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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
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aldav53 Offline OP
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Installed a new 208 volt photo cell for some parking lot post lights. Tied 120v line to black, and load to red, and white to neutral, and the other 120 volt phase side goes to the other side of the lights. But it is not working. This comes from a 3 phase 120/208 volt panel. So it switches one side of the 2 - 120's. (opposite phases of course). Should be simple. The lights work when I bypass the photo cell. Am I forgetting something? Is there a different photo cell for panels with a wild leg? (208 to neutral).


The Golden Rule - "The man with the gold makes the rule"
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 939
F
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Aldav53 :

are you sure this is a wye connection system or delta system ??

because the standard 120 volt photocell will not work with wild leg unless you got multivoltage photocell.

and how many lumiaiares you are controling this photocell ?
is there a contractor or mag switch ??

once i get this info we can work it out in correct way

Merci , Marc


Pas de problme,il marche n'est-ce pas?"(No problem, it works doesn't it?)

Joined: May 2003
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e57 Offline
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Originally Posted by aldav53
Installed a new 208 volt photo cell for some parking lot post lights. Tied 120v line to black, and load to red, and white to neutral, and the other 120 volt phase side goes to the other side of the lights. But it is not working. This comes from a 3 phase 120/208 volt panel. So it switches one side of the 2 - 120's. (opposite phases of course). Should be simple. The lights work when I bypass the photo cell. Am I forgetting something? Is there a different photo cell for panels with a wild leg? (208 to neutral).

Sounds like you have let the smoke out of it.... And it sounds like you have a 240 delta panel? What voltage are these lights?

Normally I take a 120 photo cell and operate a 120 coil contactor from it. The photo cell also has a max amperage that you may have exceeded. But it sounds as though your photo cell got 240 though the load from the other leg.

Sorry 'bout all the colors - just messing with the new tool box up there...


Mark Heller
"Well - I oughta....." -Jackie Gleason
Joined: Dec 2005
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Exactly what i wanted to say too e57.
Let the photocell control a contactor which can control the lights over 2 or 3 phases.

Also the current rating of these photocells is not that high, (10 Amps) An excessive load, which may cause the contacts to fuse together when overloaded. bear in mind the inrush currents of ballast lamps, SON is quite often a lot higher than the running current when warm.

Check with the info on the lightcell box, packaging, what the current rating is and which wire is incoming phase, load, and neutral.


The product of rotation, excitation and flux produces electricty.
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
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aldav53 Offline OP
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No contactors or switches. Its for 208/240/277v photo cell. Not multi tap. Controlling 4 - 400 watt MH parking lot lights. Drawing 6 amps. All 3 phases 120v to ground, no wild leg. Just have the photo cell in line with one of the phases, Black in, red out, white to neutral.


The Golden Rule - "The man with the gold makes the rule"
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aldav53 Offline OP
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Haven't checked the transformer, but what would be the difference if it was a delta or wye?


The Golden Rule - "The man with the gold makes the rule"
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Posts: 545
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aldav53 Offline OP
Member
Do I hook the other side of the phase (120v) to the neutral on the photo cell? That would put 208v on the photo eye element.


The Golden Rule - "The man with the gold makes the rule"
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
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aldav53 Offline OP
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This is a intermatic k4223c model photo cell.
208-277v 15a.


The Golden Rule - "The man with the gold makes the rule"
Joined: Jul 2006
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If it's 6 amps per light, e57 & RODALCO would be right. The photocell is only made to carry the control current. Not the actuall load current that you are trying to control.


Luke Clarke
Electrical Planner for TVA.

Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 821
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(4) 400 watt lamps operating at 208 volts is less than 8 amps.

But (4) 400 watt lamps operating at 120 volts is over 13.

Is your source 120 or 208?

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