[Troyboy]

Being rude will never get me to listen to you.

 

[brian john]

Being rude will never get me to listen to you.

Rude? Pointing out you are posting inaccurate information? You do not have to listen you can be wrong the rest of you career. Just seems a dumb way to live.

 

[Incubus311]

Pretty sure the neutral is hooked up to the switch

 

[Patch2002]

Maybe a bad ballast ? Did you take apart his switch? It's def the switch or lights. As it stays on till it is flipped.

All the ballast are good. We know it was how he wired the switch just trying to understand what happened and why.

 

[Incubus311]

All the ballast are good. We know it was how he wired the switch just trying to understand what happened and why.

If it was just a switch leg you probably sent the neutral down to the switch. Or you shorted the phases when you completed the circuit with the switch. Did you teacher say a neutral is needed at all switches for now on?

 

[brian john]

All the ballast are good. We know it was how he wired the switch just trying to understand what happened and why.

And this was explained by several posters somewhere in your set up there was a wiring error, somehow in your testing the circuit you over looked this wiring error.

 

[Patch2002]

If it was just a switch leg you probably sent the neutral down to the switch. Or you shorted the phases when you completed the circuit with the switch. Did you teacher say a neutral is needed at all switches for now on?

No he didn't say we needed it. The guy who hooked up the switch said he remembers hooking up the neutral wire (which we know to be wrong). Really I am trying to understand what happened because of it. The wires vibrated in the conduit for 3-5 seconds after the switch was turned on and before the breaker blew.

 

[Patch2002]

And this was explained by several posters somewhere in your set up there was a wiring error, somehow in your testing the circuit you over looked this wiring error.

Yes we know that there were errors made, in my testing of the circuit and in wiring of the switch (which we can fix for future events), what I am trying to understand if what happen because of it. What made the wires vibrate and why did it take so long for the breaker to trip. Just trying to increase my knowledge and so if I trouble shoot something in my future career I have a proper understanding of the events.

 

[ponyboy]

Were they emergency ballast fixtures by chance?

 

[Patch2002]

Were they emergency ballast fixtures by chance?

No, they were (4), 8' lights, with 4 T8 bulbs each.

 

[brian john]

Yes we know that there were errors made, in my testing of the circuit and in wiring of the switch (which we can fix for future events), what I am trying to understand if what happen because of it. What made the wires vibrate and why did it take so long for the breaker to trip. Just trying to increase my knowledge and so if I trouble shoot something in my future career I have a proper understanding of the events.

When you have a instantaneous high current occurrence in a circuit and the conductors are not tightly bound such as in NM or MC there is a strong magnetic field and the two conductors move away from each other very fast and this results in the conductors slapping the side of the conduit.

This will happen when energizing motor, transformers or any high current loads especially a fault.

I can post a video of this next week when I get into the office, if you like.

 

[Patch2002]

When you have a instantaneous high current occurrence in a circuit and the conductors are not tightly bound such as in NM or MC there is a strong magnetic field and the two conductors move away from each other very fast and this results in the conductors slapping the side of the conduit.

This will happen when energizing motor, transformers or any high current loads especially a fault.

I can post a video of this next week when I get into the office, if you like.

That would be great!!! Thank you very much.

 

[Big John]

A thread I create some time back: Videos of conductors during faults.

 

[dmxtothemax]

What type of three phase supply is it ?
Where did the neutral come from ?
Is the three phase supply referenced to ground anywhere ?
Is it star or delta ?