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Re: [APD] Help me prevent a fatal accident or injury



When working with my high voltage fluorescent fixtures, I'm using
something called TFN wire ... it has a waxy inner insulation covered
by a tough clear plastic outer jacket.

It is rated at 600V, and says Gasoline and Oil Resistant (which is
good I guess?)

All dielectric (insulators) have a breakdown period measured in volts
over time (as I recall), so the high voltage used by the ballast may
be brief to the point where the voltage is unable to breach the
insulation given the short length of the pulse.

I would hazard a guess that with each start of the bulb, the HV pulse
will seek out a weak spot in the insulation, and then tunnel (burn) it
a little each time, untill it finally makes it through.  This could
take a month, a year, a decade, I don't know enough about it to say
for sure.  In other words, it could keep working for a long time, or
it could short out tomorrow.

Gordon


On 2/26/06, Jerry Baker <jerry at bakerweb_biz> wrote:
> Gordon McLellan wrote:
> > I second Scott's caution and further extend it.
> >
> > The voltage between bulb and ballast may exceed the insulation of a
> > standard extension cord as well.   Although those extension cords may
> > be rated at 1650+ watts, the breakdown voltage of the insulation may
> > only be 300v ... so any voltage exceeding that number is likely to
> > tunnel through, regardless of the currents involved.
>
> I worried about that. The wire itself is the same guage, but the
> insulation on the ballast and on the light seems to be some sort of wxy
> feeling cloth. Since I could not find out how many volts are output from
> the ballast, I couldn't get appropriate wire. The ballast recommends a
> 4kV-rated bulb socket, but any wire I found rated for 4kV was thick as
> my thumb.
>
> --
> Jerry Baker
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> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
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>

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