Splicing...277V...are wire nuts sufficient...

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icefalkon

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Hi guys,

Question for ya. Are using wire nuts considered a sufficient means of splicing for ballasts? I'm on a job where the plant electricians are changing all the 277V ballasts. They're cutting them out, slapping the new ones in, and using the wire nuts (orange without the coil no less!) as the splicing mechanism. To clarify...they're putting the three ballast wires together and just wire nutting it. My question is...is this legal as per the code?

Steve from NY
 
pretty common practice for a ballast change. those orange wire nuts are designed for 2 #18 wires. (the ones I have seen have a coil) What do you think they should do? solder the joint and tape? That would make it more cost effective to change the whole fixture.
 
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Read the instructions on the packaging, many wire / wing nut instructions say "pretwisting" not necessary, or something to that effect.

Roger
 
icefalkon said:
Hey guys,

I've always spliced the wires together before putting on the wire nut.

Steve from NY
Click to expand...

do you mean you twist them first? there are many methods of splicing wirenutting is one of them, and you can twist first or not, with 2 #18 wires and a wire nut I don't really think twisting first is a neccesity if you know what you are doing.

Wait are you tring to say they didn't twist the wire nuts? maybe they were using those stab type wire connectors.
 
I never use wire nuts for 2 or 3 #18 wires on 277volt ballast

I first solder the wires together then use #18 Split bolts with 4 warps of rubber tape & Black tape over that. Then I make a label saying caution 277v High voltage spices in 2" print & post them on the fixture.

You are so right! Wire nuts are not an approved method!
Good luck on the journeymans exam!


 
77401 said:
I never use wire nuts for 2 or 3 #18 wires on 277volt ballast

I first solder the wires together then use #18 Split bolts with 4 warps of rubber tape & Black tape over that. Then I make a label saying caution 277v High voltage spices in 2" print & post them on the fixture.

You are so right! Wire nuts are not an approved method!
Good luck on the journeymans exam!
Click to expand...

LMAO !!!!!
 
Not all wire nuts are the same.... Really depends on its listing?

For instance see page 2 here, some combinations are rated for 300, some for 600V. What is the voltage on the load side of the ballast? Another example of the ones that have the spring in them is these.

Another consideration is the heat it is subjected to? They may be using candle wax to splice them. :rolleyes:

Anyway, its more of a listing item than a code item.
 
e57,
some combinations are rated for 300, some for 600V. What is the voltage on the load side of the ballast?
Click to expand...
Most, including the one you linked to, are also rated for 1000 volts within fixtures or signs. This is so that they can be used for ballast replacment.
Don
 
icefalkon said:
Hi guys,

Question for ya. Are using wire nuts considered a sufficient means of splicing for ballasts? I'm on a job where the plant electricians are changing all the 277V ballasts. They're cutting them out, slapping the new ones in, and using the wire nuts (orange without the coil no less!) as the splicing mechanism. To clarify...they're putting the three ballast wires together and just wire nutting it. My question is...is this legal as per the code?

Steve from NY
Click to expand...

Did anyone catch the "no coil"? I assume he means the metal spring coil. I throw those kind away:mad:
 
77401 said:
I never use wire nuts for 2 or 3 #18 wires on 277volt ballast

I first solder the wires together then use #18 Split bolts with 4 warps of rubber tape & Black tape over that. Then I make a label saying caution 277v High voltage spices in 2" print & post them on the fixture.

You are so right! Wire nuts are not an approved method!
Good luck on the journeymans exam!
Click to expand...

Pffft, what, no Polaris? Cheap bugger.
 
theres gotta be more ...

theres gotta be more ...

ok 77401 ... good one .... now I'd still like to hear what "splice them first, before wirenuts" means (not quite the quote) ...

orange wienuts with the coil have always served me well with ballasts ... never twist first , no problem ... without the coils , trash ...
 
Hey fella's,

Thanks for all the replies. First to clarify, they were using orange wire nuts without the metal coil inside. My preferred method for splicing is pretwisting the wires together before wirenutting, but I see that's not the case for everyone. My question was whether there were any particular code references concerning the installation of 277V fixtures and whether or not the ballast wires are to be pretwisted. I've already informed their supervisor that the wirenuts in use (again...simple orange plastic without metal spring coil) should not be used for ANY line voltage application and he did not see the point of having his men go back into the completed fixtures to replace them. I opened a fixture for him and with a simple tug pulled one of the ballast wires free from the wirenut. No force, no bracing of my other hand on another object for leverage...just a slight pull.

He then agreed to have his men go back and change the wirenuts. OK that's a win for safety.

What I wanted to know if it's ok to NOT pretwist the wires in question prior to applying the wirenut. I've looked into the "manufacturers instructions" on the wirenuts out these days and I've found only two brands that have such a thing and they're contradictory. Identical in every way...voltage, UL listing, spring, etc...yet one says to pretwist, one says it's not required...optional.

Is there any reference whatsoever in the code about this...or is it simply up to the journeyman doing the work?

Thanks for helping me out with this guys, I appreciate it.

Steve from NY
 
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