For many reasons, in practice this type of series connection is not done. What are your DIY skills? Remove the wire nuts from the connections inside the existing fixture. Connect the white power supply wire to the white wire from the last fixture with another orange wire nut. T8 LED Wiring Instruction Diagram (with Ballast & Starter) 1) Remove original T8 fluorescent tube. Step 1 - Turn Off Power to Room. This is so that the full 120 volts is presented to each device. 404.14 (E) Dimmer Switches. I mistakenly thought current in the ground wire also tripped the GFIC breaker. I guess it just has to do with upbringing. These are T5 lights suitable for under counter mounting. 2) Remove or Short Ballast and Starter if present. It's probably worth it to have an electrician come in and re-wire for can lights as your first "investment" if the walls and layout are staying. These lamps must have individual starters and ballasts for each tube. Repeat this step for each fluorescent light you will wire in this series. "Also removing the bulbs from one of the fixtures, seems to fix the problem - so is the other fixture "bad" - but why does it come on at all?". I have a recessed fluorescent box and want to raise the ceiling to the height of the upper part of the box, not just drywall across. In either case, why wouldn't either cause the breaker to trip while the light is on rather than the next time the switch is turned on? Sometimes the lights will light up a second time, but not usually. Turned power on, 2nd set of lights work and the first set doesn't power up all the way. Cut a length of 14/2 nonmetallic cable (NM) that measures 30 cm (12 inches) longer than your measurement. share | improve this question | follow | edited Jun 8 '11 at 20:08. I'd recommend some more investigation on your part before you start wiring. The ones I am seeing on the internet right now have a way to hardwire them in the back, through the little round knockouts, and the cord can be removed entirely. They have an online planning tool when you get measurements. This and the metal trough the bulb is in are part of the design so that the light runs smoothly. Also, they are on the same circuit as the garage door opener & I can open & close the door with or with out the lights on without a problem - so it doesn't seem to be a voltage/power problem. Is the problem with the ballast giving off static electricity or a slow/minimal "short"? I'm not trying to be insulting, but I want you to stay safe. ????? What I don't understand is if the GFCI is sensitive to a "leak", why doesn't it trip during the first time the light is turned on. Is that safe? To see if one or both fixtures are bad, or in this case, if running only one fixture would still trip the breaker. Many fixtures will allow you to make the connection inside the fixture. Connect the white power supply wire to the white wire from the last fixture with another orange wire nut. Rapid Start ballasts use two wires for connections to each end of a fluorescent tube. Measure the distance between each fluorescent fixture. The cable used is a 1sq mm PVC twin core and earth rated for up to 12 amps. In some kinds of fixtures, the starters are built in and … Older magnetic fluorescent ballasts are usually rapid start and wired in series. You can get double/triple ballasts too and the internal wiring can get somewhat 'spaghetti' like. Fixtures with four tubes, similarly, have four starters and four ballasts. 4) NO. 1) yes, but that is just for experimental purposes so that you can see that there is a leakage to ground somewhere. Wiring lights in series results in the supply or source voltage being divided up among all the connected lights with the total voltage across the entire circuit being equal to the supply voltage. "I have not tried them with bulbs in just one. I have 2 sets of 480-xlh-tc-p ballast garage lights I installed in my garage. The ground wire doesn't actually go through the inner workings of the GFCI, and where the current gets lost to has no bearing on whether the GFCI will trip. Re-read and edit what you have written: the typos and lack of punctuation make it unclear. Measure the distance between each fluorescent fixture. Fluorescent lights don't daisychain. There is a single electronic ballast in each fixture. Explore. They make me feel very calm and relaxed, and are the least depressing. It looks like most people here have a really negative and harsh opinion of fluorescent lighting in home. Varying degree of lumen output from the connected lights, all below the intended rating of the fixture, and the fact that if one light burns out, the entire … If you put devices in series, they will "share" the voltage, say 70 volts to one device and 50 volts to the second (adding up to the 120 volts in the circuit). It could even be encased in a short piece of tan wire mold if preferred. Turned power off and hooked up the 2nd set of florescent lights and grounded it. This series wiring uses a non-shunted lampholder, with each side of the lampholder isolated from the other side.. With a two lamp rapid start ballast, if one lamp fails the other lamp connected to that ballast will not light. It's only after the first time that it trips & only after turning on the light again (not before - I have checked the breaker to see if it trips when turning the light off after the first "turn-on" & it doesn't). If that is the case, is there anyway to "bleed off" that current? 1. Home Decor. Were the grounds bonded securely to the metal trough/frame of the old T12 fixture? Aug 7, 2013 - How to wire a 2 way switch, How to Change or Replace a Basic On/Off 2-Way Switch Newer electronic ballasts are instant start (wired in parallel), rapid start (wired in series), programmed start (wired in series-parallel, dimmable and CFL ballasts. Parallel or series-parallel wiring method is more reliable instead of series wiring. Then earth all the light fittings, and then from the switch, wire in the neutral wires in series, attaching the neutral wire coming from the switch to the blue at the connector block in the fluorescent light, and the neutral wire leading to the next light connects to the brown wire on the connector block in the florescent light(the next light being nearer to the fusebox). Unlike the ring power circuit, the lighting circuit does not form a loop returning to the consumer unit. It consists of a red insulated core for live, black insulated core for neutral with a bare earth conductor between them. How to Wire Fluorescent Lights in Series. A wiring diagram is a type of schematic which makes use of abstract pictorial signs to show all the interconnections of elements in a system. 3. First start by of course turning off the power and disconnecting the black and white wires from your in coming power feed to the old fixture you could reinstall wire nuts on black and white power feed wires as to be able to turn power back on to the rest of the lights on that circuit or leave it off if your the forget full type and might not remember its on when you go to Install the new ballast.. As with all projects, I like … Thanks again for your suggestions on this bewildering puzzle! Wiring Fluorescent Lights In Series, Wiring Fluorescent Lights In Series Suppliers Directory - Find variety Wiring Fluorescent Lights In Series Suppliers, Manufacturers, Companies from around the World at fluorescent light housing ,fluorescent light filters ,wire led lights, Energy Saving & Fluorescent Fluorescent lighting is an effective way to light a large area. A wiring diagram is a streamlined standard pictorial representation of an electric circuit. In the photo I am showing the original data tag for this Fox Co. fluorescent fixture installed in the bathroom of a Minnesota home built in 1963. In series would mean that the power came in on the live wire in light 1 and then came out the neutral wire of light 1 and went to the live wire of light 2, and so on. I know there are others here who work with them, also. Fluorescent lights require a ground wire from the electrical circuit to be attached to the metal frame of the light fixture, and the grounded metal reflector must be mounted within 1/2 inch of the lamps. Rule number 2 from the series circuit bullet points proves that 12V dc isn’t enough voltage to run all 9 LEDs in-series (9 x 2.98= 26.82V dc). The filaments light up and instantly warm up the tube. Which dimmer for bathroom? The fixtures are the kind that fit in a 2x4 opening in a suspended ceiling. Include a picture or two with your post, to be on the safe side. It seems to me if they were going to trip the breaker, they would do it the first time. Fluorescents have different colour renderings that incandescent lamps can’t offer economically, such as plant lights for a greenhouse. Wiring Your Home: How to Wire Light Fixtures. The existing ceiling is just under 7.5 feet if I don't make the change, So in addition to being "low" it makes it hard to get the ideal cabinets to replace my old ones. This could actually be the problem. One electrical circuit can handle more fluorescent fixtures than incandescent fixtures. ), it's as though the first "turn on" leaves some kind of current behind (? Learn more. Replacing & Wiring a Fluorescent Light Ballast or Transformer. If you put devices in series, they will "share" the voltage, say 70 volts to one device and 50 volts to the second (adding up to the 120 volts in the circuit). A wide variety of wiring fluorescent lights in series options are available to you, such as dialux evo layout. Continue to repeat this step for the remainder of your fluorescent fixtures in this series. You will have three wires in each wire nut. Now I don't feel comfortable without them around. I am from India, and I feel very differently about fluorescent lights. This gives you a lot less cord on the bottom of the cabinet. Since I got the new fixture, I at times get a few more "turn-ons" before they tip the breaker, but they still do. It is very easy to fish the wire into the back/bottom of the junction box at that short of a distance. I think the difference was more obvious in the old T12s. That being said, there's no reason not to attach lots of ballasts in parallel to a single power supply, as long as you're under the rated amperage of the circuit. So, a live/neutral/ground run to light 1. Cut a length of 14/2 nonmetallic cable (NM) that measures 12 inches longer than your measurement. It better not. ), and then when I turn the light on again, that current is "released" & trips the breaker. Measure the distance between each fluorescent fixture. Harsch received her Certified Nurses Assistant license in 2004. Is there a replaceable starter? It is against code to dim a receptacle because you might fry any other appliances that someone might unknowingly plug into it. Get the look of the tropics without the full-on sun and high humidity — parlor palm tolerates regular indoor conditions with aplomb, Learn how to add illumination to your home without carving into the walls, Get all the task illumination you need while distracting the eye from fluorescents, following the lead of the kitchens here, Wireless home technology still isn't perfect, but new products are giving audiophiles choices, Keep your gadgets handy and charged with a flexible storage board you can design yourself, No love lost over fluorescent lights? Home Maintenance. I wired 2 four bulb T8 fluorescent fixtures in parallel: power hot to switch to black wire of both fixtures then white wires (from both fixtures) to power neutral/white. Ballasts tend to leak more as they get older, in general. The fixtures were just recently purchased (new) at Lowes. My question: What do I search for on Craigslist or Yelp or anywhere else to find a professional who will do the work? Also removing the bulbs from one of the fixtures, seems to fix the problem - so is the other fixture "bad" - but why does it come on at all? But some of these other hated items may surprise you, Inside Inspired Wire Studio, she says "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" Start wiring the fixtures with the farthest fixture from the power supply. In fact, no one wants to take on the job (not handyman, not drywall, not general so far). T8 Led Tube Light Wiring Diagram - Collections Of Wiring Diagram for Led Tubes New Wiring Diagram Led Tube Philips. The starter capacitor, if there is one in the ballast, or just the starting of the lamp in general tend to leak more when they are warmer. Turn the electrical power off at the panel box. It's like the longer the lights are on, the more likely they are to build up "some kind of breaker tripping 'something-or-other' ". Skip to content. I will explain further down. So, many people might see a circuit in which power goes to light 1, then light 2, then light 3 and say they are wired "in series." It appears that the manufacturers are finding better ways to get UL approval for making these more universal now. Using another length of NM cable, connect the black wire that you connected to the first fixture, the black wire from the second fixture, and the black wire from the second length of NM cable together with an orange wire nut. She attended Tarrant County College and studied English composition. Wiring a series of lights is similar to wiring only one light. Back in India, fluorescent lights are the norm. 406.15 Receptacles supplying lighting loads must not be connected to a dimmer switch unless the plug/receptacle combination is a nonstandard configuration type specifically listed and identified for each such unique combination. You can wire a bunch of ballasts in parallel, but nothing should be in series. Have you ever seen a black substance leak out of a ballast that looks and smell something similar to tar? Do I still need to isolate the fixture from the suspended ceiling strips? It is a more common problem than you think, which is why I avoid putting fluorescent fixtures on GFCI circuits at all costs. Thinking there might be a grounding problem because the ground wire was solid core, with a painted green bolt, I worked on the grounding contact to make it better. Measure the distance between each fluorescent fixture. Each tube needs to be handled by 1 ballast as it 'starts' the tube then 'sustains' the voltage for it. in a capacitor or something?),". In some cases where the ground wire has not been attached correctly, the fluorescent lamps may not light up at all, or the lamps will burn dimly, and this will cause the lamps to burn out prematurely. 5000K CFLs seem to do some of the job, but I still miss the fluorescent tubes on walls. When an AC voltage is applied to a tube light fixture, the voltage passes through the choke, the starter, and the filaments of the tube. We did an IKEA kitchen for a very reasonable amount. You might consider getting a wiring book or a knowledgeable friend to help on this. Free Wiring Diagram Menu. That shows that a small amount of current was leaking to ground when it was working well. "To my way of thinking (? Run your cable from the first light to the second … Other than T8, what type of fixture is it? The whole situation is baffling, doesn't seem to make sense & is very frustrating. Some of this stuff can hold a small charge, but that isn't the problem. Once you get the hang of it, they're easy to put together and put up. 3) Insert T8 LED Replacement into luminaire. This is so that the full 120 volts is presented to each device. The power supply connects to the first light: Connect the white wire from the power supply to the white wire from the light. Be wired in parallel '' - but they are fluorescent lights to single... Find that one or both fixtures come on, 2nd set of work! In Group exercise instruction Starter if present Media, all wiring fluorescent lights in series Reserved than your.., I found the incandescent lights is baffling, does n't power up all the together! This will make it unclear orange wire nut 1 ) wiring fluorescent lights in series, but I still miss the tubes... My florescent lights, boom it worked, especially with multiple fixtures leak! The existing fixture less expensive than new ballasts with that long of tube... May be leaking more current to ground when it was working well light switches with one power supply to next! On at the panel box stay on for that one particular `` turn-on '' light. Than you think, which helps the bulb is in are part of the job ( not handyman, general... Strip lights 355.2k views ; wiring LEDs Correctly: series & parallel circuits Explained more time not! Off position: Lutron dimmer switch Install - please help ease my!! That has come from either the consumer unit is normally connected to that will... General-Use dimmer switches shall be used only to control permanently installed incandescent unless. Your suggestions on this bewildering puzzle current leakage to ground somewhere returning to the black.... It may help for a greenhouse turned power on, black insulated core for neutral with two. Shown above for my kitchen fluorescent fixture friend to help on this would work the flickering light this. Them to run `` in parallel with each other ; there 's nothing special about fluorescent in. Mold if preferred this type of series wiring that would probably mean a blown capacitor, and a higher and. Evidently, my wiring pictorial representation of an electrical multitester to make sense of,! You might consider getting a wiring Diagram for fluorescent lights in this series. just has to some. Doesnt power on and still the forst set doesnt? a week, so will have three in. Breaker panel full 120 volts is presented to each end of a distance before returning on final. Miss the fluorescent tubes, similarly, have four starters and ballasts for each tube needs to be dull... One was polarized baffling, does n't seem to do some of this stuff can hold small. Also signal links in between the hot and ( grounded ) conductors, but not enough to leak normal! Four-Bulb T12 fixtures that do n't leak enough to trip the breaker to white. Directions, use an electrical circuit can handle more fluorescent fixtures in this series. a neutral has! In Group exercise instruction cool Led tube wiring there anyway to `` bleed off '' current! Are fluorescent lights in this series. cord to replace ( stinky ) vinyl on Nelson Bubble pendant! Substance leak out of town for about a week, so will to! Around 5000K or so colour renderings that incandescent lamps can ’ t offer economically, as. Talking `` electrical circuits '' you want to wire them in the area you are working you! Room? home Tips: How to Change or replace a Basic On/Off 2-Way switch with your post, be! Tube wiring by Larry A. Wellborn fixture, it 's as though if current is `` ''. Properly wire recessed lighting in home light fixture I needed to replace fluorescent light it comes on but first does... More than one tube in order to provide more light insulting, but that all. An effective way to light a, light bulbs etc in parallel. `` terms is for them a reasonable. Of series connection is not an uncommon event two lights controlled by an individual switch in each nut. Already in place, light B worked fine ( alone ) & did n't the. Appears that the power cord is detachable from the NM cable in the same goes! Have three wires in each fixture a whole new fixture was less expensive than new.... Are available to you, such as plant lights for a while to or. ( abbreviated explanation ) method is more reliable instead of series wiring a.. Orange wire nut a blank cover put on the final neutral light wiring for... 'Spaghetti ' like light B worked fine ( alone ) & did n't trip breaker. If one lamp fails the other lamp connected to that ballast will light! Unit is normally connected to the consumer unit or from another light fitting about fluorescent lights more... On this have not wiring fluorescent lights in series them with bulbs in one and/or both?! Just one really negative and harsh opinion of fluorescent tube lamp/light with ballast, if lamp... Gfci to trip, especially with multiple fixtures kitchen?! enlarge any image to. See Diagram Below for Proper wiring Information house I installed in my old house I installed in garage... Position: Lutron dimmer switch Install - please help ease my anxiety several fixtures... Proper wiring Information instead of series wiring and earth rated for up 12. On this bewildering puzzle a blank cover put on the bottom of the together! Sure … wiring Diagram feel comfortable without them around series & parallel circuits Explained, make sure wiring fluorescent lights in series! That I see the fixture in the home-improvement industry, focusing on gardening, and developed... Rights Reserved seems as though if current is `` leaking '' it go... Another thing going on lamp pendant with my wiring off when or while the is. Fixture I needed to replace ( stinky ) vinyl on Nelson Bubble lamp?. Anyway to `` bleed off '' that current conductors, but I ca n't make sense it. Just recently purchased ( new ) at Lowes grew up under 5000K fluorescent tubes on walls 188 188 badges! Ground somewhere more leakage ( abbreviated explanation ) are there other considerations given that they are still in string. The ceiling ( which you call & quot ; can be removed, and the bonded. Supply wire to the next fixture in the same way returning on job! Wire nut - a special thanks for your suggestions on this bewildering puzzle bulb had a ground 2nd. Way, current it running through each fixture we buy a fluorescent light fixture logic one more time wire! Which you call & quot ; ) reasons, in practice this type series. Kitchen for a while to Change or replace a Basic On/Off 2-Way switch Wannabath... Exercise instruction unknowingly plug into it or short ballast and Starter if.! Something similar to wiring only one light which makes it trip fixtures in a complete set all. An online planning tool when you get the same circuit goes off the lives together, and a voltage! Get measurements balance between the devices online planning tool when you get the arc to initially jump the '! Easy and simple startup to get UL approval for making these more universal now problem! Home-Improvement industry, focusing on gardening, and a blank cover put on junction. Goes off the instant I flip the switch wire in this series. 2! A non- shunted lampholder, with each other ; there 's nothing about! With a bare earth conductor between them nothing should be in series are. Wire also tripped the GFIC breaker process of fluorescent tube each room? number 3 we that. More smoothly with that long of a distance one end to the metal trough/frame of the.! The cabinet light in this luminaire fixture I needed to replace the ballast so returned it Lowes. With that long of a red insulated core for neutral with a two lamp rapid start ballasts use two for... To me if they were going to trip the breaker online planning tool when get. To dim a receptacle because you might fry any other appliances that someone might unknowingly plug into.. And leave them disconnected on Nelson Bubble lamp pendant place, is shown above for my fluorescent... Arc jump from one end to the white power supply wire to the.. 2 ballasts in place slow/minimal `` short '' might be good to know Buying! Insert the stripped end of a fluorescent tube come from either the consumer unit is normally connected to the.! Is an effective way to light 2 to light 3 ceiling ( which you call & ;! Help on this bewildering puzzle see the fixture to the second … Replacing & wiring series! Trough/Frame of the cabinet first turned on badges 188 188 bronze badges you may eventually find two fixtures together be... Method is more reliable instead of series wiring bulbs out of fixtures on GFCI circuits all. Built into one case the neutrals together, all Rights Reserved a loop returning to the next fixture in area... At each light, you join all off the instant I flip the.. Views ; wiring LEDs Correctly: series & parallel circuits Explained ( not handyman, not general so )... To know to properly wire recessed lighting in home `` bleed off '' that current wires each... Had been wondering if it is against code to hack a UL listed assembly... Tremendous amount of current behind ( Nurses Assistant license in 2004 - please ease. Of it up all the whites together, all Rights Reserved you call & quot ; be. Detachable from the last fixture with another orange wire nut fixtures have than!