.

Tim.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Your desire is, essentially, impossible.

There have been so many ways that these lumieres have been strung together. 

You'll even find Emergency Fixtures inserted into the lighting string.

Forget ballasts -- anyway.

Go with AMPS and VOLTS -- the WATTS that are involved. You can do so without climbing a ladder.

The actual ballast count is economically meaningless.


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## 153929 (Jul 19, 2017)

Thanks Guys,
I should have clarified. I am going to replace the fluorescent T8s with ballast bypass LED's which means I need to know how many ballasts are going to be bypassed by my electrician. We are keeping the fixtures and just bypassing the ballasts and putting non-shunted tombstones in.


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## jw0445 (Oct 9, 2009)

Jakestar said:


> Thanks Guys,
> I should have clarified. I am going to replace the fluorescent T8s with ballast bypass LED's which means I need to know how many ballasts are going to be bypassed by my electrician. We are keeping the fixtures and just bypassing the ballasts and putting non-shunted tombstones in.


In that case all of your ballasts are going to be bypassed so who cares.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

If you are quoting the job you would need to know but if it is in house then an estimate will work. You still need your lamp count.
The company we had look at our site came back with a number to low, we don't think they accounted for limited access, so we sent them back to rejig the numbers.

Tim.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

If you are bypassing the ballasts wouldn't the bulb count for new tombstones be more critical?


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## 153929 (Jul 19, 2017)

Thanks Canbug. I am looking to be accurate on the amount of ballasts so I can get my electrician an estimate at the very least. To everyone else, I am just looking for a simple answer instead of the assumptions that I don't need to worry about it. 
Any help is much appreciated!


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Each lamp/bulb/tube is going to need a hot to one pin and neutral to the other pin in the tombstone. The opposite end tombstones are just for holding the lamps, no wiring. 
So all you need to know is the number of lamps. If your electrician can't figure it out from that well...........


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## 153929 (Jul 19, 2017)

Jesus. Looks like there are a few electricians with not enough jobs and too much time on their hands here. I'll find a forum where I can get a simple answer to my question instead of the peanut gallery.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Jakestar said:


> Jesus. Looks like there are a few electricians with not enough jobs and too much time on their hands here. I'll find a forum where I can get a simple answer to my question instead of the peanut gallery.


The only simple way to get a count on ballasts is to open each fixture, you surely can't count them from behind a desk miles away.

The forum you found is for 'electrical professionals' not salesmen or estimators with little clue of what they are looking at which is very unprofessional.

This is why maintenance companies that do lighting retro fits most often rent a lift and send a guy out to look on their dime.

Did you think someone here was going to go out and do the job for you?


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Jakestar said:


> Jesus. Looks like there are a few electricians with not enough jobs and too much time on their hands here. I'll find a forum where I can get a simple answer to my question instead of the peanut gallery.


Give us one good reason that your electrician needs to know how many ballasts. He just needs to know the available power and number of lamps.

Some of us work hard enough to have a day off every now and then!:clap:


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

Jakestar, There is no simple answer to this. It's going to take time and a lot of counting to figure it out. Again, at our airport, 2 men from the retro fit company took 5 weeks and they were still guessing.
You could always throw out a budget number and when that money is used up, you will know how many fixtures were relamped for said cost.

Tim.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Jakestar said:


> Jesus. Looks like there are a few electricians with not enough jobs and too much time on their hands here. I'll find a forum where I can get a simple answer to my question instead of the peanut gallery.


Jesus, maybe you should take their advice. They know what they are talking about. The ballast mean nothing and if in doubt figure one ballast for every two lamps. 
For someone that has no clue calling these guys a peanut galley You should be banned.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

sbrn33 said:


> Jesus, maybe you should take their advice. They know what they are talking about. The ballast mean nothing and if in doubt figure one ballast for every two lamps.
> For someone that has no clue calling these guys a peanut galley You should be banned.


He is already gone, so we can all move on now. :thumbsup:


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Cricket said:


> He is already gone, so we can all move on now. :thumbsup:


Did he fly off on his own or did you open the door for him!


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

A Little Short said:


> Did he fly off on his own or did you open the door for him!


Y'all chased him away before I could take care of anything.


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## scotch (Oct 17, 2013)

Boy they are being hard on you !....send me photos of the complete layout and I'll estimate the fixture count - ballast instal for you ...you know the Canuck dollar is less than the US one so there's a super savings !


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Cricket said:


> Y'all chased him away before I could take care of anything.


He was far from an electrical pro and not even a decent estimator!


Amateurs! Bah humbug!


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

153929 said:


> Jesus. Looks like there are a few electricians with not enough jobs and too much time on their hands here. I'll find a forum where I can get a simple answer to my question instead of the peanut gallery.


Sorry you were offended

To count ballasts, start with "1" and continue until finished.

Yours Truly, Peanut Gallery:whistling2:


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## trentonmakes (Mar 21, 2017)

readydave8 said:


> Sorry you were offended
> 
> To count ballasts, start with "1" and continue until finished.
> 
> Yours Truly, Peanut Gallery:whistling2:


I count 2 at a time, its twice as fast!

Texting and Driving


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Tombstones must be way more expensive than the last time I bought them.

One would think if you were in the retro fit business you'd give a price per fixture and your electrician would get a per fixture price to upgrade them. 

What could be easier to estimate?


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