# t12 ballast replacement question



## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

8' fixtures?

There should be a diagram present right on the ballast


----------



## Techy (Mar 4, 2011)

you'll need to rewire the tombstones, to make it work correctly, the new ballast lights the lamps independantly


----------



## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

yes but nothing i can find has only 1 blue lead and only 1 red lead. However it does say for "N1" operation cap unused blue lead. im not familiar with what n1 operation is


----------



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Just follow the wiring diagram on the ballast. EVERY ballast has one.


----------



## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say N1 is for 1 lamp.
1 blue to each tombstone on one end and the red to both on the other.


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Just did 4 of these. The two blues go to the lamps on one end(one wire to each holder), the red goes to the other end(the one red wire to both lamps). The hot and neutral are now going to the lamps on one end. They will have to be cut and run directly to the ballast.


----------



## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

id rather not rewire the sockets...


----------



## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

iirc a universal 820 mag replacement is what i need...but i dk if i can find any anymore


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

adamv7010 said:


> id rather not rewire the sockets...


 Beggars can't be picky.


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

You just cut the wires and wire nut the new leads in. That part is easy. If you can't do that...well maybe you shouldn't do the job.


----------



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

adamv7010 said:


> id rather not rewire the sockets...


Sorry but you don't get to make that decision any longer. At least not for much longer. :no:

My supply house hasn't carried mag ballasts for quite a while now. I have been re-wiring fluorescents ever since.


----------



## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

lol thanks guys.


----------



## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

Are anyone else's Landlord/maintenance man senses tingling?


----------



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

farlsincharge said:


> Are anyone else's Landlord/maintenance man senses tingling?


From the very beginning. :whistling2:


----------



## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

farlsincharge said:


> Are anyone else's Landlord/maintenance man senses tingling?


 Yep!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

farlsincharge said:


> Are anyone else's Landlord/maintenance man senses tingling?


 

as soon as I read post #8


----------



## Dierte (May 12, 2009)

farlsincharge said:


> Are anyone else's Landlord/maintenance man senses tingling?


 Love it! I had a whole day of replacing t12 electronic ballasts because the "guy" who had been replacing them for 20 years got confused and just matched colors w/o rewiring the tombstones:thumbup:


----------



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

adamv7010 said:


> id rather not rewire the sockets...


You don't have to rewire the sockets. The one red wire connects to both tombstones on the red end. Just cut the old power wires and wirenut both tombstones together. All four wires go to the ballast red. Just like the drawing shows on the ballast.



Dierte said:


> Love it! I had a whole day of replacing t12 electronic ballasts because the "guy" who had been replacing them for 20 years got confused and just matched colors w/o rewiring the tombstones:thumbup:


How could he match colors when there are not enough wires to match up.


----------



## Foestauf (Jan 5, 2011)

John Valdes said:


> You don't have to rewire the sockets. The one red wire connects to both tombstones on the red end. Just cut the old power wires and wirenut both tombstones together.


Don't follow this advice, you will be back in a few months replacing all the ballast. I learned the hard way. You most defiantly need to desire the tombstones, or get rapid start electronic ballasts. 

Tried that in my house being lazy, sure enough two months later light stopped working. Re wired tombstones and replaced ballast, two years later all good.


----------



## adamv7010 (Mar 21, 2011)

Shouldn't I just be able to cut the existing wire on the sockets and make them up accordingly with the new ballast leads? There will be a. Blue-red joint and a blue-blue on one end and the red will make up on both sockets on the other end. And line and neutral are obvious.


----------



## Foestauf (Jan 5, 2011)

adamv7010 said:


> Shouldn't I just be able to cut the existing wire on the sockets and make them up accordingly with the new ballast leads? There will be a. Blue-red joint and a blue-blue on one end and the red will make up on both sockets on the other end. And line and neutral are obvious.


Wire it per the diagram. Some tombstones are internally shunted and some are not, so run two power leads to a shunted tombstone and pop goes the ballast.


----------



## Lights-out (Apr 15, 2011)

N1 ? Its for only one lamp ...you are using a ballast that can run 1 or 2 lamps.. that should tell you that you need to use both wires! You have to rewire. You didn't say what size lamps. If you ever use lamps. 10ft or longer make sure to get the appropriate ballast you cannot go by footage hence 12 to 24 ft. All these electronic ballasts have a seperate ballast that will say for 10ft or longer lamps. I Found that out the hard way.. lol


----------



## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

Foestauf said:


> Don't follow this advice, you will be back in a few months replacing all the ballast. I learned the hard way. You most defiantly need to desire the tombstones, or get rapid start electronic ballasts.
> 
> Tried that in my house being lazy, sure enough two months later light stopped working. Re wired tombstones and replaced ballast, two years later all good.


Every retrofit I have done was with rapid start electronic ballasts...I don't think Ive seen to many instant start ones. No need to change the tombstone..


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

I just changed out 5 more today. I looked at the instructions that came in the box, never did that before:whistling2: There in instructions, is the exact wiring change. They tell you which wires to cut and which to connect. Wow, I've been doing it right the whole time!:thumbup:


----------



## Foestauf (Jan 5, 2011)

NolaTigaBait said:


> Every retrofit I have done was with rapid start electronic ballasts...I don't think Ive seen to many instant start ones. No need to change the tombstone..


Most electronics are instant start. So common that most people feel the different wiring method is due to the difference of magnetic to electronic not knowing is rapid to instant start. Or often people think it is different between t12 and t8. 

I saw someone on here say they replace the tombstones. Lol why you would bother with that I don't know. 

Sylvania for some sizes do not make an instant start (f96t8/HO) that just drives me nuts with instant being the most common and our lighting guys don't understand having to rewire the tombstones.


----------



## Foestauf (Jan 5, 2011)

Lights-out said:


> N1 ? Its for only one lamp ...you are using a ballast that can run 1 or 2 lamps.. that should tell you that you need to use both wires! You have to rewire. You didn't say what size lamps. If you ever use lamps. 10ft or longer make sure to get the appropriate ballast you cannot go by footage hence 12 to 24 ft. All these electronic ballasts have a seperate ballast that will say for 10ft or longer lamps. I Found that out the hard way.. lol


Is this in a sign?


----------



## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

Foestauf said:


> Most electronics are instant start. So common that most people feel the different wiring method is due to the difference of magnetic to electronic not knowing is rapid to instant start. Or often people think it is different between t12 and t8.
> 
> I saw someone on here say they replace the tombstones. Lol why you would bother with that I don't know.
> 
> Sylvania for some sizes do not make an instant start (f96t8/HO) that just drives me nuts with instant being the most common and our lighting guys don't understand having to rewire the tombstones.


I can't quite remember which one it is(instant or rapid)..either way, the ones I have seen don't need to replace the tombstones..just wire nut them together...


----------



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> You don't have to rewire the sockets. The one red wire connects to both tombstones on the red end. Just cut the old power wires and wirenut both tombstones together. All four wires go to the ballast red. Just like the drawing shows on the ballast.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Looks right to me.


----------



## Wyremonkey (Apr 15, 2011)

What's a ballast?


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Wyremonkey said:


> What's a ballast?


Look here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_ballast



Welcome to the forum..:thumbup:


----------



## The Green Hornet (Mar 31, 2011)

Wyremonkey said:


> What's a ballast?


 A passive component used in an electric circuit to moderate changes in current:thumbsup:


----------

