Yeah, I'm probably going to find some more ballasts too. Maybe I'll get more F32T8 magnetic ballasts or a F40 preheat ballast if they're not too expensive.
No, it seems that Canada didn't touch to mercury ballasts at all (although the effect on market is about the same, no ballast anymore). The fluorescent ballast ban takes effect on July 1st, 2010 and only affects rapid start ballasts for F40s and F96s, all others are exempted from the ban.
Also to add on what Vince has said, F96HO and F32T8 are also affected under the new regulations. The only exception to the ban that I know of is for cold weather ballasts designed for ambient temperatures under -17.8C. Apparently Canada is also banning the NPF residential ballasts which are aren't affected in the US. Mercury ballasts aren't banned but like Vince I haven't seen stores restocking them anymore, I guess you might be able to get them though a special order at a electrical supply house though.
I didn't know that residential NPF ballasts were about to be banned only in Canada! SO, here, almost all magnetic ballasts are going to be banned... not cool at all...
Yeah, The Canadian government website says that products for the residential market are also affected; looks like we should really start stocking up on ballasts. link *edit the linking feature dosen't seem to work here*
Hey Vince nice ballasts! BTW, are the Valmont Electric VAL-MISER ballasts good quality? I have one that's why i asked... (The date code is YJ if you know what that means. I contected Valmont Electric but they seem to be blowing me off... )
Valmont was the continuation of US GE's ballast line (they bought them out in the 80s) and they use the same date code as GE. Valmont later sold off their ballast division to Power Lighting Products in 2000 or so. The current Valmont only make stuff like poles and arms.
To add to what Joseph said, Valmont bought out GE's ballast division and that's why you see "Bonus Line Ballast" on both GE and Valmont ballasts. I have a GE BonusLine ballast in daily use in an old (C. 1970s?) Sears 2XF40T12 shoplight.
hey joe; you said they used the same date codes as GE but do the date codes mean the same between the companies (like GE's "CJ" would mean March 1973 in both companies?
I'm not actually sure, I need to get my hands on a Valmont made ballast to check. I have a Val-Miser ballast but it was made during the Power Lighting products era so it had a numerical date code instead.
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Does that ban include MV
I've got a couple boxes of ballasts sitting around too LOL