Fluorescent fixture info

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M1sacs

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Location
Duluth, MN
I'm looking into ways to see if I can tell when a lighting fixture has a problem..? Does a Ballast that is burning up use more amps? does a bulb that's starting to go bad use more amps?

I have a Classroom with about 12, 4 bulb fixtures and I have a Current transducer on the circuits, so I'm trying to know how to tell the maintenance dept. that the room has an issue without having to go to each room or be told by a worker that a bulb or fixture is out.
 

mirawho

Senior Member
Location
Sun Valley, CA
Normally, with fluorescent lamps, the ends will start getting black when they are near the end of their life. Predicting ballast failure is probably harder than predicting earthquakes. Since manufacturers stopped using the coolants that had PCB's in them, ballasts don't last as long as they used to. The upside to this is you don't have the black coolant all over the place when the ballast blows. Ballasts these days seem to go out a lot faster than the old ones. I like the tried but true method, when it's out, it need work.
 

Electric-Light

Senior Member
I'm looking into ways to see if I can tell when a lighting fixture has a problem..? Does a Ballast that is burning up use more amps? does a bulb that's starting to go bad use more amps?

I have a Classroom with about 12, 4 bulb fixtures and I have a Current transducer on the circuits, so I'm trying to know how to tell the maintenance dept. that the room has an issue without having to go to each room or be told by a worker that a bulb or fixture is out.

If the ballast is not seeing good airflow, for example, no airflow in the fixture area, they will run hot.

Try 55C ambient rated NEMA premium ballast. The NEMA premium is a tad bit more efficient and produce less heat and using the higher ambient rating make them better able to tolerate harsh conditions.
 

M1sacs

Member
Location
Duluth, MN
i must not have explained well

i must not have explained well

I want to know if there will be an AMP change if a bulb is burnt out or if a ballast is starting to burn out. Im reading the current and want to know what kind of stuff will effect my readings and with those current reading changes if I can alert someone that a bulb or ballast is going bad.
 

Electric-Light

Senior Member
I want to know if there will be an AMP change if a bulb is burnt out or if a ballast is starting to burn out. Im reading the current and want to know what kind of stuff will effect my readings and with those current reading changes if I can alert someone that a bulb or ballast is going bad.

Sure, if you're going to put amp sender to every couple of fixtures.
 

Electric-Light

Senior Member
What the heck is that?:?

A tiny current transformer or a hall effect transducer. Removing one lamp reduces the input power by 20-30W depending on the ballast and lamp type.

Detecting a failed lamp or two in 25 fixtures without causing a false alarm or missed alarm will be difficult, because there's normal variation in current level depending on line voltage and temperature, but 1 out of 8 to 9 lamps will be easy to detect accurately.
 
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