Thanks carraxeNo, they don't lose efficiency. They can last many years, some transformers may burn after some years, but most of them last 20+ years. When I say burn I mean some of the copper cables inside the inductance can have a short circuit, I'm not meaning a real fire. They are quite safe.
But the capacitors in the ballast have to be replaced every couple of years to be sure they match the power factor to near one. If not, the excess current they drive is dangerous for the cables of the installation.
That's about magnetic ones. Electronic ones usually don't last that much, and you don't have to replace any capacitors.
Cheers
Hey CannaRed, my LFSW ballasts are rated for 50,000 hours of use. Your mileage may vary, but probably not by a huge amount.
Thanks ghost. I really wish I had another foot in both directions. Would love to try the 630.
Dont want to tear down closet to make it bigger (yet) , and a 4 x 4 tent won't fit my space.
If it were aircooled, I'm sure my 2 1/2' x 3 1/2' would be fine... It's only an extra 30watts of heat, but I'm not ready to move my ducts yet. One day I'll figure out this mess.