Anyone replace LED drivers?

curt swartz said:
On a number of projects we have installed European plaster wall lights that must be series connected. The manufacture includes the correct driver based on the number of fixtures used on each driver. When roughing in you need to mark all cables in/out to make sure it gets made up correctly.
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This is our European LED bulbs. We moved into this house six years and so far we have had one failure.

 
As for LED ballast replacement, the biggest challenge will be does it physically fit in the ballast compartment?

There are field service ballasts, which are different from high volume OEM ballasts. These are basically software programmed dimming ballasts.
You program the top-end trim in the software to match, or be below the value on the existing ballast. Optionally you configure the low trim which is the minimum light level as a percent of the configured top-end trim.

https://www.assets.signify.com/is/c...-states/20240806-advance-express-aug-2024.pdf See page 11.

They're like aftermarket AC adapters. 100W 15,19,20,21v adapter may cost twice as much to make, but cheaper for service use, but if you're ordering a million unit, it makes sense to order 67W 19v
 
If you get a cheap fixture they are generally not easily replaced. I sell a brand at my lighting store that has easily replaceable drivers and only three types they use.
You still get for what you pay for generally
 
Our church has LED parking lot lights.
Convrted to LED about 10 years ago, 3 of 12 or so ballasts have failed.
A nimble 'youngster' (e.g < 50 YO) at church climbs a ladder placed on church food bank forklift pallet, removes entire head, gives it to me to replace ballast (special order) and reinstlals after I replace ballast. As others have said, ballast cost is high % of fixture cost (about 30%) but since labor is ''free volunteer" <G>
If 'nimble youngster' or I charged at normal rates vs volunteer, would obviously be better to replace entire fixture at one go.

Perhaps then replace ballast and keep repaired unit for next outage?
 
CoolWill said:
Thank God. What is the supply voltage? Can it take 120/208/240/277/347/480/600 like we use here in North America?
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Seen something similar a while ago here in the states. They were nothing but problems as the 2 pin connections would fail on the contact. Haven't seen any in a long time in the stores.
Besoeker3 is on a 230V system so it is better for them to not have a live screw shell. Kind of reminds me of the 12V automotive lights with the twist/pin holder.
 
Fred B said:
Seen something similar a while ago here in the states. They were nothing but problems as the 2 pin connections would fail on the contact. Haven't seen any in a long time in the stores.
Besoeker3 is on a 230V system so it is better for them to not have a live screw shell. Kind of reminds me of the 12V automotive lights with the twist/pin holder.
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We first use LEDs in applications around 1992/3. These were for 110Vac for control circuits for industrial systems.

 
Fred B said:
Seen something similar a while ago here in the states. They were nothing but problems as the 2 pin connections would fail on the contact. Haven't seen any in a long time in the stores.
Besoeker3 is on a 230V system so it is better for them to not have a live screw shell. Kind of reminds me of the 12V automotive lights with the twist/pin holder.
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But their system uses a grounded neutral as well, so the screw shell isn't live there either. If I'm not mistaken, there are Edison base lamps in the UK as well, but the bayonet style is dominant.
 
CoolWill said:
But their system uses a grounded neutral as well, so the screw shell isn't live there either. If I'm not mistaken, there are Edison base lamps in the UK as well, but the bayonet style is dominant.
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The system we use is LNE.
 
Yeah the shell of a bayonet is connected to equipment ground, there are of course older Edison like bases
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While Europe (then Aisa then the rest of the world) standardized on 230V 50hz but thats it.
Whats not simple is all their earthing systems, unlike us they did not standardize on how AC systems are grounded or if they are even required to be, so they have all these different 'earthing systems'.

What we mandate here with a multi grounded neutral (MGN) (or ungrounded) on the utility side then floating neutral after the service mains is called 'Terra Neutral Combined - Separate' (TN-C-S)
However across the pond in various countries like Norway you can find systems where there is no connection between the equipment ground and the neutral or there is no neutral its a 230v delta secondary (IT) , or the utility floats the neutral and also provides an equipment ground (TN-S).
In remote rural areas with just single phase distribution I think its the same as here in a way you find split phase but they never use the 115V side for anything its just a ground reference at the pole.
In Places like Berlin and Spain the '220' was from a 220Y/127 system (now 230Y/133) so its not always a 230Y400.
 
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Besoeker3 said:
The system we use is LNE.
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tortuga said:
Yeah the shell of a bayonet is connected to equipment ground, there are of course older Edison like bases
View attachment 2575671
While Europe (then Aisa then the rest of the world) standardized on 230V 50hz but thats it.
Whats not simple is all their earthing systems, unlike us they did not standardize on how AC systems are grounded or if they are even required to be, so they have all these different 'earthing systems'.

What we mandate here with a multi grounded neutral (MGN) on the utility side then floating neutral after the service mains is called 'Terra Neutral Combined - Separate' (TN-C-S)
However across the pond in various countries like Norway you can find systems where there is no connection between the equipment ground and the neutral or there is no neutral its a 230v delta secondary (IT) , or the utility floats the neutral and also provides an equipment ground (TN-S).
In remote rural areas with just single phase distribution think its the same as here in a way you find split phase but they never use the 115V side for anything its just a ground reference at the pole.
In Places like Berlin and Spain the '220' was from a 220Y/127 system (now 230Y/133) so its not always a 230Y400.
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In the UK is it a grounded system?
 
There was another member on here about 10 years ago that did reis work in the UK that was more knowledgeable of 'earthing systems' there, and as I recall what they call a 'neutral' is not always a what we think of as a neutral, but there is always 230V 50hz.
My understanding was in rural areas the midpoint of a distribution transfromer can be grounded to 'potential earth', so the 'neutral' is really a live wire and is not bonded to the grounding electrode system at the house.
 
tortuga said:
My understanding was in rural areas the midpoint of a distribution transfromer can be grounded to 'potential earth', so the 'neutral' is really a live wire and is not bonded to the grounding electrode system at the house.
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I'm not sure I understand that. Are you saying the neutral is a grounded conductor it's just not grounded locally at the building?
 
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