# Overpowering Fluorescent Lamps



## ff80212 (Jun 25, 2012)

I was doing an inspection of a fluorescent lighting installation and came across a situation that stumped me.

It was an office that had changed out 34W T12 lights and installed 32W T8 lights in their place. However, when I inspected the ballasts the contractor had installed a 347 V ballast that is speced for 96W T8 lamps.

What I am trying to get a feel for is what effect this will have on the power usage of the lamps. My feeling is that it will overpower the lamps and draw more power than usual (and also burn the lamps out faster) but I was hoping someone might now how much more?

Thanks in advance!


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Might be a multi volt ballast. I have never seen 347 volts in the states.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Was it even working?


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

Shockdoc said:


> Might be a multi volt ballast. I have never seen 347 volts in the states.


Really? are you guys only 480/277? In Canada there is lots of 600/347..even our farm has that.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

triden said:


> Really? are you guys only 480/277?


Yes. 600 volts was once common in my area, but it was delta and often used in manufacturing plants and mills. The local poco no longer offers 600 volts or delta service. 480 volt wye has replaced it.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

That's odd, because 347s are expensive. I wonder what the point of that would have been?

You could put a meter on it and see it's amp draw. That's what I'd do if I were curious.


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

ff80212 said:


> I was doing an inspection of a fluorescent lighting installation and came across a situation that stumped me.
> 
> It was an office that had changed out 34W T12 lights and installed 32W T8 lights in their place. However, when I inspected the ballasts the contractor had installed a 347 V ballast that is speced for 96W T8 lamps.
> 
> ...


The ballast is capable of supplying 96 watts to the lamp so 32 watts will not even make it get hot.....just a waste of money for the wrong size ballast.
It may be the case of making do with what you got.


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## gottspeed (Mar 8, 2010)

Yeah, but the ballasts job is to limit current because the plasma has low resistance.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

I'm just wondering how a 347v ballast made its way down there.


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