356Views13Replies
Help with T5 Fluorescent Light
I'm adding a 9" T5 UV light to a small project I'm making. I found a cheap G6T5 Bulb and a Ballast but when I went to purchase the Sockets for it, I ran into a problem. The Bi-pin T5 sockets come in Shunted & Non Shunted and I have no idea which one I need. What is the difference and how would I tell which one to buy to finish my light? Once I have all this I'll have to figure out how to wire the thing. But first I need to know which sockets I need to buy. THANKS!!
Comments
13 years ago
im not sure about this, but i believe shunted means current limited. getting the initial arc in the tube requires considerable amps. if your ballast is not shunted, the tube draws as many amps as it can, cutting its longevity. unless your ballast is shunted, you need shunted plugs. im not sure about this though.
Reply 13 years ago
I thought it had something to do with the "fast start" feature of modern "starter-less" fixtures.
Reply 13 years ago
no. thats just a ceramic capacitor inside the ballast i believe.
Reply 13 years ago
Hmm, I wasn't sure whether I should or shunt have asked that question *groan*
Reply 13 years ago
i get it. lol. i like puns. my turn: rulers. ill get straight to the facts of how they are made.
Reply 13 years ago
Ok, you may get straight, just watch out for those "jackets" ;-)
Reply 13 years ago
Doesn't that mean that either way shunted will work...
Reply 13 years ago
i think so. once again, im really not sure about this.
Reply 13 years ago
Indeed my guess would be go for the safe option...
13 years ago
Looking for a cheaper priced Ballast, I found one on another website with alittle bit more information. It says that it is a Magnetic Ballast & a Preheat Starter of 60 hz is required to operate it. And, I think, but I'm not sure that this type might take the Non Shunted sockets. I might be wrong but I'm getting that the Shunted sockets go with the Electronic Ballasts. Do you think this is correct?
Reply 13 years ago
yeah. shunted should be fine.
13 years ago
Shunt: a conductor having low resistance in parallel with another
device to divert a fraction of the current.
Does this link (to a PDF file)
or this link (another PDF file) help at all ?
Reply 13 years ago
so i was right... i was basing my deductions on what i knew about neon lamps.