Would universal voltage ballast work on high leg of delta system?

[benaround]

MarkyMark,

I'll bet 10 years down the road, you will still be known as the Electrician who used the

'Wild Leg' for the lights.

 

[ohmhead]

Well yes but ECM mag says most SP have slash ratings ? Thats why a single pole 240 volt breaker the one in my post is better than using a 2 pole 120 /240 volt due to the line to ground issue .

Slash rating the lower number is line to ground fault the higher number is line to line fault so a breaker with one rating would be better for a high leg at 208 volts .http://ecmweb.com/mag/electric_understanding_circuit_breaker/ do you agree or is there something i missed ?

Well 4th paragraph down last line single pole breakers are always slash rated
guess Ecm mag is giving out bad info .

 

[Smart $]

Well 4th paragraph down last line single pole breakers are always slash rated...

...some (many?) are because, IIRC, code permits using two single pole breakers for a two-pole load... but many (some?) are not slash rated.

 

[Smart $]

Two words:
sub panel

This is my recommendation.

With a subpanel, the lighting could even be powered at 240V.

Provided there is nearby space available for an MLO subpanel (and the added load does not overload the source panel or system), only conductors from two poles would have to be transferred to the new panel to make space for the new 3-pole OCP (and this is assuming that the existing panel doesn't have or cannot be adapted with feed-thru lugs).

 

[Smart $]

...some (many?) are because, IIRC, code permits using two single pole breakers for a two-pole load... but many (some?) are not slash rated.

PS: The ones that are not slash rated cannot be used to supply two-pole loads in most general-use cases.

 

[jim dungar]

Well 4th paragraph down last line single pole breakers are always slash rated
guess Ecm mag is giving out bad info .

It is always best to look at several reference sources.

I have just looked at Schneider Electric, Eaton, and Siemens 'loadcenter' breakers, they are all listed as 'for use on 120/240V systems'.

 

[MarkyMarkNC]

MarkyMark,

I'll bet 10 years down the road, you will still be known as the Electrician who used the

'Wild Leg' for the lights.

Ha Ha! Yeah, that's probably the one thing that kept me from doing this the most.

Turns out I found some 120V circuits that used to feed power poles in the space that I should be able to use, so I don't think I'm going to hook up to the "wild leg" after all.

 

[jim dungar]

It is always best to look at several reference sources.

I have just looked at Schneider Electric, Eaton, and Siemens 'loadcenter' breakers, they are all listed as 'for use on 120/240V systems'.

For those who care. It looks like I am caught in a battle of semantics when it comes to 1-pole breakers and slash ratings.

From Square D's FAQ regarding 1-pole breakers and 120/240V label
"This labeling describes the type of electrical system it is designed for. The single pole breaker does not have a rating for a 240Vac system. The single pole breaker would attach to one phase of a 120/240Vac system which would be 120Vac."

 

[LarryFine]

"This labeling describes the type of electrical system it is designed for. The single pole breaker does not have a rating for a 240Vac system. The single pole breaker would attach to one phase of a 120/240Vac system which would be 120Vac."

It's apparent that nobody expects a high-leg-to-neutral connection to ever be made. ~ Capt. Obvious

 

[jim dungar]

It's apparent that nobody expects a high-leg-to-neutral connection to ever be made. ~ Capt. Obvious

No, in fact some of their other FAQs clearly spell out that a fully rated breaker can be connected to the 208V leg.

It all goes back to some of the original discussions, finding a 1-pole breaker rated for 208V for use in a 'loadcenter' is all but impossible.

But, 'industrial/commercial' type 1-pole breakers fully rated for 240V are easy to come by.

 

[LarryFine]

No, in fact some of their other FAQs clearly spell out that a fully rated breaker can be connected to the 208V leg.

Did they mean 1p breakers?

 

[jim dungar]

Did they mean 1p breakers?

If you can find a fully rated 208V 1-pole breaker you can use it. You will probably not find one in the standard QO, CH, BL or QP type of 'loadcenter' breaker. These are 120V rated and listed for use on 120/240V systems.

In the Square D world this means using their 480Y/277 NF or I-Line panels According to their FAQ, their new NQ panel is not listed for 240/120 4w delta systems.