Lamp Post ballast.

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iMuse97

iMuse97

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Chicagoland
I repaired a UF line to a lamp post today.
At the post I tested 37 volts line to neutral and 37 volts ungrounded to EGC, and 0.0 volts neutral to EGC.

Turned off the feed, dug in three locations, found the fault and repaired it.

Lamp post contains a 35w HPS lamp with appropriate ballast. The lamp strikes and warms up, but does not remain lit for longer than three or four minutes. After that it does not restrike, as long as I was there (about a half hour).

My question is:
Would running 37 volts to that ballast and lamp for several months ruin both of them? or only the ballast? or only the lamp?
 
What type of fault did you find?
What voltage is it and where was everything above the 37 volts going?

Could it also just be a Capacitor or Igniter.

We usually just install a new ballast kit. Just replace the ballast this week next week capacitor goes bad. Looks bad when you fix it today and tomorrow its broke again.
 
This was a builder special--the NM comes from house into the ground, goes under a walk, and splices to the UF at that point. Had to undermine the walkway a bit to find it. The splice was done with wirenuts and taped with imitation electrical tape (the cheap stuff; not Scotch 33 or Super 88).

I hammered a pipe under the walk, put a new piece of UF in, and did some heat shrink splicing. This lamppost is in a private CC subdivision on where every home has one for consistent neighborhood lighting.

The ballast is an all-in-one specialty thing; priced above $200.00. Didn't want to replace it; I'll have the guy try a new lamp first, and if that doesn't work, I'll get the ballast. I just wondered what a low voltage would do to that ballast and lamp over a period of time.
 
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check your voltage, when the lamp is trying to come on, make sure you by pass the photo cell leads, the red and black ones that come out the top, unfortunately these ballast are all self contained, so there is no replaceable parts like caps, or igniter's. also check to make sure someone else hasn't put in a 240 volt ballast, like the home owner. but make sure the photo cell has been by-passed. if it does cycle try a bulb first.

What your describing sounds like a photo cell is turning off, just after the lamp lights, thermo type photocells will be switched on, when power is first applied after being off for a while, then as soon as the bi-metal plate heats up it will switch off in about 3-5 minutes.;)
 
hurk27 said:
check your voltage, when the lamp is trying to come on, make sure you by pass the photo cell leads, the red and black ones that come out the top, unfortunately these ballast are all self contained, so there is no replaceable parts like caps, or igniter's. also check to make sure someone else hasn't put in a 240 volt ballast, like the home owner. but make sure the photo cell has been by-passed. if it does cycle try a bulb first.

What your describing sounds like a photo cell is turning off, just after the lamp lights, thermo type photocells will be switched on, when power is first applied after being off for a while, then as soon as the bi-metal plate heats up it will switch off in about 3-5 minutes.;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions.
The ballast is for 120V; says so right on the wiring diagram, printed right on the thing.
I always tape the photo cell with two of three passes of scotch33.:)
BTW, Wayne, this place was near you over in Sand Creek.
 
iMuse97 said:
Thanks for the suggestions.
The ballast is for 120V; says so right on the wiring diagram, printed right on the thing.
I always tape the photo cell with two of three passes of scotch33.:)
BTW, Wayne, this place was near you over in Sand Creek.
Click to expand...

I did allot of those houses (Wagner Homes), even Ron Kettles, (Chicago White Sox)

I'll send you my # incase you want to contact me, when your out here.:D

Did you get to see the Castles in the back, there huge, I think 15k' or more, one has a helo pad on the garage.
 
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hurk27 said:
I did allot of those houses (Wagner Homes), even Ron Kettles, (Chicago White Sox)

I'll send you my # incase you want to contact me, when your out here.:D

Did you get to see the Castles in the back, there huge, I think 15k' or more, one has a helo pad on the garage.
Click to expand...

No, I don't know people in the stratosphere.
 
iMuse97 said:
Thanks for the suggestions.
The ballast is for 120V; says so right on the wiring diagram, printed right on the thing.
I always tape the photo cell with two of three passes of scotch33.:)
BTW, Wayne, this place was near you over in Sand Creek.
Click to expand...

Don't tape the photocell, bypass the wiring. The photocell itself could be your problem. Tape will not prove that. I'd make a joint and take the photocell out of the equation. :)
 
Recent lampost experience

Recent lampost experience

This topic brings up an experience I had this week with an outdoor light post and receptacle. I was called to a house where the receptacle on the outdoor light post was broken. I determined that a new post was needed. I purchased a light fixture and pole with a built in receptacle (non gfci) at HD.
I dug up the old pole and cut the underground wire. What I was left with was an old armored underground cable (no ground present) and a pole with a non gfci receptacle. I checked the panel in the house and found an old panel and a house wired without grounds.
So here I have a pole with non GFCI receptacle a hole in the ground with a BX type cable and no ground and no GFCI protection.

There were two problems to address: the cable was not long enough to reach light pole so a splice was necessary (armored to UF) and no GFCI protection available with the materials I had available.

What practical solutions are there to this situation?
 
Greg1707 said:
This topic brings up an experience I had this week with an outdoor light post and receptacle. I was called to a house where the receptacle on the outdoor light post was broken. I determined that a new post was needed. I purchased a light fixture and pole with a built in receptacle (non gfci) at HD.
I dug up the old pole and cut the underground wire. What I was left with was an old armored underground cable (no ground present) and a pole with a non gfci receptacle. I checked the panel in the house and found an old panel and a house wired without grounds.
So here I have a pole with non GFCI receptacle a hole in the ground with a BX type cable and no ground and no GFCI protection.

There were two problems to address: the cable was not long enough to reach light pole so a splice was necessary (armored to UF) and no GFCI protection available with the materials I had available.




What practical solutions are there to this situation?
Click to expand...



I'd run a circuit with a ground from the service panel. The luminaire requires it.
 
Greg1707 said:
This topic brings up an experience I had this week with an outdoor light post and receptacle. I was called to a house where the receptacle on the outdoor light post was broken. I determined that a new post was needed. I purchased a light fixture and pole with a built in receptacle (non gfci) at HD.
I dug up the old pole and cut the underground wire. What I was left with was an old armored underground cable (no ground present) and a pole with a non gfci receptacle. I checked the panel in the house and found an old panel and a house wired without grounds.
So here I have a pole with non GFCI receptacle a hole in the ground with a BX type cable and no ground and no GFCI protection.

There were two problems to address: the cable was not long enough to reach light pole so a splice was necessary (armored to UF) and no GFCI protection available with the materials I had available.

What practical solutions are there to this situation?
Click to expand...

I would do no less than rewire the BC to the light pole.
 
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