High Pressure Sodium Ballast Kits
High-pressure sodium ballast kits are designed to provide usable energy for fluorescent bulbs. Unlike other bulbs, fluorescent lamps require high levels of oscillating current in order to energize the gas molecules inside the bulb housing and cause them to emit their cool glow. While this can be accomplished with special filaments in some light devices, ballasts provide a superior alternative for sensitive sodium lamps by ensuring power stability and equipment longevity.
Picking the Correct Ballast
Different bulb types necessitate unique ballast circuits. High-pressure sodium ballasts are designed to fit the power draw requirements of a range of bulb wattages, supply voltages and transformer tap configurations. They also include fine-tuned electrical oscillators that are engineered to work with the high-pressure sodium atoms inside the bulb.
While major lighting manufacturers often provide specific ballast models with their bulbs, these eventually wear out. When an entire bank of bulbs starts flickering or goes dead, a spent ballast is a likely culprit. Fortunately, other manufacturers also produce compatible devices designed to perform the same functions.
High-pressure sodium ballasts usually include mounting hardware, transformers and power storage capacitors designed to fit smoothly within target light fixtures. While many ballasts possess similar dimensions and output capacities, it's critical to pick a device that matches your bulb's designated housing specification and the type of bulbs you're using.
Finally, remember that some seemingly similar ballasts come in alternate versions designed to drive single or multiple bulbs. This figure is generally listed as the number of lamps a particular model supports.