[sbrn33]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling an electrician when you don't know what you are doing.

 

[maintenanceManKen]

I'll get it figured out.

 

[Black Dog]

Hi I'm new here, I am a Maintenance tech at an apartment community. I have been replacing some faulty Core & Coil Ballast kits and bulbs. I am working with an ADVANCE Core & Coil Ballast kit (71A8007-001 DB).

When I pulled the old ones out they weren't wired per the schematic.

The 2 commom leads off the transformer were wired to one side of the capacitor. The other side of the capacitor was wired to the lamp common and the common lead coming into the fixture. The hots were correct.

Is there something I'm missing? I read that the capacitor is optional for this kit also.


Ken

Hello Ken Welcome to the forum..

When you gut an HID fixture all you should have is a white and black to the socket, the ballast kit is already pre-wired so you only have to splice the socket and the feed, so there should be 2 wires marked common, one goes to the lamp the other goes to the neutral for 277 or 120, otherwise one of the hots for 208, 240 or 480 volts.

Then there should be a black that goes to the lamp, and a wire marked with the voltage that goes to the feed.

Change them as a kit, don't waste your time messing with starters and capacitors, just swap out the whole kit, you will be much better off.

Also on the ballast there will be an ANSI rating, make sure that the lamp has the same rating on them such as ANSI RATING S51 I think that's a 150 watt HPS lamp, Metal halide will be M59 for a mogal base 175 watt metal halide lamp, it must say the same thing on the ballast, otherwise the lamps will be trouble.

 

[maintenanceManKen]

Thanks for the info Black Dog, the kits I have don't come pre-wired, I'll just go by the schematic to set them up. I was mainly confused about how I found the wires configured in the existing lamps, the last guy screwed up a lot of things !

 

[sbrn33]

Great job Black dog. Hope this guy doesn't get killed hooking up something he should not be doing.

 

[maintenanceManKen]

I know how to work safe.

 

[Black Dog]

Thanks for the info Black Dog, the kits I have don't come pre-wired, I'll just go by the schematic to set them up. I was mainly confused about how I found the wires configured in the existing lamps, the last guy screwed up a lot of things !

Well that will keep you busy, Send him a thank you card...:laughing::laughing:

 

[sbrn33]

Are you replacing them with HPS or PSMH?

 

[maintenanceManKen]

hps bulbs

 

[Black Dog]

Great job Black dog. Hope this guy doesn't get killed hooking up something he should not be doing.

I may be the rules in his state that allows him to do this work at the Complex he works at, so helping him out is not so bad IMO.

 

[Hawkrod]

I gotta go with "he is the site electrician" on this one. Not all maintenance men are specialized but they may be required to work as electricians as part of their employment. Would I hire them to come here and do it? Not likely, but he is in the industry like it or not. Just because he is a maintenance man does not mean he is not qualified or not smart enough as many would suggest and his question is interesting too. The last guy may have had a reason for not following the schematic and this guy is trying to figure out why. It was a good question because we all come across this garbage all the time. JMO

 

[macmikeman]

Hawaii license's three or four levels of electricians. At the bottom of the rungs are maintenance electrical licensed electrician designation. No test to pass and reduced electrical training and experience required, repair only, no new work allowed, no running pipe and wire. Perfectly legal for them guys to be out there changing hps lamps and ballasts.

 

[al_smelter]

Would you rather this guy get killed because you wouldn't help him? There is a difference in a DIY guy who knows literally nothing (though some of them are pretty bright too) and a maintenance guy who makes his living doing the odd electrical or plumbing job. And not every building owner can afford to have a dedicated plumber, electrician, carpenter, and HVAC guy on staff.

Get off your high horse.

I do suggest to the maintenance guy to know his/her skillset limitations. Take a class or get professional help if you are in over your head. But you shouldn't be with a simple ballast change.

Regardless how the fixture WAS wired, and assuming you bought the correct rebuild kit, always wire up the new kit by it's instructions. Don't improvise. The kit may be built slightly differently than the OEM stuff.

Mark

 

[Nom Deplume]

Seems to me that this site has turned into a DYI site and an advertising venue with being a forum as secondary.

Why are we catering to DYI and eroding our trade?

 

[Black Dog]

Seems to me that this site has turned into a DYI site and an advertising venue with being a forum as secondary.

Why are we catering to DYI and eroding our trade?

The OP is not DIY if he was I would not have helped, he is employed to do the work described in his post, unless it is illegal in the state of Wisconsin for him to do this work I do not see an issue here.

 

[Meadow]

Would you rather this guy get killed because you wouldn't help him? There is a difference in a DIY guy who knows literally nothing (though some of them are pretty bright too) and a maintenance guy who makes his living doing the odd electrical or plumbing job. And not every building owner can afford to have a dedicated plumber, electrician, carpenter, and HVAC guy on staff.

Get off your high horse.

I do suggest to the maintenance guy to know his/her skillset limitations. Take a class or get professional help if you are in over your head. But you shouldn't be with a simple ballast change.

Regardless how the fixture WAS wired, and assuming you bought the correct rebuild kit, always wire up the new kit by it's instructions. Don't improvise. The kit may be built slightly differently than the OEM stuff.

Mark

I agree he will get more help here than DIY chatroom. At least safe help.