Return to the Growing under Lights Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
fluorescent fixtures, ballasts and safe circuit capacity
| | |
Posted by ezgrower z5 IL (My Page) on Tue, Jun 27, 06 at 15:20
| A simple (I hope) question arising out of my limited knowledge of ballasts in fluorescent light fixtures . . .
In determining the load that a fluorescent fixture contributes on a circuit, does the ballast figure in? That is, the load from 36 40W bulbs would just meet the safe "constant use" (80%) threshhold on a 15A circuit, but what about the ballasts in the fixtures? If ballasts make a contribution, where is the information to calculate it? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: fluorescent fixtures, ballasts and safe circuit capacity
| | |
- Posted by zink 6a (My Page) on
Wed, Jun 28, 06 at 10:57
| ez, Here is the extra power consumed by the ballasts. These figures are per each bulb: Magnetic Ballast(40w) = 6.0 watts
Electronic Ballast Rapid Start (32w) = 3.5 watts
Electronic Ballast Instant Start (32w) = 2.5 watts Zink |
RE: fluorescent fixtures, ballasts and safe circuit capacity
| | |
| Also, the amps that the ballast draws is always printed on the ballast case. In the case of the HD Sunpark ballasts, it's 1.0 amp. And that's probably a maximum figure at startup. |
|
|
|
|
