How long do ballasts last?

[leafyseadragon]

My CSL 65W PC light is a little over a year old. The light was going out and then coming on after an hour or so. I figured it was the light, so I changed it.

But now it seems to go off for a few hours, and then kick in and work properly. So I was wondering how long a ballast supposed to last? I've had absolutely no problems with the light until this month.

And if it is the ballast, how easy is it to remove the old one and install a new one?

 

[theatrus]

Ballasts last a fairly long time. Maybe the lamp sockets got some moisture and corroded a bit? Sounds like an intermittant contact problem.

 

[leafyseadragon]

Hmm. The lights are shielded behind the plastic, and I figure it's warm enough there to bake out any moisture. But if that's the case, how would I clean it? I can go over the contacts on the bulb with an eraser, but what about the contacts on the fixture itself?

 

[malkore]

maybe try pipe cleaners? something small that can get into the female pin connectors.
and of course, UN-PLUG it first.

 

[leafyseadragon]

Thanks to everyone for their advice, I finally figured it out. When I put the bulb in the fixture, I have to slide it in at an angle. So when I changed the bulb, I just laid the bulb down into the clip. I needed to shove the bulb horizontally all the way into in the socket, because those square pins aren't very long. I think that solved the problem, at least so far, so good!