# 2-lamp emergency ballast for T5HO?



## rdevarona (Feb 23, 2010)

loopholeguy,

What's the make and model of the EM ballast? I'm pretty sure they are all spec'ed on lumen output for the lamps in emergency mode. The highest I think I've seen provides 1300 lumens for at least 90 minutes for a T5HO lamp. Some support one or two lamps. I don't think I've ever seen an emergency ballast that is rated at anywhere near full T5HO lumen output, though.

Regards,

rdv


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

A "contractor" is swapping out all the T8's here and we just saw they abandoned all the e-lite fixtures. They cut out our ballast, T-8 emergency, and installed theirs 
They claim there is no T-5 e-ballast on the market,,, yet.


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## loopholeguy (May 18, 2010)

There are several brands of emergency ballasts for T5HO lamps. None of them support two lamps in emergency operation. I found one that said it supported two lamps, but upon further examination, the wiring diagram only shows one lamp running through the em. ballast. Anyone else?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

loopholeguy said:


> There are several brands of emergency ballasts for T5HO lamps. None of them support two lamps in emergency operation. I found one that said it supported two lamps, but upon further examination, the wiring diagram only shows one lamp running through the em. ballast. Anyone else?


Here's a link...http://www.warehouse-lighting.com/p...scent-Fixture--1300-Lumen__WL-BALT5-1300.aspx

Welcome to the forum:thumbup:


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## loopholeguy (May 18, 2010)

Thanks for the link, but I searched and found the wiring diagram for that ballast. Even though the discription says 'one or two lamps', I searched and found the wiring diagram, and there is only one lamp tied in to the em. ballast. To be completely thorough, I called them and was told they don't have one for two lamps in em. mode and hadn't heard of one. This looks like another case of the EE specifying something that doesn't exist.


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## shineretrofits (Oct 28, 2010)

I also ran this question past a few of the manufacturers I work with and they all said that these emergency ballasts only run one lamp as well.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

We did a job whereby we had the emergency lights keep 2 lamps on full brightness during outages. These were 6-bulb 54T5HO fixtures, which had 2 ballasts in them: One for 2 bulbs, one for 4 bulbs.

We used an inverter, a nice sized battery, and a DPDT relay. Connected the inverter circuit to the 2 bulb ballasts ... No special ballasts needed. :whistling2:


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## loopholeguy (May 18, 2010)

where did you mount all the equipment?


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Right at the panel. How many e-lights are you dealing with? We wired in (3) inside fixtures, and (3) outside lights into our little set-up. Each exit area remains fully lit on the inside, as well as the outside light for egress illumination. We installed separate circuit conductors (including the neutral) from the panel to each emergency light for this project. Since everything was installed in conduit, that was an easy task.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

loopholeguy said:


> I'm wiring a gym with 6-lamp T5 HO fixtures. The prints state that the emergency fixtures are to have 2 lamps at full lumens in emergency.


The big manufacturers, Philips Bodine B30 or Iota Engineering i160 can do 3,000 lumens per ballast with a F54T5/HO lamp but they're 9 lbs a piece and they're rated for 90 minutes They're rated in total lumen output per ballast. 

Some allow one or two lamp configuration, but it doesn't make much of a difference, because if you drive two, the power is split between two to deliver about the same output. 



> The lights I received from my supplier only have one lamp in emergency. It was an oversight by someone. They told me that they don't make an EM ballast for (2)T5HO lamps. Has anyone else had this problem?


This one may or may not work with 54W straight lamps. You'll have to ask them. This one can get about 6,000 lumens from two lamps combined for a few minutes until the generator picks up. 

http://www.bodine.com/downloads/specs/GEN3.spec.(std).L4100002.pdf

As far as I know, they don't have F54T5/HO emergency ballasts that can run two lamps at FULL output (5,000 lumens each). 

If you absolutely must have each emergency fixtures run two lamps at FULL output, you'll have to configure them for one 4 lamp, one 2 lamp ballast, then run the two lamp ballast in designated emergency fixtures from a UPS inside an electrical room.


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