Problem with T5 fixtures

[maghazadeh]

Happy thanksgiving to all,
Here is my question. I have recently installed some 2' x4' lay-in fixtures with 2-28T5 lamps and when I started energizing, too many are failing.
What happens is as soon as I turn the wall switch or occupancy sensors on, some fixtures will led up for 10 seconds and then goes off. again when I turn the switch off and on the same fixtures would come on for about 10 seconds and goes off. (5) or (6) fixtures out of 39 total fixtures are doing this. I am not thinking of bad ballasts. I am thinking the lamps are not matched with ballast but why all are not doing this.
Fixtures are Corelite with Accu-start programmed rapid start ballast. Owner provided the lamps made in China so I am not sure of the lamps.

So please reply and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you

 

[grady180]

Did you try taking the lamps from a light that is working ok and putting them in one of the lights giving you trouble?

 

[maghazadeh]

yes I did try that. I took the lamp out and replaced with newer out of box also.

 

[stevebea]

Happy thanksgiving to all,
Here is my question. I have recently installed some 2' x4' lay-in fixtures with 2-28T5 lamps and when I started energizing, too many are failing.
What happens is as soon as I turn the wall switch or occupancy sensors on, some fixtures will led up for 10 seconds and then goes off. again when I turn the switch off and on the same fixtures would come on for about 10 seconds and goes off. (5) or (6) fixtures out of 39 total fixtures are doing this. I am not thinking of bad ballasts. I am thinking the lamps are not matched with ballast but why all are not doing this.
Fixtures are Corelite with Accu-start programmed rapid start ballast. Owner provided the lamps made in China so I am not sure of the lamps.

So please reply and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you

Are these new fixtures or did you retrofit existing troffers?

 

[Fulthrotl]

Happy thanksgiving to all,
Here is my question. I have recently installed some 2' x4' lay-in fixtures with 2-28T5 lamps and when I started energizing, too many are failing.
What happens is as soon as I turn the wall switch or occupancy sensors on, some fixtures will led up for 10 seconds and then goes off. again when I turn the switch off and on the same fixtures would come on for about 10 seconds and goes off. (5) or (6) fixtures out of 39 total fixtures are doing this. I am not thinking of bad ballasts. I am thinking the lamps are not matched with ballast but why all are not doing this.
Fixtures are Corelite with Accu-start programmed rapid start ballast. Owner provided the lamps made in China so I am not sure of the lamps.

So please reply and let me know your thoughts.
Thank you

what's ambient temperature? T5's don't like cold. they won't fire well....

a customer put them in a parking structure out here... epic failure.

 

[maghazadeh]

Are these new fixtures or did you retrofit existing troffers?

All are new fixtures

what's ambient temperature? T5's don't like cold. they won't fire well....

a customer put them in a parking structure out here... epic failure.

These fixtures are installed in a new bldg. at new TI office space, but HVAC's are not on yet so whatever outside temp. is in northern Calif. 60 - 70 deg. F plus 10 deg. F inside temp.

 

[grady180]

Are you sure this problem isn't associated with the way they are tied in with the occupancy sensors? I'm not sure of your exact set-up, but just make sure everything is spliced in correctly with your sensors.

 

[G._S._Ohm]

(5) or (6) fixtures out of 39 total fixtures are doing this.

You are on the hairy edge of some threshold in the sensors or lamps or both.

If you had 50% failures I'd say you were straddling the threshold.

If there are Application Notes or data sheets for these lamps and sensors read all the footnotes and try to figure out what these notes are really saying.

 

[Electric-Light]

What is the motion sensor you're using?
also
Take apart one of the faulty fixtures and make sure its wired correctly. Some ballasts are listed as compatible in terms of the ability to operate same lamps off of same line voltage, but don't always have the same wiring.

If that doesn't locate any problems, bypass the motion detector

 

[stevebea]

What is the motion sensor you're using?
also
Take apart one of the faulty fixtures and make sure its wired correctly. Some ballasts are listed as compatible in terms of the ability to operate same lamps off of same line voltage, but don't always have the same wiring.

If that doesn't locate any problems, bypass the motion detector

I agree, take the occ sensor out of the equation to see if that is the problem. I've also had t5 high bay fixtures brand new out of the box that were wired incorrectly from the factory.