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I have an issue with an emergency ballast. The plans call for this light to be swiched but also has the constant power from a different panel. I have never had to connect an emergency ballast this way it has always been with the same circuit so im not certian how or it this will work. Has anybody done this before? Is it possible?:confused:
 

chris kennedy

Senior Member
Location
Miami Fla.
Occupation
60 yr old tool twisting electrician
Welcome to the Forum. I can't see the install you describe complying with 700.12.

The branch circuit feeding the unit equipment shall be the same branch circuit as that serving the normal lighting in the area and connected ahead of any local switches.

Just saw Don's post, my answer is pending the answer to his.
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
I have done many of these, you have to feed both the hot and the switch leg of the circuit to the light fixture, both will go on the emg ballast and fixture ballast, one word of caution do not feed these systems from two different circuits as they are not design to have over the rated voltage on them, we just had to rewire every emg ballast in a 16 plex movie theater because the original installers wired the emg ballast to a seperate emg circuit, and the switched side to the local lighting circuit, this placed 480 volts between the switch/constant circuits, on many of the 277 volt fixtures, and cause all of these ballast to fail, and its also is against code as was said, also note that the neutral to the regular ballast is switch by the emg ballast, via a white wire with a red stripe, pay close attention to the wiring diagram, or you can end up damaging the emg ballast, if the fixtures come with prewired ballast, then you need the hot feeding the switch, the switch leg, and the neutral of that circuit to each emg fixture.

If you need a wiring diagram, I can upload one, let me know.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Just to add:

the way you proposed to wire these fixtures, not considering the code and manufactures instructions, will not provide any light when the generator starts up, heres why:

sequence of operation:

power on: regular ballast lights lamps.
power fails: Emg ballast switch's over and powers lamps.
generator fires up: Emg ballast turns back off, but regular ballast has no power to light lamps:

so this is another reason to power both regular and Emg ballast from the same generator back up circuit.
 
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