How do you wire a fluorescent light in parallel?

Run a length of two-conductor wire from the existing fluorescent fixture to the new fixture. Loosen the screw on the side of the cable clamps on both fixtures. Feed the ends of the wire through the cable clamps and tighten the screws until the wire is secure.

Which wire is hot on a ballast?

black
Generally, the hot wire on the ballast is black, and the neutral is white. The other colors are the wires that connect the ballast to the fluorescent tube holders and to each other.

What type of circuit is used for fluorescent lamp wiring?

The semi-resonant start circuit was invented by Thorn Lighting for use with T12 fluorescent tubes. This method uses a double wound transformer and a capacitor.

Does a fluorescent light need a capacitor?

Fluorescent lamps form an inductive load on the AC mains supply. As a result large installations of such lamps suffer a poor power factor and resultant voltage drop. Adding a capacitor to each lamp corrects the power factor bringing it back close to unity (1.0).

How do you wire a fluorescent light without a ballast?

How to Bypass A Ballast

1. Step 1: Disconnect All Power So There is No Electrical Current.
2. Step 2: Find the Ballast.
3. Step 3: Locate and Cut Only the Hot and Neutral Wires.
4. Step 4: Cut the Socket Lead Wires.
5. Step 5: Remove the Ballast (if you wish)
6. Step 6: Connect the Wires.
7. Step 7: Reattach Any Coverings and Turn On.

How many fluorescent lights can you put on one circuit?

It’s possible to supply 48 lights with 40 watt light bulbs and still have a 20% safety margin with a 20 Amp breaker. When you only want to put 4 lights on a breaker, it’s unnecessary to have a breaker that is high.

What are the yellow wires on a ballast?

The other individual red wires connect from the ballast to push-in connectors on each side of the left holder of lamp 2. The common yellow wires connect from the ballast to push-in connectors on one of the right holders of lamp 1 or 2. Two yellow wires connect the common lampholders together.

Can you wire a ballast wrong?

Replacement ballast should always match in voltage, wattage and brand. Wrong ballast types can cause fires or shorts.

What is the working principle of fluorescent lamp?

Principles of operation A fluorescent lamp generates light from collisions in a hot gas (‘plasma’) of free accelerated electrons with atoms– typically mercury – in which electrons are bumped up to higher energy levels and then fall back while emitting at two UV emission lines (254 nm and 185 nm).

Can a fluorescent light work without a capacitor?

It is possible to omit the capacitor on the individual lamps and to centralise them in the switch room and automatically switch in as many as required to keep the power factor within acceptable limits. Fluorescent lamps, like spark gaps, have negative resistance.

How do fluorescent lamps work in a circuit?

The classic fluorescent lamp design, which has fallen mostly by the wayside, used a special starter switch mechanism to light up the tube. You can see how this system works in the diagram below. When the lamp first turns on, the path of least resistance is through the bypass circuit , and across the starter switch. In this circuit, the current passes through the electrodes on both ends of the tube.

Do I have to ground a fluorescent light fixture?

No, a ground is not needed. Heck, in some cases a fixture is not even needed. Back when LORAN was still used for navigation all you had to do was hold a fluorescent bulb in the air near the tower and it would light. As for the ground and it’s usefulness the neutral and ground wires tied together in the breaker box.

What is inside a fluorescent lamp?

A fluorescent lamp basically consists of a long glass gas discharge tube. Its inner surface is coated with phosphorous and is filled with an inert gas, generally argon, with a trace of mercury.

Where are fluorescent light fixtures used?

Fluorescent tube and circline lamps — typically used for task lighting such as garages and under cabinet fixtures, and for lighting large areas in commercial buildings. CFLs combine the energy efficiency of fluorescent lighting with the convenience and popularity of incandescent fixtures.