brantmacga
Señor Member
- Location
- Georgia
- Occupation
- Former Child
i've been working on what was a bank being remodeled into offices. the sign and all outside lighting were on a programmable time-clock w/ a 'rainy day' switch running to two lighting contactors. when i first got to the job, the breaker for the time clock was off. i turned it on and it made the most awful buzzing sound; it sounded like a ground fault (which is what i call the sound that was made when i once energized a circuit w/ a hot wire connected to the conduit 
). anyhow, i was told one of the parking lot lights did not work, so i went up in the bucket today to check it out. the lamp wire from the cap had burned into at the base of the lampholder (1k watt MH), and then burned into again about 3 inches from the cap. it was laying on the frame of the light, and there was evidence of extensive arcing. anyhow, the contactors are mounted about 12" from the panelboard in a metal enclosure w/ 3/4" emt. is the buzzing i heard a ground fault? why did the breaker not trip? is this a high resistance issue? after repairing the MH fixture, the contactors do not work. experts fill me in!
). anyhow, i was told one of the parking lot lights did not work, so i went up in the bucket today to check it out. the lamp wire from the cap had burned into at the base of the lampholder (1k watt MH), and then burned into again about 3 inches from the cap. it was laying on the frame of the light, and there was evidence of extensive arcing. anyhow, the contactors are mounted about 12" from the panelboard in a metal enclosure w/ 3/4" emt. is the buzzing i heard a ground fault? why did the breaker not trip? is this a high resistance issue? after repairing the MH fixture, the contactors do not work. experts fill me in!