Question about Required Ballast Disconnects

Status
Not open for further replies.

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
I have never used the required ballast disconnects when changing ballasts. I did buy some to keep on the van, however, I have a question on how to use them.
If you install them and later go back to change a ballast again, what do you do about the ballast side of the disconnect? Meaning, the disconnects are sold in pairs/two pieces.

Obviously you leave the line side on, but what do you do about the load/ballast side? Do you pull the wires out and reuse them on the new ballast, or is that one "sacrificed" and you have to put a new one on?
If the latter, I would think that would be silly since they are sold as both sides. You would have an awful lot of line sides left if you had to put on just a new load side each time.

On the ones I have I don't see a way to release the wires, you would have to pull out the wires to reuse them.

If this is a stupid question, please pretend like it's not and help me out!:ashamed::lol:
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Cut the wires where they leave the ballast and splice on to the new ballast.

Nothing says you can't have wire nuts, you just have to have a way to kill the power to them before working on them.
 

Stevareno

Senior Member
Location
Dallas, TX
I've found that if you cut the wires on the ballast side of the connector, you can pull the wires out of the connector if you pull and turn them like you would if you were removing a screw.
(This also works for back-stabbed receptacles if you don't have a tool small enough to fit in the wire release hole.)


You can then re-use the connector without having to use wire nuts.
 

jumper

Senior Member
I've found that if you cut the wires on the ballast side of the connector, you can pull the wires out of the connector if you pull and turn them like you would if you were removing a screw.
(This also works for back-stabbed receptacles if you don't have a tool small enough to fit in the wire release hole.)


You can then re-use the connector without having to use wire nuts.

Wouldn't that weaken the termination for future use?
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Cut the wires where they leave the ballast and splice on to the new ballast.

Nothing says you can't have wire nuts, you just have to have a way to kill the power to them before working on them.

I thought of that after I posted, but thought I might be missing something about a quick release on the disconnects. Thanks Bob!

I've found that if you cut the wires on the ballast side of the connector, you can pull the wires out of the connector if you pull and turn them like you would if you were removing a screw.
(This also works for back-stabbed receptacles if you don't have a tool small enough to fit in the wire release hole.)



You can then re-use the connector without having to use wire nuts.


I do that with the Ideal push-ins or Wago connectors.

Wouldn't that weaken the termination for future use?

I don't know about the ballast disconnects, but the Ideal push-ins say they can be re-used. Only one I saw or have that says you can't is the 6 port connectors. For some reason it says on the package not to re-use that one. But the 2, 3, and 4 port all say they can be re-used. Even tells you how to remove the wire.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top