sirdarksol

I have some questions regarding wiring a fluorescent ballast.
I have found what appears to be good information, but I want to verify the information if I can.

I will be wiring the light to a 3-prong plug with a simple switch built into the canopy side.

1)I plan on attaching the wire from the ground prong to one of the screws holding the ballast to the canopy. It is my understanding that this will properly ground the ballast (normally, the ballast is grounded by a fixture's ground plate, which attaches, I presume to a ground wire in the fixture. As I will have neither in my DIY setup, I needed to find another way to ground it. The 3-prong plug seems to be the only way to do so).

2)The ballast I have is 120v and will be drawing on 80 watts total (2 40w lamps). When looking for the plug/cable, is there anything in particular I need to look for? I know that I need one capable of handling 80 watts. When considering wire gauge, as far as I understand it, as long as the gauge is equal to or larger than that used by the ballast (which sets the amount of energy that can be drawn, if I understand it properly), I should be okay.

3)I plan to attach said ballast directly to a wooden frame. Is this going to present heat problems? (I may have asked this question before, but I'm trying to be thorough.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

clinton1621

I'm pretty sure #1 and #2 are good... I'm not sure if amp rating also applies with the wattage rating as far as wiring, but usually the same guage wire as the ballast is also the correct amperage as well, you may want to doublecheck. I think you may have a heat issue with using wood, I would use either heat resistant plastic or metal. You dont want your lights to turn into a bonfire lol.

sirdarksol

Thanks for the answers.
My biggest concern with wiring is that the power cord is a larger gauge than the ballast wires. However, my understanding of electrical stuff is that the "load" (in this case, the ballast and lights) dictate the amount of electricity drawn. Therefore, if I'm understanding this right, as long as none of the wires are a smaller gauge than those built into the ballast, I'm good.

I have also since been doing my own research regarding the heat thing, and it seems that I should be okay. All of the DIY lighted canopy plans I've found have said to mount the ballast to the wood. One went so far as to say not to mount the ballast to the canopy if it's made out of metal, as this may feed into the tank if the ballast short-circuits.
I am thinking of either mounting the ballast to a thin piece of sheet metal (to wick the heat away from a single spot, much the same way that strips of silver are used as heat sinks in computers) or, conversely, a strip of heat-resistant cloth.

clinton1621

Thats what I meant by using the metal, I didnt explain it very well lol. You would only need a small piece of metal, like you said, between the ballast and the wood to act like a heat shield =)

And yes you are correct about the wiring gauge, you should never go smaller or you will overload the wires. Going bigger just gives a weaker current through the wire as it has to travel through more area, but I think that would be a bigger issue with wiring a house and not with a short cord to a light.

sirdarksol

I knew that having smaller gauge than the load has the potential to create a huge problem (thankfully, my dad pointed that one out before it started a fire in my house. There were two stretches of wiring in my house that went from ten to fourteen to ten gauge, or something like that. We replaced one, and I just put as little drain as I can on the other, since we can't actually reach the spot without removing significant portions of walls).

The more I read about it, the more it seems that having a larger gauge power cord than necessary will be okay. It lowers efficiency a bit (for the reason you stated), but it shouldn't present a safety issue. The alternative was to get a proper-sized power cord that didn't have a ground, which would be a huge safety issue, what with having an electronic ballast mounted a couple of feet over 90g of water.

Thanks again.

clinton1621

No Problem
Sounds like you've got it all figured out, what are you using the new lighting for? Plants?

Tavel

larger wires increase efficiency by reducing resistance. Yes less current flows, but that's because less current is lost to resistance. Thin wires are less efficient, not the other way around.

I would go higher again because you don't know how much power the ballast is drawing. the OUTPUT is 80w, the input is definitely higher because some power is lost in the conversion. definitely check out your units label if you calculated it for only 80W.

Make sure you put the switch on the hot wire, not the ground. Putting it on the ground is a big fat fire hazard.

Ground fault wires (the third prong) are usually connected to the chassis of the device, so you're fine. they aren't actually needed except in cases of extreme wiring fault within the device...like if it short circuits for some reason. (that some reason might have something to do with water...lol)

sirdarksol

One further question that I'm hoping someone here can answer:
I've pulled apart the old light, and am planning on adding that to the canopy (its own ballast, plug, and switch, but built into the hood, rather than its original plastic frame). Unfortunately, I messed up and didn't pay attention to which wire was attached to which end of the system. The green one in the center is obviously the ground, but the other two wires are solid black.
I can trace each wire from the plug (I know which one originates from the left tine and which one originates from the right). Is there an American standard of which side of the outlet is the "hot" side?

Tavel

general rule, if they're the same color it doesn't matter. The bulb will work in either direction, so it doesn't matter which way the current flows. I don't think you need to worry about conventions unless you plan on having electricians over for tea.

sirdarksol

It wasn't the bulb I was worried about, but the switch, which is supposed to be on the neutral end.

I also found out that there is an American standard, and the electrical socket should he hot on the right and neutral on the left. The plug has a ground, and the cord is one of the flat ones, so I can easily trace it, so I've got things figured out.
Of course, I also figured out that I couldn't do what I wanted to with the extra light, so it's a moot point.

Tavel

you were putting the switch inside the ballast circuit? That's pretty unsafe, the voltage ballasts push is more than enough to arc through air.

Definitely always put switches in before the load, the hot wire. If you put them on the ground the appliance will always have the potential to short to ground because it has a hot lead. Imagine a toaster that appears to be off, but actually has a hot lead and no ground. It'll short to ground (through you!) as soon as you stick a fork in it to get that jammed toast out. Certainly not safe for toasters, or anything else for the same reasons.

sirdarksol

Sorry, I stated that wrong. Yes. I put the switch on the hot end.

And, for the record, anyone who puts a fork in a plugged-in toaster deserves the lesson they get.

Christian Patti

16 gauge wire would be fine. its what i used when i made my tank and canopy..

also mount the fixture right to the wood... barely creates any heat in my tank

airborne_r6

I am an electrician, what people have said is right. Summarized:

The right or smaller side of the outlet is the hot. Put the switch in the hot line. 16 gauge or larger wire for the cord. Ground wire to one of the screws holding the ballast to the canopy is great.

sirdarksol

Thank you for the reassurance.

04_si

lots of electricians around, im one too.

just take your time when you do it SDS, itll go fine. theres tons of reading on the internet for how to wire a switch to a light, and its really simple to do. you can always PM me or email me (i think you can see my email in my profile?) and i can probably give you an answer if you're unclear on something. just follow what airborne_r6 said and itll be a walk in the park for you.

last thing - make sure the power is turned off

sirdarksol

It's actually done and has been running for about a week.

04_si

oh! well then!

good to hear! any pics of said tank?

Tavel

well...electrical engineering student. I mostly work with computers, but I still know where the wires go

04_si

oh you _________ engineers cause me so much headache! hahaha :;kmg

Tavel

comply to specification...or else!

04_si

hahahahahaha

bring it on! theres more electricians than engineers!

Tavel

we all built cybernetic armor suits, you really wanna scuffle? hahaha

alright, enough thread jacking.

sirdarksol

Don't worry about it. The thread has served its purpose. Hijack away. If you turn your fancy suit on me, though, you'll find yourself hit by a wicked EMP.