OrchidKitty wrote:
Hi,

I have a fluorescent Sunshine Garden with 4 - 48" tubes that I bought
from Charley's Greenhouse. It's about 2 years old. Tubes #3 and #4 are
very dim. The problem is not the bulbs: I replaced the bulbs with new
tubes, and they're still dim. I switched tubes #1 and #2 with tubes #3
and #4, and in positions #3 and #4, they are still dim. I'm assuming
that the problem is the ballast.

I've never replaced a ballast. Is this an easy thing to do? Are all
ballasts the same? Would I be better off just buying a whole new unit
(cost $249 new)? Charley's does not sell replacement ballasts for this
unit, and I'm not finding anything for this particular unit on the Web.

Thanks for any help.

I have replaced many ballasts over the years. All you really need to do
is match up the color of the wires and attach them together. Write down
the number on the end of the tubes you use and make sure the ballast is
labeled to run 2 of those. The last couple of times I bought ballasts, I
picked up a couple of them when I was at a Lowes store (75 miles away so
I don't get there very often). They cost about $14 each there. I can
actually buy them down the street from here but that electric store
sells them for nearly twice as much.

Steve