# Ballst disconnect requirement



## MDShunk

Industry data shows that a leading cause of fatalities among electricians is electrocution while working on 277V lighting systems. Some believe that this is partly because electricians are often pressured to change out ballasts while circuits are energized to avoid removing light from the area of servicing, causing them to ignore applicable warnings, instructions and training. 

NEC has addressed this situation in Article 410.73(G), “Disconnecting Means,” which addresses changes to how fluorescent fixtures are disconnected prior to electrical work to prevent the possibility of shock hazard. It says:

_*(G) Disconnecting Means* In indoor locations, other than 
dwellings and associated accessory structures, fluorescent 
luminaires (fixtures) that utilize double-ended lamps and
contain ballast(s) that can be serviced in place or ballasted
luminaires that are supplied from multiwire branch circuits
and contain ballast(s) that can be serviced in place shall
have a disconnecting means either internal or external to
each luminaire (fixture), to disconnect simultaneously from 
the source of supply all conductors of the ballast, including
the grounded conductor if any. The line side terminals of 
the disconnecting means shall be guarded. The disconnecting 
means shall be located so as to be accessible to qualified 
persons before servicing or maintaining the ballast. This 
requirement shall become effective January 1, 2008.

_
There are a number of exceptions to this rule, which cover installations or conditions where rule variations are needed or it isn't practical to apply the rule. 

_Exception 1: A disconnecting means shall not be required for luminaires (fixtures) installed in hazardous (classified) location(s).
Exception 2: A disconnecting means shall not be required for emergency illumination required in 700.16.
Exception 3: For cord-and-plug-connected luminaires, an accessible separable connector or an accessible plug and receptacle shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means.
Exception 4: A disconnecting means shall not be required in industrial establishments with restricted public access where conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified persons service the installation by written procedures.
Exception 5: Where more than one luminaire is installed and supplied by other than a multiwire branch circuit, a disconnecting means shall not be required for every luminaire when the design of the installation includes locally accessible disconnects, such that the illuminated space cannot be left in total darkness._

For the last few months, the new fixtures that I've installed have featured such a ballast disconnect. The manufacturer's seem to mostly be using Ideal's PowerPlug luminaire disconnect. They're push-in type connections, sorta Wago style. Here's the manufacturer's PDF on those: http://www.idealindustries.com/media/pdfs/products/luminaire_disconnect_instructions.pdf

I took a few pictures of these things. The one with ballast wires already plugged in it I cut out of a new Columbia brand fixture on Friday. The new one is from a batch an Ideal rep gave me to try out. In case you were wondering, they're 3 amps at 120V, 1.3 amps at 277V, and .75 amps at 480V. I'm quite surprised they have a 480V rating.


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## JohnJ0906

Have to be honest, I like this requirement.

Since you didn't give an opinion on these products, I assume you are withholding judgement? I would like to see how they hold up over time, what with the heat from the ballast.


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## MDShunk

JohnJ0906 said:


> Have to be honest, I like this requirement.
> 
> Since you didn't give an opinion on these products, I assume you are withholding judgement? I would like to see how they hold up over time, what with the heat from the ballast.


I like the requirement as well. I can't get really excited about a backstab type connection for the wire, but we're talking about very little current here. I'm sure the plastic parts will hold up okay with the heat, because Ideal has been making wire nuts that serve that same duty for a long time.

The thing that concerns me most at this point is the original installer's attention to the strip gauge, particularly at 277 and 480. Don't want any bit of exposed conductor at those votages. That'll be something to put your eyeballs on in the years to come before you just go ahead and grab ahold of these things to unplug them. The second thing that slightly concerns me is when the installer puts on both halves of the connector, instead of just the branch circuit connection. Fixtures with these pre-installed come with the ballast already plugged into one half of the connector assembly. If an installer puts on both pieces, he may mistakenly install the half with the exposed blades on the branch circuit side. Oops.


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## JohnJ0906

MDShunk said:


> The thing that concerns me most at this point is the original installer's attention to the strip gauge, particularly at 277 and 480. Don't want any bit of exposed conductor at those votages. That'll be something to put your eyeballs on in the years to come before you just go ahead and grab ahold of these things to unplug them. The second thing that slightly concerns me is when the installer puts on both halves of the connector, instead of just the branch circuit connection. Fixtures with these pre-installed come with the ballast already plugged into one half of the connector assembly. If an installer puts on both pieces, he may mistakenly install the half with the exposed blades on the branch circuit side. Oops.


Those are 2 very good points.


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## frenchelectrican

I do like the requrement as well and i just got one done fixed not too long ago it do come handy when i have to yank out the strip lumiaire ballast there and feel more safer.

only thing i useally have to add all the time is inline fuse when i deal with long rows of lumiaires :whistling2: 

Merci, Marc


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## rbj

MDShunk said:


> If an installer puts on both pieces, he may mistakenly install the half with the exposed blades on the branch circuit side. Oops.


Marc, I wonder about [410.33] where the hookup wiring comes into play with the 90-105 deg temperature rating within the 3" stow distance near the ballast. Sure hope those pigtails are long enough in the housing. Is there any concerns?


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## MDShunk

rbj said:


> Marc, I wonder about [410.33] where the hookup wiring comes into play with the 90-105 deg temperature rating within the 3" stow distance near the ballast. Sure hope those pigtails are long enough in the housing. Is there any concerns?


Not with the factory installed one's. They appear to just be installed on the ends of the ballast leads we're used to seeing. I'd guess they're 16 inches long or so. Being able to keep your branch circuit wiring sufficiently far from the ballast proper doesn't seem to be a problem at all.


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## Aiken Colon

I was curious to know which brand disconnect many of you went with and how they worked out for you, as in *brandrice ratio.*


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## Magoo5150

I use the "Ideal" brand. They work great, positive connection, and safe. The only complaint I have about this new ruling is that there are no standards set. All the different manufactures make different styles that are not interchangable


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## Speedy Petey

My local supply guy is weighing the differences. 
We both like the Wago that has multiple line side ports for the feed(s) and one load side port for the ballast.


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## JRent

Lately i too have been seeing these ballast disconnects. Other ballast disconnects out there are only compatible with stranded wire and the good thing about these is you could use 12-18awg.stranded or solid. Just today i installed some direct/indirect 2X4's that were equipped with these disconnects.

I also had the same concern as MDShunk, so i wrap some tape around both pieces once i connect them, and tape about one inch down each wire. It doesnt look as clean but i figured is better than zapping yourself with 277v. What do you guys think?


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## Aiken Colon

When this code was first announced the manufacteurs of the ballast disconnects all got to bid to be the standard on these for the OEM sales. Meaning they would be the standard from the factory. Ideal won the bid, and from what I know, they are in 99% of US made fixtures. I am not completly sure about any import products. I do know though that in China there are OEM suppliers of the Ideal disconnect. 

Where the option of disconnect comes in is during retrofits/replacement of the fixture. This is where it gets a little weird if you have to replace the disconnect. US Ideal reps do not have access to the OEM PowerPlug Luminaire Disconnect. You have to go to China for that, go figure. So basically you have a standard OEM disconnect but cannot get the OEM part anywhere in the country. Ideal reps do however have access to the non-OEM one. Good news there is, the only difference between the two is the wires are already plugged in to the disconnect on the OEM ones (the pigtails MDShunk referred to), two wire nuts, plug the disconnect together and your done. Bad news on the non-OEM version, is you have to buy both the female and male sides. So over time you will end up with a ton of one or the other depending on the type of retrofits done. 

I am going to be partial of course, but the WAGO ones are more economical. The T&B ones are not very commonly used or sold. We were thinking about bringing in both but I found out the Ideal ones are normally the ones people buy because of the OEM aspect of it all.

Here is a pdf on the Ideal brand ones you will run in to already in the fixtures.
http://www.idealindustries.com/media/pdfs/products/brochures/p-2733_powerplug_brochure.pdf some specs on there if you need them.

And no one here will need this, but here is the instruction sheet  It does give some other specs also. 
http://www.idealindustries.com/media/pdfs/products/instructions/nd-6184-5_powerplug_instructions.pdf

We currently only have 2 customers that are using these. Both want the OEM ones because of your concern with getting zapped with 277v. I have been told they will become available to the US dealers in the next few months. So until those become available here, there is no reason not to wrap them up. Not to mention you are probably on a ladder at the point you would get zapped.


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## Aiken Colon

*Update...*

Been 7 months now and the backlash from the inspectors is coming 'round. Anyone not using these where required is not gonna be a happy camper. I have a customer that just got whacked for not installing these disconnects. Then they call me to order some and I have to inform them that Ideal is backlogged over 1 MILLION peices on these. Ideal manufactures these themselves here in the US, and their production machines are running 24/7/365, but because they are also supplying the ballast manufacturers with the OEM disconnects, it's tough for them to keep up. 

Chris


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## jbfan

I received 1000 of them last week. It took me almost a month to get them. My supplier is not an ideal rep, so he had to buy them from a friend of his in Al.

Chris, can you pm me and tell me what they would cost from you?
Thanks.


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## Aiken Colon

*Update to Ideal Ballast Disconnects*

Ideal just added 3 new ballast disconnects. Here is the link to their page.

http://www.idealindustries.com/products/wire_termination/luminaire_disconnects/

It looks like they introduced a 3 wire version of the original power plug disconnect.

The two new disconnects (2nd row) I know nothing about, but will be reading up on them over the weekend, when not remodeling my bathroom, and should have an update as to what they are. With just a quick read they look like an 18 AWG version - Solid wire, in both 2 and 3 wire.

A few of you have contacted us about the original ones on pricing and availability. And I am hoping they do not get backlogs on these like they did on the original ones. I will update both pricing and availability as soon as I get some more information.

JJ

Update: 

Here are some pictures. I can get the actual product in as well and take a few different pictures of them apart, together, etc if you guys wish

Original Power Plug Ballast Disconnect with 3 wire configuration - Picture and PDF link










Brochure - PDF









Brochure - PDF

The 3 wire version is about 1.5x the price of the 2 wire version

The new 18 AWG solid wire only is a little less expensive than its original 2 wire counter part, and is approx 75% of the price on the 3 wire version.

JJ


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