single pole on 208V HPS

[electrofelon]

Would there be any code violation in using a single pole contactor to turn on and off one leg of the supply to a 208V HPS ballast? I was looking at several sections of 410 but I dont really see a violation......would like a second opinion of my analysis.

 

[ActionDave]

No, it is a controller not a disconnect so if you have your disconnect your fine.

 

[iwire]

No, it is a controller not a disconnect so if you have your disconnect your fine.

Normally that is true, however not with HID lighting. (I have no idea why)

410.104 Electric-Discharge Lamp Auxiliary Equipment.

(A) Enclosures. Auxiliary equipment for electric-discharge
lamps shall be enclosed in noncombustible cases and treated
as sources of heat.

(B) Switching. Where supplied by the ungrounded conductors
of a circuit, the switching device of auxiliary equipment
shall simultaneously disconnect all conductors.

 

[ActionDave]

Normally that is true, however not with HID lighting. (I have no idea why)

I had no idea at all. Don't spend a lot of time digging around 410. You got me though. I owe you a beer.

 

[electrofelon]

missed that one, thats a bummer. Any possibility of a loophole if the ballast is cord and plug connected?

 

[iwire]

I had no idea at all. Don't spend a lot of time digging around 410. You got me though. I owe you a beer.

I only remember it because it was pointed out to me by one of the ofter members here.

 

[iwire]

missed that one, thats a bummer. Any possibility of a loophole if the ballast is cord and plug connected?

I don't think so.

Why the need for a single pole switch?

Can you use a 120 volt coil double pole contractor to do this?

 

[hurk27]

That does seem strange as from that wording all 208/240/480 volt photo cells would be against code, they are switching devices???

 

[electrofelon]

I don't think so.

Why the need for a single pole switch?

Can you use a 120 volt coil double pole contractor to do this?

well i could. I need to switch several hundred light circuits though so I was just looking at lowering my contactor bill.

 

[iwire]

well i could. I need to switch several hundred light circuits though so I was just looking at lowering my contactor bill.

Oh, that make sense.

Obviously I do not know your situation but could you do a few panel contactors instead?

We often install one large contactor feeding a lighting panel.

 

[kwired]

well i could. I need to switch several hundred light circuits though so I was just looking at lowering my contactor bill.

multiwire circuits and three pole contactors would probably cost less then using all single pole contactors, unless you have a need to switch smaller banks of lights, then you are kind of stuck.

 

[kwired]

When it comes to motors - NEC only recognizes a controller as something that only has to interrupt minimal leads in order to stop the motor. Some controllers though have instructions to break all lines anyway, even though that is beyond code minimum requirements.

 

[iwire]

multiwire circuits and three pole contactors would probably cost less then using all single pole contactors, unless you have a need to switch smaller banks of lights, then you are kind of stuck.

If I could not use feeder contactors, regardless of single two wire or MWBCs I would use contactors with as many poles as needed in that area.

1, 2, 4, 8, 16 20 etc.

 

[kwired]

If I could not use feeder contactors, regardless of single two wire or MWBCs I would use contactors with as many poles as needed in that area.

1, 2, 4, 8, 16 20 etc.

You have a good point. I generally don't get around lighting contactors all that often and am more used to contactors intended for motor applications. Many of them are not intended to be supplied with more than one circuit, but I can see a 16 pole lighting contactor would likely be intended for multiple circuits. I just don't get into applications with that much lighting load and often just wall switches are the controls. In an gym or auditorium seems like they just use the branch circuit device as the control most of what I am around, but they are not by any means a large auditorium like you maybe run into. Local school gyms only have an occupancy of maybe 500 people max, and that is the larger ones in the area.

 

[iwire]

I live in large retail chains 95% of the time and most of them are on top of automated energy savings equipment. So for me lighting contactors are very common.

Often the store has no local control over the lighting at all. If there are local overrides for the the store to use they are often programed to let the 'main office' know that the overrides are on and that generates a call from the main office to the store asking why.

Lighting and exhaust fans are often shut down when the store closes.

 

[electrofelon]

Oh, that make sense.

Obviously I do not know your situation but could you do a few panel contactors instead?

We often install one large contactor feeding a lighting panel.

I will look into that. Basically my situation is I have about 400 1000W HPS lights. I can buy a prebuilt 16000 watt contactor unit that has receptacles protected by branch breakers, fed wth a 100 amp feeder, for $700, so just trying to figure out if there is a cheaper way. I can cut my material cost by building my own, but it would be a huge increase in labor obviously. So far it is looking like buying 26 of those maybe the best way.