what ever you do, do not take the ballast out of the metal box! that metal box can save you from having your house burn down if theres a electrical short. i just had a ballast that was fresh out of the box, that was arcing like a mother. if i had walked off and not noticed it, the only thing that would of saved me is the metal box. also, those cheap rubber mats from costco or sams club work really well in quieting the ballast.