try these from Lowes
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-3...ulb/1000083437
Mike - that video cleared it up perfectly! Thanks!
I hope this doesn't fit the TMI category...
Your existing ballast is "Rapid Start". This type of ballast uses the heaters on each end of the tube. The heaters are connected between the two end pins and so each pin has a separate wire to the ballast ("unshunted" tombstones).
The ballast in your Amazon link is "Instant Start". This type bypasses the heaters by shorting the end pins ("shunted" tombstones). This ballast has fewer wires. Of course you can manually wire unshunted tombstones to do this as shown in the video.
Either will work in your fixture. Usage patterns determine the preferred type.
If the lights are on for long periods of time an Instant Start ballast has the advantage. It uses slightly less power because the heaters are not used..
If the lights are switched on and off many times a day then a Rapid Start ballast gives longer lamp life.
Most residential uses are in between those extremes. Either type will work. An exception would be something like a large pantry with a door switch that's used a lot.
Beranek's Law:
It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.
Your old ballast looks like a T12 type.
The T8 lamps have both pins on the socket connected together and only one wire to the ballast.
The new ballast will have the much simpler wiring diagram printed on it, you will be able to easily follow it.....Rod.
Thanks Rod. The ballast can do both T12 or T8 I think, based on the label.
I’ll post back after I get the new one installed, and hopefully working.
No you can't use it on 4 bulbs.
You need either a 4 bulb ballast like thist or 2-2 bulb ballasts.
BTW you can't use a T8 ballast on T12 bulbs.
Last edited by Robert Engel; 12-11-2017 at 10:12 AM.
It worked! I wired it per Mike’s video, but one tombstone had an extra wire so I wire nutted that and left it alone.