UPDATE ~ PURCHASE OF NEW BALLAST

after a hard time removing the ballast from the light, we took the un-label thing to Balestier Road to look for a replacement.

not wanting to go back to the original shop, we started from the beginning of Balestier Road (where Leong Fatt Tau Siah Piah is) then walk all the way to Shaw Plaza (where the dammed shop is located). the first stop is at ITALU, the shop recommended by our ID and has rendered very good services to us thur'out the whole reno period, and even when they came to replace the faulty ballast 2 months back. The sale person was helpful but couldnt provide us any solution, she showed us some of the OSRAM ballast but advise us not to take the risk. (no hard selling).

for more than an hour, out of the 10 shops we visited, only 1(one) shop could recognised this 'unidentified' ballast but they run out of stock for it. most of the lighting shops didnt sell ballast or they just couldnt identify this suspicious looking piece of scrape metal!

no choice, we have to go back to the shop who sold us the light and got SGD12.84 inclusive of GST less in our wallet for that bloody ballast!!!

it took us a good 30mins before we fixed it back to it's original place and have the lights coming back again!

SO BEAR IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING LIGHTS - NO MORE BALLAST!!! WHOEVER TOLD YOU THAT BALLAST IS JUST AS EASILY AVAILABLE AS A PIECE OF STARTER .... SLAP THIS PERSON HARD IN THE FACE - DAMMED LIAR!!

AND IT'S NOT CHEAP!!! SGD12.84 FOR A PIECE OF CRAP!!

SPARE YOURSELF THE AGONY = SAY "NO!!" TO BALLAST!

THERE GOES ANOTHER...BALLAST

another light died on us last night. again, after checking, we found that the ballast is gone.

this time round, we couldnt get a free replacement as the company we bought the light from didnt offer such service. instead, we were told to remove the ballast and then head down to the shop to pay for a new piece, then fix it back by ourselves!!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

there are so many youngsters, being first-time flat owners, we are gullible, naive to the extend of foolish to believe the salesperson hypnotize us into believe how good their product is.

IT'S TOO LATE FOR US!!

do not believe when the sales person said
1. ballast is long lasting compared to starter (i blew 2 ballast in less than 9months!!)
2. ballast can be easily found in lighting / hardware shop (but can u remove n fix it yourself? how much does a piece cost!!)
3. ballast operated light comes on instantly with no flickering (nice, but we have been using starter for the past generation and still using. did any of your new starter or any starter die within a 6month period??)

i remember the lights in our previous flat even my parent's flat all survive well using starter. when the lights die out, either you change the starter or you change the bulb... really easy! and it's cheap! the starter usually cost a dollar or so usually 3pcs for SGD5.00 and could last you about 3 years or more? I'm not sure b'cos I rarely change it!! as for the lights usually energy saving bulbs or tubes cost less than SGD7.00 and could last you way more than 5years!!

what the hell?! screws, bundle of wires not forgetting the cost!

but with this ballast - it's HELL!! I got a hard time taking out the screws, not forgetting those bundle of wires?!? OK, so after paying $$ for a new one, the whole head scratching, never wrecking starts all over again b'cos u need to fix it back ... if that is - you really managed to get it back on.

NOW WE KNOW...though it's too late. when comes to purchasing light...

NEVER GET ONE WITH BALLAST - IT'S A REALLY A REAL HEADACHE!

lights using starter usually flicks, but didnt we grow up and used to it? as i said, starter is really cheap to replace but again, if you have enough of this ballast vs starter shit stuff, then get those Philips Lights that just 'plug & play'!!

our good old starter. easy to find, cheap to replace, a breeze to install.