How to Install a GE Ballast

Locate the circuit breaker or fuse that leads to your GE fluorescent light fixture. Turn off the breaker or remove the fuse to ensure that no power can reach the fixture as you work on it. Turn the light switch to the off position as an extra precaution.

Remove the light cover that hides the bulbs and ballast inside your GE fluorescent fixture. Most covers are constructed of lightweight plastic and tucked into a lip or a set of tabs around the edge of the fixture. Apply pressure to the edges of the cover, and slide it out of position until it releases completely.

Remove the bulbs, which are mounted below the metal cover that hides the ballast. Fluorescent bulbs have small metal pins that plug into a receptacle. Long, straight bulbs will have pins at both ends, while circular bulbs will have one set of pins. Locate the pins, and rotate or apply pressure to the bulb until the receptacle releases the pins. Lower the bulbs out of the light and set them aside in a safe place.

Locate the screws that hold the metal panel that hides your ballast. Use your screwdriver to remove the screws and lower the panel out of the fixture. Disconnect the wires that run to and from your old ballast by compressing the wire clips that hold them in place. Use your pliers to compress the clips if they prove too difficult to separate by hand.

Loosen and remove the screws at both ends of the old ballast using a screwdriver. The ballast is quite heavy, so make sure you are in a position to take the weight once it releases from the fixture. Note the model number and power specifications on the ballast and purchase an identical model to replace it.

Lift and screw the new ballast into the light fixture. Clip together the wiring in the same way it was installed into the old ballast. Replace the cover panel and screw it into position. Replace the bulbs and the light cover. Turn on the power and test the light.