Fancy cans

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wyreman

Senior Member
Location
SF CA USA
Occupation
electrical contractor
Why oh why is the socket in this fancy can Corroded? The E Ballast went out too
Looks like some kind of dissimilar metals maybe the screws??


Two fixtures same same trouble:
No lighty, day or nighty

They are called
120v 42w 4pin "intense light" cfls on the prints
it's just an office building
Maintenance guys left a trail of burnt up 42w four pins with all melted bases
A whole boxload of them

ytejetyr.jpg
puve5avy.jpg
gy2ubyva.jpg





In belief, man can do anything
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
With an external ballast I am not sure I would call it a CFL, but that aside:
Are the ballast and lamp actually matched types and does the ballast match the line voltage?
Is there a chance that the lampholders either is not rated for that high output bulb (42W is darned big for that size) or something about the installation is interfering with proper air flow.
It looks like the ballast is rated for up to one 42W lamp, but it is not clear to me whether any config settings are necessary.
The fact that it is an emergency ballast may or may not affect anything, but it implies that the lamps will be on 24/7.
Tapatalk!
 
Last edited:

wyreman

Senior Member
Location
SF CA USA
Occupation
electrical contractor
The socket looks like it will take 42w 4pin cfl
But the matching lamps must just be a skinny utube

Double ballast action!
Is there a 42w 4pin w/out ballast??
Slap head !

I just did this over and over w unmatching 28w t5s from the ho ballasts

And unmatching mismatched 70w/-150w mh t6 bi pins ballasts POP



Thanks gold digger

Btw... What's w the corrosion ? Dissimilar metals ?

y4yqyhag.jpg



In belief, man can do anything
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Corrosion = heat effect?
Possibly the built in "ballast" just provides emergency AC from an inverter to the pins in place of raw AC.
But if not, you have indeed double ballasted the lamps, causing real problems for the built in ballast of the bulb!

Tapatalk!
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Something is getting too hot for some reason. Corrosion may not happen if temp gets reduced to designed operating level.

Are these open luminaires that have had airflow impeded by anything?
Mismatched lamp/ballast combinations?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The photo is a EM battery back up, not the ballast.

I'm betting there is mis match of lamps and the compact fluorescent ballast that comes with the fixture.

Very possible. The label on the EM battery says it is for 10-42 watts. The ballast it compliments may not be rated for 42 watt lamps but the battery is a little more of a universal item and can run a 42 watt lamp.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
Very possible. The label on the EM battery says it is for 10-42 watts. The ballast it compliments may not be rated for 42 watt lamps but the battery is a little more of a universal item and can run a 42 watt lamp.
Judging by the number of wires visible inside the can, there is a ballast in there somewhere, not just a 120V feed to the socketed lamp module.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Last edited:

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Ballast may be designed for up to 42 watt lamp, but what about the can or the installed trim?

And again if this is a non-IC rated assembly installing insulation over it or otherwise blocking air flow could also have an impact like shown in the OP.
 
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