Lighting Ballasts & Drivers – Fluorescent, HID, LED & Emergency

Shop by Type

Do not buy from this hub if you already know the lamp family. Use the child collection that matches the fixture.

• Fluorescent Ballasts — T5, T8, T12, circline, and CFL. Electronic and magnetic. Then drill into T5, T8, T12, or Circline & CFL.
• HID Ballasts & Starters — Metal halide, pulse start, and high-pressure sodium kits. Not a fluorescent product.
• LED Drivers — Constant current and constant voltage for new fixtures and Type C / retrofit modules.
• Emergency Battery Backup — 90-minute egress drivers and emergency ballasts.
• Low Voltage Transformers — Landscape and halogen-era transformers still specified on existing jobs.

Ballast vs LED Driver

• Fluorescent ballast — Starts the arc and limits current for T5 / T8 / T12 / CFL / circline lamps. Electronic (quiet, efficient) or magnetic (legacy).
• HID ballast — Ignites and regulates metal halide or HPS lamps. Often a kit: ballast + ignitor + capacitor. A starter or ignitor is not optional on pulse-start and many HPS circuits.
• LED driver — Supplies constant current or constant voltage to an LED board or fixture. It replaces the ballast when you convert the fixture, or it ships inside a Type B / Type C LED product.

If the goal is to stop replacing ballasts, go to LED Tubes (Type B bypass) or LED Corn Bulbs instead of a new HID ballast.

How to Choose

1. Identify the lamp

Read the existing lamp or ballast label first: T5, T5HO, T8, T12, CFL/circline, metal halide, HPS, or LED module. Wrong family will not start or will fail early.

2. Match lamp count and wattage

1-lamp, 2-lamp, 3-lamp, or 4-lamp. A 2-lamp F32T8 ballast is not a 2-lamp F54T5HO ballast. HID kits are wattage-specific (70W, 150W, 250W, 400W, 1000W).

3. Check voltage and start method

• 120V, 277V, 120–277V universal, or multi-tap
• Fluorescent: instant start, rapid start, or programmed start (use programmed start with occupancy sensors)
• HID: probe start vs pulse start — buy the kit that matches the lamp

4. Decide keep-the-system vs convert-to-LED

Replace the ballast when the fixture stays fluorescent or HID. Convert when the ballast has failed more than once or the building is moving to LED. Type A LED tubes still need a healthy fluorescent ballast; Type B tubes need the ballast removed.

Why Buy from LeanLight?

• Fast, free shipping from Georgia (typically 1–5 days in the U.S.)
• Volume and project discounts on cases
• Cross-reference help from the old OEM number
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee
• Commercial and industrial specialists since 2008

Related: LED Tubes · Linear Fluorescent Lamps · HID Lamps · LED Corn Bulbs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a ballast and an LED driver?

A ballast regulates current for fluorescent or HID lamps. An LED driver performs the same role for LED modules — usually constant current or constant voltage. They are not interchangeable parts.

Can I put a T8 tube on a T12 ballast?

No. T8 lamps need a T8 electronic ballast (or a Type B LED tube with the ballast bypassed). A T12 magnetic ballast overdrives a T8 fluorescent lamp.

Do electronic fluorescent ballasts need a starter?

No. Starters belong on older magnetic preheat or some rapid-start circuits. Instant-start and programmed-start electronic ballasts do not use a separate starter.

What is an HID starter or ignitor?

It provides the high-voltage pulse that strikes a metal halide or HPS lamp. Many HID replacements are sold as a kit: ballast, ignitor, and capacitor. Replace the whole kit when one part fails.