Mike Dolt Enterprises
Mike Dolt Enterprises
User: stevebea, Location: Southeastern PA
Asked on: Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 3:45 pm EDT
Answered on: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 6:13 am EDT
Question: My co-worker can laugh about it now but the other day he was spitting nails. He was doing a T12 changeout from magnetic ballast to electronic ballast on one fixture. He installed the new electronic ballast and relamped it and the lamps would not start. Dang it.... he double checked the wiring diagram to make sure he had it right ( which he did ) and came to the conclusion he had a bad ballast. After taking the (bad) ballast back to the supply house and returning with another ballast he installed the second one. Deja vu ! To make a long story short he recieved a quick lesson in electronic ballast open circuit protection by not de-energizing this circuit to install a ballast. Another reason not to work it hot!
Lesson Learned
It is crucial to de-energize a circuit before installing an electronic ballast to avoid open circuit protection.
Background
Electronic ballasts have built-in open circuit protection to prevent damage if the circuit is open while the ballast is energized. This protection works by shutting off the power to the ballast.
What Happened
The worker installed an electronic ballast without de-energizing the circuit. The circuit had an open condition, which activated the ballast's open circuit protection. The ballast shut off the power, preventing the lamps from starting. The worker mistakenly assumed the ballast was defective and replaced it. The second ballast also shut off due to the open circuit protection.
Importance of De-Energizing
De-energizing the circuit before installing an electronic ballast ensures that the open circuit protection will not be activated. This allows the ballast to operate properly and prevents damage to the ballast and lamps.
Other Considerations: Always refer to the manufacturer's instructions for proper installation procedures. Use a voltage tester to verify that the circuit is de-energized before working on it. If the circuit is not de-energized, there is a risk of electric shock and equipment damage. Flag for review