"Sean" wrote in message
...
Hello, I am having some trouble rewiring a ballast. It's an older one that
my wife has above her fish tank. The On/Off switch is flaky (it works
about
30% of the time) so she wants to set it up on a timer to go on and off for
her fish.
I am trying to bypass the on/off switch, but I am having some trouble as
it
is an older ballast.
Here's the scoop.
It is a 4 foot single lamp ballast.
There is the standard black and white wires, plus a blue wire. (I am used
to
seeing 6 wires in a 2 lamp system.) ...

I bet you press and hold the switch, then release it. During the press and
hold the lamp is shorted out to preheat the filaments. You need the special
switch. Ask at a hardware store, but make sure the guy knows what he is
talking about.

N