Wire High Bay LED for 220v

[Mopar_Mudder]

I have (8) Lithonia IBH 12L MV that have multi volt drivers in them. Right now I have them wired for 110 and all is fine. I am wondering about wiring them to 220 because they should draw less amps that way. Question is how do you bring 220 to them. Do you run 110 on the black and white and have no neutral like you do on 220 base board heating?

 

[Layvon]

Do yoy have something else on the same circuit that is drawing a lot where the amperage is the concern?

I don't know what model you have but you're talking 16 amps WORST case with the 30000 lumen package

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

 

[ddawg16]

240Vac will mean less amps....but, it won't be any cheaper....watts is watts.....

Personally, I'd leave them at 120Vac....less headaches if you want to make changes later

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

Do yoy have something else on the same circuit that is drawing a lot where the amperage is the concern?

I don't know what model you have but you're talking 16 amps WORST case with the 30000 lumen package

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

They are the 12,000 lumens. But I want to add some bigger ones. Less amps means I can run more on the same switch was my thought.

 

[cybrdyke]

Does code allow running lights on 240 in residential applications?
CD

 

[Norcal]

Does code allow running lights on 240 in residential applications?
CD

Nope, absolutely forbidden.

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

It is a detached garage not a dwelling. Either way no inspection to worry about.

 

[alfredeneuman]

If they are working as you say, fine, why would you want to change them?
It won't cost any less to run them, there is no benefit that I can see.

 

[shaggyant]

Nope, absolutely forbidden.

Not true. The code only says not in a dwelling. Read 210.6(A) and see. Residential does not equal dwelling.

The benefit is not having to run larger or new wire. If you were to simply re-mark the existing 12 gauge romex white wire to a hot you can double the amount of lights on the circuit with only a circuit breaker change.

 

[American Locomotive]

If it were my own install, and I was the only one doing work on it, I would just swap to a 240v breaker, and label the white wire as a hot in both the panel and up at the fixtures. For a little extra safety, I would probably swap the switch to a double pole unit.

For a customer I wouldn't do that, however.

 

[Norcal]

If it were my own install, and I was the only one doing work on it, I would just swap to a 240v breaker, and label the white wire as a hot in both the panel and up at the fixtures. For a little extra safety, I would probably swap the switch to a double pole unit.

For a customer I wouldn't do that, however.

And what happens when someone comes behind you? We are'nt going to live forever, if it was a small residential compound there is no way in hell I would do it but if a larger property might consider it , bad enough when I found 277V lighting in a mother in law unit.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I doubt the cost savings is much with the smaller wire seeing as how you have to buy a double pole breaker and double pole switches

 

[Mopar_Mudder]

This might all be for nothing after I thought a little further on this. I use Zwave switches and Smart Things to control them with my phone. Got to thinking I don't think I am going to find a Zwave double pole switch, plus the switches need the neutral wire to work.

 

[American Locomotive]

And what happens when someone comes behind you? We are'nt going to live forever, if it was a small residential compound there is no way in hell I would do it but if a larger property might consider it , bad enough when I found 277V lighting in a mother in law unit.

I said label it inside the box and up at the fixtures. If the guy behind me installs 120v lights, and ignores the label that says "240v" and the double pole switch, and the double-pole breaker inside the box, well that's his fault.

This might all be for nothing after I thought a little further on this. I use Zwave switches and Smart Things to control them with my phone. Got to thinking I don't think I am going to find a Zwave double pole switch, plus the switches need the neutral wire to work.

They make ZWave 240v switches.

 

[Bert_]

While it's not a bad idea to use 2 pole switches, there is no requirement to do so. You can turn off straight 240V loads by switching one line just like you would for a 120V circuit.
The downside to this method is that the whole circuit is still "HOT" even with the switch off. So if you are going to work on a light that would be something to remember.
It's really not a big issue though because you should really be turning off the breaker regardless of what type of switch you use and ballasts are required to each have their own disconnect anyhow.

As far as worrying about the guy down the road. Label the white wire black and be done with it. If the next guy can't figure out that 2 black wires means 240V then he probably doesn't have any business working on the electrical in the first place.

 

[cybrdyke]

While it's not a bad idea to use 2 pole switches, there is no requirement to do so. You can turn off straight 240V loads by switching one line just like you would for a 120V circuit.
The downside to this method is that the whole circuit is still "HOT" even with the switch off.

So, if the ballast or driver were a multi-volt 120 to 277, wired at 240, with a single pole switch on one line, and you turned the switch "off", would the light go off or would it stay on since it still has 120v?

 

[American Locomotive]

So, if the ballast or driver were a multi-volt 120 to 277, wired at 240, with a single pole switch on one line, and you turned the switch "off", would the light go off or would it stay on since it still has 120v?

It would turn off because the circuit would be broken.

 

[shaggyant]

I doubt the cost savings is much with the smaller wire seeing as how you have to buy a double pole breaker and double pole switches

If the wire is already run it's a sunk cost. Besides, the major cost savings is in labor. If you switch an in place circuit to 240v you can run twice as many lamps before you hit the amp limit of the switches and wiring.

 

[Dragfluid]

"bad enough when I found 277V lighting in a mother in law unit. "

And if you're not careful, 277v can find YOU.

 

[Markfothebeast]

LED lights are DC. Buy a chinese european designed 240v import. Easer than redisigning the power supply.

 

[Markfothebeast]

"bad enough when I found 277V lighting in a mother in law unit. "

And if you're not careful, 277v can find YOU.

Remember, it's the amperage that kills.

 

[Dragfluid]

Remember, it's the amperage that kills.

Absolutely!
But that extra 37V helps to "reach out" to you, correct?

 

[Bert_]

Absolutely!
But that extra 37V helps to "reach out" to you, correct?

Terms like "reach out" really don't mean anything in this sense.

Current is a function of voltage and resistance. so a higher voltage will likely be able to push more current though you.

The same could be said if you were standing barefoot on concrete. Now your resistance to ground would be less so again more current flow.

In the case of 277 vs 240 there is actually more difference than you think. Whenever someone says they got shocked by 240 the truth is they probably only touched one wire, which is only 120v to ground in a typical 120/240v system.
277 is a voltage that comes from a 480v wye system, so it is 277v to ground.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Most shocks occur between line and ground/neutral- so either 120 or 277.

Pretty rare for someone to have 2 ungrounded conductors in their hands at the same time.

Nevertheless, if a person is working on 480v delta, they will get nailed with max 480v- this is dependent on the type of delta. Ungrounded, the voltage to ground will vary. Corner grounded will be 480v.

 

[Markfothebeast]

Regardless of what wires are touched, the danger is in in high voltage carrying high amperage. The current (amperage) is driven by voltage. The higher voltage will drive an adequately sized current through body tissue. A current can stop your heart once it penetrates body tissue. I don't recall the numbers but it can be as low as police taser rated amp/volt (not stun gun). Although many survive lightning strikes

 

[Dragfluid]

Terms like "reach out" really don't mean anything in this sense.

Current is a function of voltage and resistance. so a higher voltage will likely be able to push more current though you.

The same could be said if you were standing barefoot on concrete. Now your resistance to ground would be less so again more current flow.

In the case of 277 vs 240 there is actually more difference than you think. Whenever someone says they got shocked by 240 the truth is they probably only touched one wire, which is only 120v to ground in a typical 120/240v system.
277 is a voltage that comes from a 480v wye system, so it is 277v to ground.

I'll try again. The higher voltage can jump a wider gap. So your hand just being close to the conductor can give you a shock, provided you're grounded, correct?

 

[Lelandwelds]

I'll try again. The higher voltage can jump a wider gap. So your hand just being close to the conductor can give you a shock, provided you're grounded, correct?

I know this is old but cant resist . . .

When we are talking spark gap, 277 is too tiny a voltage to jump without superimposing a high voltage/high frequency pilot arc or some heavy ionization.

10kv or 50kv will jump a nice gap under any atmospheric condition. Ionize the potential pathway a bit and you can lower the voltage some. If you look closely at a welding arc, you can see the ionized gas is a line of different color.