Buy electronic-rated switches for fluorescents with electronic ballasts
1 of 1Motion-activated switch
Example of a motion-activated switch for fluorescents with electronic ballasts.
If you bought a motion-activated switch for fluorescent lights in your garage or other locations and the lights didn't work, your switch is probably rated for incandescent lights and fluorescents with
magnetic ballasts. Unfortunately, it won't work with fluorescents that have
electronic ballasts, which are now common in better-quality fluorescent lights. (A
ballast is the small metal box that modulates voltage in a fluorescent fixture.) It's
irritating, but you have to read the fine print on the packaging to discover this
limitation.
To find a switch that'll handle both types of ballasts, you'll probably have to go to
an electrical supply store (search online or in the yellow pages). Our example, the
Leviton model No. ODS15 (or ODS10), costs about $60. Most low-priced motion-activated
switches ($15) that you find at hardware stores and home centers aren't
rated for electronic ballasts.
