What is a ballast?
In a lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw. Within a second the lamp would overheat and burn out. During lamp starting, the ballast must briefly supply high voltage to establish an arc between the two lamp electrodes. Once the arc is established, the ballast quickly reduces the voltage and regulates the electric current to produce a steady light output.
Different types of lighting ballasts available
There are various lighting ballast types available on the market. These range from relatively simple parts of a light’s inner power loop - acting solely as a basic resistor, capacitor or inductor when wired in-line - to a far more complex piece of the circuitry that’s able to control adjustable voltage and current, giving some HID and fluorescent luminaires fully customisable dimming capabilities.
ARE LIGHT BALLASTS NECESSARY FOR LED LIGHTS?
All fluorescent tubes need ballasts to operate. Contrary to popular belief, not all LED grow lights do. Unlike fluorescent tubes, LED tubes don’t require a ballast to regulate current. LEDs use a driver, which comes in a variety of sizes and available options. For retrofit purposes, manufacturers have come up with a couple different ways of dealing with the unnecessary ballasts. Ultimately, these solutions include bypassing the existing ballast, removing it, or working with it.
HID light ballasts
HID light ballasts work much like the lighting ballasts in fluorescent lamps, with a few key differences that make them a slightly more complex piece of circuitry.
Most HID lamps need to power on and off quickly with little or no warm-up time, so their ballasts are designed and wired to allow for very rapid heating and cooling of the gas without causing damage to (or even explosion of) the bulb.
In addition, the current flowing to HID grow light needs to be regulated very precisely, as too little is equally bad for the long-term health of the luminaire. HID ballasts also convert DC to AC current where necessary and regulate the flow of electricity within the specific and relatively narrow ranges required by these light types.
In a lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw. Within a second the lamp would overheat and burn out. During lamp starting, the ballast must briefly supply high voltage to establish an arc between the two lamp electrodes. Once the arc is established, the ballast quickly reduces the voltage and regulates the electric current to produce a steady light output.
Different types of lighting ballasts available
There are various lighting ballast types available on the market. These range from relatively simple parts of a light’s inner power loop - acting solely as a basic resistor, capacitor or inductor when wired in-line - to a far more complex piece of the circuitry that’s able to control adjustable voltage and current, giving some HID and fluorescent luminaires fully customisable dimming capabilities.
ARE LIGHT BALLASTS NECESSARY FOR LED LIGHTS?
All fluorescent tubes need ballasts to operate. Contrary to popular belief, not all LED grow lights do. Unlike fluorescent tubes, LED tubes don’t require a ballast to regulate current. LEDs use a driver, which comes in a variety of sizes and available options. For retrofit purposes, manufacturers have come up with a couple different ways of dealing with the unnecessary ballasts. Ultimately, these solutions include bypassing the existing ballast, removing it, or working with it.
HID light ballasts
HID light ballasts work much like the lighting ballasts in fluorescent lamps, with a few key differences that make them a slightly more complex piece of circuitry.
Most HID lamps need to power on and off quickly with little or no warm-up time, so their ballasts are designed and wired to allow for very rapid heating and cooling of the gas without causing damage to (or even explosion of) the bulb.
In addition, the current flowing to HID grow light needs to be regulated very precisely, as too little is equally bad for the long-term health of the luminaire. HID ballasts also convert DC to AC current where necessary and regulate the flow of electricity within the specific and relatively narrow ranges required by these light types.
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