How to series wire yr lights

duggy

Member

• Jul 30, 2006

• #1

Hi.

I want to wire up these three CFL ballasts in a box. I guess parellel wiring is the way to go. I pulled up this page from wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and_parallel_circuits
If should be no problem, right?



thanks y'all!
duggy

 

Last edited: Jul 30, 2006

duggy

Member

• Jul 30, 2006

• #2

Wait a minute! I mean parallel--not series. I wanna wire up parallel, don't I? I fixed edited the thread title, but i don't know if it'll take in the listing.

sorry. just properly read the link up top.

duggy

 

Last edited: Jul 30, 2006

The Dopest

[THC] True Hippie Coonass

Veteran

• Jul 30, 2006

• #3

yeah i think parallel is the way to go. make sure to polarize each connection. the lamp cord should have one wire serrated, striped or marked in some way. be sure to combine all commons and hots separately then add your plug.

gl peace

 

duggy

Member

• Jul 30, 2006

• #4

right o! there's printing on one wire. that's the only difference i can see on the actual wire. otherwise, i'll follow the cord up from the ballast and make sure that all right sides are attached to the same side, etc.

okay. i'm gonna do it.

duggy

 

duggy

Member

• Jul 30, 2006

• #5

okay, here are the three ballasts mounted on a board.



I'm gonna wire em up parellel style so that i only need to plug this box in once. . .

duggy

 

duggy

Member

• Jul 30, 2006

• #6

it worked!




one power cord out supplies three CFLs.

duggy

 

The Dopest

[THC] True Hippie Coonass

Veteran

• Jul 30, 2006

• #7

all professional lookin too! nice job Duggy.

 

G

Guest

• Jul 31, 2006

• #8

Nice job man,the reason you want your loads in parallel not series is because in a series circuit if one light goes out they all wont work,in a parallel circuit the other lights will work if one fails

 

SuperSnail

New member

• Aug 7, 2006

• #9

SKELETOR said:

Nice job man,the reason you want your loads in parallel not series is because in a series circuit if one light goes out they all wont work,in a parallel circuit the other lights will work if one fails

Click to expand...

True, but I don't beleive a series circuit would even work witl CFLs or HIDs. Not because it's an all or nothing deal, but because each lamps balast (in this case) would potentially only get about 1/3 of the voltage it requires.

 

G

Guest

• Aug 8, 2006

• #10

Thats right and a good point bro,a good way to considre it is in a parallel circuit you drop of amperage on the loads whereas in a series circuit you drop off voltage on each load.In a series circuit say 120V with 12 loads,you will drop 10V on each load.The last load would only read 10V,the second to last 20V etc. etc.DEIT I remember this one lol," In a parallel circuit the total amperage equals the sum of the amp[erage of each individual load,in a series circuit the total voltage equals the sum of the voltage of each load" or some such nonsense lol

 

Last edited: Aug 8, 2006

G

Guest

• Sep 16, 2006

• #11

Lookin Good Duggy! CK : )