410.73(g)

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mlabis

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I work for a fixture mfr and we are designing a trougher which will incorporate 2 ballasts. We want to accomodate the installer and have the fixture pre-wired at the factory to have the "disconnecting means" specified in 410.73(G). We intend to use quick connectors as the disconnecting means. Do we need to provide a quick connector for each ballast? If so, can we use wire nuts to splice the lead wires from the connectors together with the main fixture wires that will eventually connect to the supply conductors? Or do we also need to use quick connectors to connect these wires? I am assuming that the "spirit" of this requirement is to allow an installer easy way to replace the ballast without shutting off main power. The requirement assumes that that installer knows what he is doing, and won't loosen the any of the wire nuts. Or does it? Is the intention of the requirement to make ballast replacement idiot-proof, too.
 
mlabis said:
I work for a fixture mfr and we are designing a trougher which will incorporate 2 ballasts. We want to accomodate the installer and have the fixture pre-wired at the factory to have the "disconnecting means" specified in 410.73(G). We intend to use quick connectors as the disconnecting means. Do we need to provide a quick connector for each ballast? If so, can we use wire nuts to splice the lead wires from the connectors together with the main fixture wires that will eventually connect to the supply conductors? Or do we also need to use quick connectors to connect these wires? I am assuming that the "spirit" of this requirement is to allow an installer easy way to replace the ballast without shutting off main power. The requirement assumes that that installer knows what he is doing, and won't loosen the any of the wire nuts. Or does it? Is the intention of the requirement to make ballast replacement idiot-proof, too.
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Most troffers are used in situations where the EC is required to use dual switching. Set them up with the most permanent internal wiring you can manage (wago?) and as few final (installer) terminations as possible.

Join your two ballast neutrals into one connection point and a separate connection point for the (usually) two hots.

The relatively few (1 in 50?) that is not dual switched can be field modified the way that install calls for.

As for servicing of them 5 or 10 or 20 years from now...
Hell, 90% won't be in service for longer than the tenant lease anyway.

The other 10% that may actually be serviced will have your line disconnect in place to protect the poor custodian. Then he can dive in and add all those extra wirenuts everyone sees in old fixtures when an amateur replaces a ballast.
 
Wrong product

Wrong product

I'm sorry...We are developing a highbay light, not a trougher. Does this fact make a difference?
 
mlabis said:
I...We want to accomodate the installer and have the fixture pre-wired at the factory to have the "disconnecting means" specified in 410.73(G)....
Click to expand...

Sorry, I thought you answered your own Question!
OK it's a piece of plastic that hold the wires and is coupled together...
 
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BryanMD said:
...he can dive in and add all those extra wirenuts everyone sees in old fixtures when an amateur replaces a ballast.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that you remove the wires from the tombstones and replace them with new ballast wires? If so, that seems like a waste of time when a few orange wirenuts can be installed and save you from taking the whole fixture apart.
 
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