Wiring Help 277 volt industrial 400 watt mh

I have a lithonia hi tek 400w mh industrial fixture and need some help wiring it
to my 120 volt house plug.:thanks:
 
It should have a multi-tap ballast.

I have no clue of what that means lol but I will research it thank you so much!
merry christmas!:peace:
 
my fixture has three wires coming out of the ballast green, black and white. none are labeled
or printed on.
 
I have a lithonia hi tek 400w mh industrial fixture and need some help wiring it
to my 120 volt house plug.:thanks:

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well guys i wired black to black and white to white and capped off the green ones.
I plugged it in and i instantly heard a soft buzzing sound I am not 100% sure if this the right way or not. The bulb is old and dont know if it is good. so l@wes in the morning! It didnt light!
 
It looks like its wired for 115 volts, but the ballast says 270v (240). 240 volts uses two hot wires, and one ground (green). 115 volts uses one hot wire, a neutral wire (white), and a ground (green). The ground is always green, and the neutral is always white. Hot wires can be any number of other colors, just not green or white.

You would have to take the cover plate off of the junction box (box the cord goes into) on the ballast and look at the connections, and hope it's labeled in some way. If it is a multi-tap ballast it will have connections for 115v or 270 (240).

Please use extreme caution when it comes to electricity, please. It can be very dangerous so if you aren't sure, don't do it. I'm sure I don't have to stress that but I work with electricity daily and have much respect for it.

If you can take a pic with the cover off, of the wiring diagram that would help us help you.

If you heard humming chances are it might be wired 115v already, but then again I've never wired a ballast wrong so I'm not sure if it would hum under partial voltage. If it is 115v as well, you will need a 3 prong 115v cord so you can use the ground wire as well. 14 gauge to be safe (that's the thickness of the wires in the extension cord).

Hope this will help you get started on your grow! :peace:
 
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It looks like its wired for 115 volts, but the ballast says 270v (240). 240 volts uses two hot wires, and one ground (green). 115 volts uses one hot wire, a neutral wire (white), and a ground (green). The ground is always green, and the neutral is always white. Hot wires can be any number of other colors, just not green or white.

You would have to take the cover plate off of the junction box (box the cord goes into) on the ballast and look at the connections, and hope it's labeled in some way. If it is a multi-tap ballast it will have connections for 115v or 270 (240).

Please use extreme caution when it comes to electricity, please. It can be very dangerous so if you aren't sure, don't do it. I'm sure I don't have to stress that but I work with electricity daily and have much respect for it.

If you can take a pic with the cover off, of the wiring diagram that would help us help you.

If you heard humming chances are it might be wired 115v already, but then again I've never wired a ballast wrong so I'm not sure if it would hum under partial voltage. If it is 115v as well, you will need a 3 prong 115v cord so you can use the ground wire as well. 14 gauge to be safe (that's the thickness of the wires in the extension cord).

Hope this will help you get started on your grow! :peace:

I will def get the pics bro thank you so so much. I lost my job and did not get my hps so this would be so cool to get this working. I also have deep respect for it, 480 hurts. more like fear due to ignorance!
:thanks:
 
Here is a pic of my ballast guts.
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Hallooo! Any bodys there!
 
From the looks of it,,, YOU'RE SCREWED! Sorry, but that ballast has soldered terminals. It does not appear to be multi-tap. I could be wrong but this is over 25 yrs. of electrician talking here.:peace:
 
thanks for the info guys:peace:
 
Must agree with Dank. And for you others out there, 277 is 277, single phase (like 120 single phase) 2 or 3 phase of 277 is 480 (120 = 208.... 240 derives from a transformer tap at the utilities' transformer that isn't usually available at a residence...
 
Must agree with Dank. And for you others out there, 277 is 277, single phase (like 120 single phase) 2 or 3 phase of 277 is 480 (120 = 208.... 240 derives from a transformer tap at the utilities' transformer that isn't usually available at a residence...

Plus rep for that info! :thumb: I learn something new everyday.
 
dank is right, there is always good deals on craigslist, you just have to constantly be monitor the for sale section (Most of the time they are listed in lawn and garden or "general") ive found some really good deals on ebay too but craigslist would probably be the fastest and cheapest way to go. I also think they sell "outdoor security lights" at lowes and homedepot, im sure you could figure out how to make a good light fixture out of one of those. best of luck to you and make sure you ask questions like you did here so you dont hurt yourself or fuck the house up!
 
Any industrial equipment might not always follow normal ways of doing things. Here is the rule that can save your life: Neutral is always white, but white isn't always neutral. People have died making the mistake of thinking white is always neutral. Always wear safety glasses when fooling around with electricity, a spark in reality is a small explosion. A big enough spark can throw molten metal into your eyes.
 
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