Flourescent Disconnects

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jap

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Electrician
At the chance of hearing the firestorm, I have to say it.
I think the flourescent quick disconnects that come with most flourscents now are more dangerous than not having them.
Especially when the person who terminated them before you didnt make sure the wire was in all the way and it comes out of the quick connect when you go to seperate them. I know they are supposed to be ther for safety because a lot of people were working the fixtures hot, but I think they're junk.

I'd much rather wire nut the ballast leads than have to use these things. If a wire is going to pop out when I got a handful of it, i'd rather it come out of a wirenut,,,, at least with a wirenut I'd be half way expecting it.

JAP>
 
One time I troubleshooted a not working ballast for 2! days and it turned out a pin inside a disconnect was bent and it didn't make contact.
In the past i was replacing ballasts a lot and I was zapped twice and fell from ladder.
 
I find it to be a combination of poor quality of the disconnects and poor workmanship on the part of the fixture manufacturer, otherwise I think that they're great especially when you're dealing with 277 volt lighting.
 
infinity said:
I find it to be a combination of poor quality of the disconnects and poor workmanship on the part of the fixture manufacturer, otherwise I think that they're great especially when you're dealing with 277 volt lighting.
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I think the idea is great, the execution of it is terrible.

I don't like handling them with live 277, like jap I feel much safer dealing with a wirenut.

At least with a wirenut you don't have both a hot and neutral within a 1/4" of each other waiting to burn up in your hand.
 
iwire said:
I think the idea is great, the execution of it is terrible.

I don't like handling them with live 277, like jap I feel much safer dealing with a wirenut.

At least with a wirenut you don't have both a hot and neutral within a 1/4" of each other waiting to burn up in your hand.
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Ditto to all.

To add: Getting #12 stranded into the little disconnects can be a bit of a pain at times also.
 
The fluorescent disconnects are like anything else, when properly used they are good, when not used properly, they can cause problems.

I did not know that they were listed for stranded conductors! I will have to look at the labeling on them again.

I sure prefer to not work on items "hot", don't know if it is my age or just realizing what could occur. Like when I use-to stack step ladders to get the extra height :jawdrop:
 
JDB3 said:
The fluorescent disconnects are like anything else, when properly used they are good, when not used properly, they can cause problems.

I did not know that they were listed for stranded conductors! I will have to look at the labeling on them again.

I sure prefer to not work on items "hot", don't know if it is my age or just realizing what could occur. Like when I use-to stack step ladders to get the extra height :jawdrop:
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We most generally always pull stranded and most of the disconnects we've come across are rated for stranded.
sometimes they go in good and there's no question it went in correctly,,, but probably 1 out of 5 go in, and youre not sure if it grabbed or not, so you do the tug test and so on until you get that fuzzy feeling that its right but move on to the next one left with that funny feeling that somethings still not right about it. Unlike with a wire nut where you know when its right and when its not. Ive found with the stranded, the longer you strip it the worse they get.

JAP>
 
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