Older fluorescent light fixtures utilized a magnetic ballast to control the flow of power during the light bulbs. Magnetic fixtures needed a different starter to kick-start the flow of electrons during the tubes. The lights took time to warm up and they flickered, particularly when cold. Newer electronic ballasts tend to be a lot more energy-efficient, do not take a starter and therefore are not as influenced by cold temperatures as the magnetic predecessors. In case you have an older fixture, you can switch from a magnetic ballast to an electronic ballast in a few minutes with some basic hand tools.

Switch off the breaker for the circuit regulating the fluorescent light. Loosen the screws and remove the switch plate covering the light switch to the fluorescent light, with a screwdriver. Hold the tip of a noncontact electrical tester next to the wires on the side of the light switch. If the tester light comes on, turn off additional breakers or the primary circuit breaker and test again until the tester light no longer comes on. Replace the switch cap.

Place a stepladder beneath the light fixture, if necessary. Pull the light diffuser off of the body of this light fixture and eliminate the light bulbs. Loosen the screws and remove the access panel.

Remove the wire nuts from the black and white wires connecting the ballast into the electrical circuit. Clip each the wires from the magnetic ballast in just 2 inches of the body of this ballast. Loosen the mounting screws and then remove the ballast.

Place an electronic ballast into the mounting slits of this fixture. Tighten the mounting screws to secure the ballast. If the newest electronic ballast’s footprint is not the same size than the magnetic ballast, drive a self-tapping metal screw through the body of this fixture to hold the ballast in place.

Strip off 1/2-inch of insulation from the tips of all the wires that were cut from the magnetic ballast in Step 3, with the wire strippers. If the wires from the ballast have to be removed, eliminate 1/2-inch of insulation from those wires.

Twist the red wire from the ballast into the blue and red wires from the lamp holders. Secure the connection using a wire nut. Combine one of the blue wires from the ballast into the black wires from the lamp holders of a 120-volt fixture. Alternately, if the fixture is 277 volts, connect the blue wire to the yellow wires. Secure the wires, using a wire nut. Combine another blue lead into the white wires from the lamp holders.

Combine the ballast into the power from the breaker panel from wiring the black wire from the breaker panel to the black wire on the ballast, using a wire nut. Connect the white wire from the breaker into the white wire from the ballast.

Slide the wires into the wiring compartment and replace the panel cap. Reinstall the light bulbs as well as the diffuser.

Turn the breaker and analyze the operation of the light.

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