Petewales
Member
- Location
- Hayward, California.
Can anyone solve this mind-bending problem --- please?
Voltage = 120vAC.
Ballast = Electronic MH1100MV-LFS-VK, single (medium-base) screw-in lamp.
Lamp wattage = 70watts.
Number of lamps in an open fronted fixture = four.
Mounting = open under carriage, with all four ballasts mounted on a perforated 16" inch metal (horizontal housing assembly, three inches above all four lamps).
Ballast Characteristics:- If there is any interruption of power - (maybe thermally protected, I don't know?) - then the power has to turned off at the breaker for several minutes, then turned on again for the lamps to strike, and light again.
What is happening:-
Arrive at job.
Sometime one, sometimes two lamps are out.
Turn breaker off.
Wait approx. 15 minutes.
Turn power on.
All lamps strike.
All lamps come up to full luminosity.
Approximately four to eight minutes after full luminosity, one, sometimes two lamps extinguish.
I've changed all lamps, and all ballasts.
Sometimes it is O.K. for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, then the same thing starts happening -- One or two of the lamps extinguish, while the other two stay lit.
When I turn off the power at the breaker, then turn it on again, all four lamps strike, and light, again. The minutes later go out again -- or maybe stay on for an unknown amount of time, but eventually go out. Hence, a continual return call is generated.
Half of the lighting crew has been on this one, and several electricians to date, and the fault keeps on turning up like a bad penny. Now I've inherited the doozie.
Today I replaced two out of the four bad ballasts, and their lamps. I stripped all connections and re-did them. I continuity tested all medium-base sockets, and installed two new 70watt HID lamps. (Note:- These fixtures are 6ft. convex shaped circular shaped units, with four 70watt medium based HID lamps located at the center, and eight 18" fluorescent Bi-ax tubes spaced around its perimeter.
The fixtures are located 30ft. AFF, (above finished floor), and can be lowered by a slave motor that take forever to cover the distance to working level, and to add insult to injury, they are above a working escalator, in a busy Barns and Noble book store -- what a pain!
If anyone can help, I will be eternally grateful, and we will hire you on the spot!
Any ideas...
Yours truly,
Stumped???
Voltage = 120vAC.
Ballast = Electronic MH1100MV-LFS-VK, single (medium-base) screw-in lamp.
Lamp wattage = 70watts.
Number of lamps in an open fronted fixture = four.
Mounting = open under carriage, with all four ballasts mounted on a perforated 16" inch metal (horizontal housing assembly, three inches above all four lamps).
Ballast Characteristics:- If there is any interruption of power - (maybe thermally protected, I don't know?) - then the power has to turned off at the breaker for several minutes, then turned on again for the lamps to strike, and light again.
What is happening:-
Arrive at job.
Sometime one, sometimes two lamps are out.
Turn breaker off.
Wait approx. 15 minutes.
Turn power on.
All lamps strike.
All lamps come up to full luminosity.
Approximately four to eight minutes after full luminosity, one, sometimes two lamps extinguish.
I've changed all lamps, and all ballasts.
Sometimes it is O.K. for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, then the same thing starts happening -- One or two of the lamps extinguish, while the other two stay lit.
When I turn off the power at the breaker, then turn it on again, all four lamps strike, and light, again. The minutes later go out again -- or maybe stay on for an unknown amount of time, but eventually go out. Hence, a continual return call is generated.
Half of the lighting crew has been on this one, and several electricians to date, and the fault keeps on turning up like a bad penny. Now I've inherited the doozie.
Today I replaced two out of the four bad ballasts, and their lamps. I stripped all connections and re-did them. I continuity tested all medium-base sockets, and installed two new 70watt HID lamps. (Note:- These fixtures are 6ft. convex shaped circular shaped units, with four 70watt medium based HID lamps located at the center, and eight 18" fluorescent Bi-ax tubes spaced around its perimeter.
The fixtures are located 30ft. AFF, (above finished floor), and can be lowered by a slave motor that take forever to cover the distance to working level, and to add insult to injury, they are above a working escalator, in a busy Barns and Noble book store -- what a pain!
If anyone can help, I will be eternally grateful, and we will hire you on the spot!
Any ideas...
Yours truly,
Stumped???