Replies

1. 
   damschrs | Jan 31, 2005 03:41am | #1

   You will be severly underpowering the light causing premature ballast failure, and also creating higher levels of heat in the ballast during operation before the ballast fails.

   240V comes from a single phase power system. 277V is generated from a three phase power system. Do not use these 277V lights on your 240V system. The seller is either not informed, or just wants to sell them.

   thnx
   scottd.

    

   scottd
   Damschroder Scott Furniture
   [email protected]

   A craftsman needs three things: Accuracy, Technique, and Quality. Accuracy can be set; technique can be learned; but quality must be bought and built.

1. 
   IronDog | Jan 31, 2005 04:20am | #2

   Thank you for the response Scott,I figured it was pretty fishy but my knowledge of electric wasn't enough
   to know for sure.Have a good week!Tom

2. 
   WayneL5 | Jan 31, 2005 05:03am | #3

   Some fixtures have multi-tap ballasts, that you can hook up for any of several voltages.  But it sounds like the seller is saying that this one is fixed for 277.  If the price is really good you could install a transformer to take 240 up to 277, but that may be a difficult size of transformer to find.

   To clarify what the other poster said, he was correct but you might not have understood, 277 is the voltage you get when you connect across any two hot conductors in a 480 volt three phase system.  The result is 277 volts single phase.  So you don't need three phase to operate the lights, just the correct 277 volts single phase.

1. 
   damschrs | Jan 31, 2005 05:18am | #4

   Wayne,

   With all due respect, that is not correct.

   277 Volts comes from one leg of a 480 volt three phase power source to ground. When you go across two legs of a 480V three phase system, you get 480 volts.

   You are correct that the three phase source is not the issue, it's the voltage that counts. The problem is to use a boost transformer to bring his voltage up to 277, it would cost more than the additional expense of buying the correct lights.

   thnxScottd.

    scottdDamschroder Scott Furniture[email protected]A craftsman needs three things: Accuracy, Technique, and Quality. Accuracy can be set; technique can be learned; but quality must be bought and built.

1. 
   IronDog | Jan 31, 2005 05:08pm | #5

   Scott and Wayne,Thank you for the info and debate. Always great to learn.
   The lights are not multi-tap unfortunately. Excellent price at
   only 15 bucks each but not many people have access to 277 v.
   I have 3 phase but it is 240v.Ah well. Great thing about ebay is just keep looking and what you
   need always turns up sooner or later. I have gotten some good
   metal halide there and it makes for great shop lighting. Bright,
   white light and efficient.Best,Tom

2. 
   WayneL5 | Feb 01, 2005 02:23am | #6

   You are correct, I was wrong.  Thanks for the correction.