On Mon, 6 Jan 2003, Ryan Haley wrote:

*>Does anyone have any explanation as to why a lower line voltage (i.e.
*>100VAC) could reduced the life of fluorescent lighting ballasts?

Mercury vaport lamps need to run hot (within reason). If they do not they
become rectifiers (one cathode gets colder than the other and then stays
so). This puts a dc component through the ballast and the ballast will run
very hot.  This will eventually shorten its life or kill it. Usually a
dead ballast will cause a short (through the lamp). Is this what you are
seeing ?

Peter

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