[Dan Wheeler]

Hello,

Just a dumb question

In the last two days I have replaced 8 x 4 lamp T8 ballasts in two different locations.
Someone who replaced them last wired them wrong in my opinion.

A standard 4 lamp ballast has 2 yellow, 2 blue, and 2 red wires. 2 blue to one yellow and 2 red to one yellow.

The ones that were previously wired by someone else was either someone new or someone lazy and did not check how the sockets were wired.

They had the lamps wired 1 red and 1 blue to one yellow for each set of lamps.

I am assuming that this will greatly shorten the life of the ballast?

Anyone have any insight on these? Does it really make a difference?

I am assuming it does, which is why I have always taken the time to test each socket for each set of wires, especially in the HO signs where you can have around 14 wires.

 

[Trent3342]

Hello,

Just a dumb question

In the last two days I have replaced 8 x 4 lamp T8 ballasts in two different locations.
Someone who replaced them last wired them wrong in my opinion.

A standard 4 lamp ballast has 2 yellow, 2 blue, and 2 red wires. 2 blue to one yellow and 2 red to one yellow.

The ones that were previously wired by someone else was either someone new or someone lazy and did not check how the sockets were wired.

They had the lamps wired 1 red and 1 blue to one yellow for each set of lamps.

I am assuming that this will greatly shorten the life of the ballast?

Anyone have any insight on these? Does it really make a difference?

I am assuming it does, which is why I have always taken the time to test each socket for each set of wires, especially in the HO signs where you can have around 14 wires.

what's the voltage of the lights and what's the power source?

 

[Dan Wheeler]

Sorry

These were all 120V. Commercial buildings.

 

[bobelectric]

You should look at the ballast diagram and see how t-8s are wired compared to the t-12 lamps.

 

[Dan Wheeler]

That's the issue. Another electrician wired T8 Ballasts, just those basic sylvania or Philips ballasts. But did not wire according to diagram, just put color to color, or probably similar to original T12 ballasts.
All 8 I just replaced have already been rewired some time ago.

 

[Electrical Concepts]

Follow the diagram on the ballast

 

[bobelectric]

I'm changing out lights in an office building,1975 on the ballast.Lucky to get 3 years on new fixtures,3 lamp t-8.

 

[Aegis]

As others have said follow the diagram. Sometimes the T12 layout has jumpers in between the sockets that you have to remove etc. sometimes you'll get an idiot before you who wired things wrong. There was a guy once who said to a new guy (about wiring up a ballast) "Don't look at the colours, just wire it up."

 

[Celtic]

ELECTRONIC FLUORESCENT BALLASTS





Give that pdf some eyeball time