# Fluorescent Lighting HELP NEEDED



## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Use the ballast rating not the wattage of the bulbs.


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Run two circuits and use a two pole switch.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

cmdeals said:


> .... The ballast amperage is at most 0.97A...


That is the number you need .... it takes power factor into consideration.

With that in mind, your plan to control 30 fixtures with a 20 Amp switch won't cut it, unless you use 2 circuits and a double-pole switch, or a lighting contactor on multiple circuits.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

your profile says residential, yet your first post is about office lighting. curious


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## cmregalado (Aug 21, 2010)

I am a residential contractor, thats why I need the help with this scenario, it is my first time.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

wildleg said:


> your profile says residential, yet your first post is about office lighting. curious


It could be that the company he works for ,Or his company landed a commercial job so they don't deal with that stuff very much.


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

make sure thay are multi volt ballast and wire them in 220 volt


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## noarcflash (Sep 14, 2011)

1 amp per ballast x 30 fixtures, = 30 amps, plus the 20% rule. So now your running #8 wire off a 40 amp disconnect.
??????????????????????????????????

there is something called load balancing, across 3 phases. 10 fixtures per phase. or so many other (better) ways to do this.


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## Wireman191 (Aug 28, 2011)

The ballast will up the voltage is the reason the wattage on the bulbs/ballast don't make sense.
I wanna say it bumps it to 600 volts?:001_huh:


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## jay_bolton (Feb 26, 2009)

What voltage are you working with? 120/240, 120/208, 347/600?
And out of curiosity, where are you installing them? Office, warehouse?
Do they need night lights or emergency lights?


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## Lighting Retro (Aug 1, 2009)

lick your fingers, stand barefooted in water, and then touch the black wire.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Wireman191 said:


> The ballast will up the voltage is the reason the wattage on the bulbs/ballast don't make sense....


 You can't use only the lamp wattage because there's power loss in the ballasts that gets ignored. All the heat that ballasts produce is power being consumed. 

-John


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

cmregalado said:


> I am a residential contractor, thats why I need the help with this scenario, it is my first time.




What part of Ontario is TOROMTO in????

:laughing::laughing:


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## Hairbone (Feb 16, 2011)

cmregalado said:


> I am a residential contractor, thats why I need the help with this scenario, it is my first time.


LMAO..... Chit like this grinds my gears. I used to have to read books before the internet. Now guys with no brains can bid work and go to a professional board and get free info

Speaking of first times...... well, i could never imagine going to a chat room and asking questions about many firsts :blink: if you know what i am talkin' about:laughing:


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## ME LC (Dec 30, 2011)

He's a residential all-in-one (don't like to pay fer trades if ah can do it mahself!) contractor. Plumbing, electrical, roof repair, siding... no job too big, or too small!

MELC


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## Rhysrich1991 (Jan 10, 2012)

i would just run one curcit in and use a four pole rotary contactor
*happy days*


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## AntiqueElectrician (Jan 9, 2012)

Each fixture is about 1 amp each. I would use 2 circuits, 15 fixtures on each. Have the switch pull in a coil. Connect the 2 circuits to the starter so they turn on together. 

Then again, more commercial work than residential.. Ha


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

The lamp wattage is "nominal". 
The ballast output rating is not based on lamp wattage, but based on the lamp type designation and % of catalog lumen (ballast factor). Typical ballasts are rated 87%. This means 3,000 lumen lamps are driven at 2610 lumens. T8 and T12s are tested at 60Hz. 

Given the same input power, lamps gain about 10% efficacy at 10+KHz electronic ballasts drive them at but the ballast loss is about 10%, so it usually balances out like 1.00*1.1*0.9 ~1


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## The_Modifier (Oct 24, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> The lamp wattage is "nominal"............


The post is also from last November. 

Not to add that the OP had 2 user names- if I read it correctly. (cmdeals and cmregalado- post#6) :blink:


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

Those 50% power factor ballasts have no PFC and the THD is something like 125%. They're specifically meant for residential use only. 

Quit installing "for residential use only" fixtures in offices with that many fixtures.


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## k_buz (Mar 12, 2012)

Come on...even a residential contractor should know enough to wire up 30 fluorescent fixtures.


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## Lighting Retro (Aug 1, 2009)

The_Modifier said:


> The post is also from last November.


 time to let this one go.


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## k_buz (Mar 12, 2012)

Lighting Retro said:


> time to let this one go.


Didn't even notice that....


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