[Gary_602z]

My buddy picked up some used fluorescent lights. Got looking at them and on the ballast it says 277 volts for input voltage. Any thing special to do with them? Just seems like an odd voltage.

Gary

 

[wirenut1110]

Unless you have 277 available, you'll need to change the ballast to 120 volt for them to work.

In a 3 phase 480 volt set up, each phase to ground is nominal 277 volts.

 

[Bob Mariani]

Do the right thing and turn you buddy in for stealing these from a commercial job.

 

[Gary_602z]

Unless you have 277 available, you'll need to change the ballast to 120 volt for them to work.

In a 3 phase 480 volt set up, each phase to ground is nominal 277 volts.

Thanks! Not worth it to replace the ballast.

Gary

 

[wirenut1110]

Thanks! Not worth it to replace the ballast.

Gary

Won't argue with that.

I'm working on a restaurant where we replaced all the 2X4 lay-ins. Most of them were not working and one of my guys asked if we were going to fix them and use them somewhere else.

I said lol "No, just put them out back and hopefully someone will 'steal' them"

Sure enough the next morning all 27 of them were gone:yes:

 

[J. V.]

If you do not have 277 volts available, trash them or try to sell/give them to someone who has 277 volts.

Ps....try one on 240 and see if they work.

 

[Gary_602z]

If you do not have 277 volts available, trash them or try to sell/give them to someone who has 277 volts.

Ps....try one on 240 and see if they work.

We had done exactly that and it seemed to work no sparkage or melting!
If they work would it be okay on 240 or is it a safety hazard?

Gary

 

[micromind]

I've run 277 volt ballasts on 240 occasionally.

The main problems here are they won't start in cold weather, the tubes don't last quite as long, and they might flicker for the first few minutes, until the tubes warm up.

I've also used a buck-boost transformer to get the voltage up to 264 or 272. This will solve the cold weather starting, and tube life problems, but it's sorta spendy.

Rob

 

[dSilanskas]

Do the right thing and turn you buddy in for stealing these from a commercial job.

:laughing: