ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

>> Home   >> Electrical-Photos   >> Classifieds   >> Subscribe to Newsletter   >> Store  
 

Photos of the Week:

Meter vs Bricklayer
Meter vs Bricklayer

Advertisement:-Left
Recent Gallery Topics:
What in Tarnation?
What in Tarnation?
by timmp, September 10
Plumber meets Electrician
Plumber meets Electrician
by timmp, September 10
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 274 guests, and 27 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
A
aldav53 Offline OP
Member
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"
Horizontal Ad
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 939
F
Member
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
Posts: 2,876
E
e57 Offline
Member
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
Posts: 873
Likes: 4
R
Member
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
A
aldav53 Offline OP
Member
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"
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
A
aldav53 Offline OP
Member
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"
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
A
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"
Horizontal Ad
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 545
A
aldav53 Offline OP
Member
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
Posts: 272
L
Member
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
S
Member
(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?

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Advertisement:-Right


Tools for Electricians
Tools for Electricians
 

* * * * * * *
2023 National Electrical Code (NEC)
2023 NEC + Exam Prep Study Guides Now Available!
 

Member Spotlight
Alan Belson
Alan Belson
Mayenne N. France
Posts: 1,803
Joined: March 2005
Top Posters(30 Days)
Popular Topics(Views)
352,283 Are you busy
276,058 Re: Forum
255,598 Need opinion
New Page 2
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5