Author Topic: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage  (Read 5894 times)
WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « on: April 04, 2022, 11:06:04 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
What do you think might cause the lights in the following video to flicker this way?:

https://youtu.be/mb5TKkb6n4w
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #1 on: April 04, 2022, 11:09:30 PM » Author: wide-lite 1000
I've seen this at work . 277v fixtures on a main supply that lost one leg from the 3 phase input .
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #2 on: April 05, 2022, 12:26:12 AM » Author: High Intensity
I actually saw something similar recently outside a Jiffy lube, all the exterior LEDs (and some HPS fixtures too) were flashing like mad in a random pattern. I've also seen it other times in the past few years, and some have said it's caused by an open natural, which seems possible.
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #3 on: April 05, 2022, 12:27:25 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I have seen some high pressure sodium street lanterns flashing in short intervals without hot restriking for some odd reason before.
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #4 on: April 05, 2022, 01:47:01 AM » Author: dor123
Looks like a brownout.
@WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA: How do you know these are instant start and not programmed start ballasts and that these are F32T8 and 277V? Judging by the flashing, I think these are programmed start ballasts during brownout. Only programmed start ballasts can flash like this during brownout.
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I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.

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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #5 on: April 05, 2022, 04:40:16 PM » Author: wide-lite 1000
 @ dor123 : That's what I was attempting to say . During our brown out at work , I went out and examined our electric meter on the building and one of the 3 phases showed as being out .
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #6 on: April 06, 2022, 12:19:13 AM » Author: xmaslightguy
Quote
Only programmed start ballasts can flash like this during brownout.

Incorrect!
Instant-start will indeed flash just like this in a brownout. I've seen it happen in person.


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I also once took a couple IS ballasts out to the backyard & did a "test"  & made them do it.. the ones I (ab)used were 120-277v Sylvania I believe ... were stable down to around 90v, and once you got below 80v it was crazy blinky/flashy.
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #7 on: April 06, 2022, 12:34:43 AM » Author: wide-lite 1000
I don't know what form of electronic ballasts are in the lights at work but they sure die the "crazy blinky/flashy" you describe . The magnetic ballasted lights just went out .
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #8 on: April 06, 2022, 02:13:15 AM » Author: dor123
You can see here what happened to my 21W T5 rapid-start electronic ballast in my room, which can't work on a wide range of mains voltage.
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I"m don't speak English well, and rely on online translating to write in this site.
Please forgive me if my choice of my words looks like offensive, while that isn't my intention.

I only working with the international date format (dd.mm.yyyy).

I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.

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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #9 on: April 07, 2022, 12:52:58 AM » Author: xmaslightguy
If I had something like that happen when I was at home I'd be going around & killing power to my electronics, & appliances too.
Messed up voltage like that could easily end up frying stuff.
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #10 on: April 24, 2022, 03:02:46 PM » Author: desktoptrashcan
This happened at my high school once. One of the three phases dropped due to a storm in the area, and some outlets had as low as 74V, while others had the full 120V. Some lights were out entirely, others flickered, and yet more were on at full power. 3 phase (especially WYE) is weird.  @-@
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #11 on: April 24, 2022, 04:26:06 PM » Author: joseph_125
Even on a standard 120/240v split phase system, if the incoming neutral isn't making good contact or worse, disconnected you could experience the same varying voltages.

If you think a wye 3 phase system is weird, the centre tapped delta/high leg delta systems are even stranger. You can get 120v/208v/240v depending on how you connect to the system.
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #12 on: April 24, 2022, 05:25:22 PM » Author: desktoptrashcan
High leg delta… Every 3rd breaker slot empty, watch out! You have a high leg!  :laugh:
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dor123
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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #13 on: December 18, 2022, 10:12:13 AM » Author: dor123
Update: I understood how non programmed start ballast in the US and Canada, can flash like EOLEDs during brownout, despite CFL and cheap electronic ballasts don't does this in Israel, and instead simply dimming to partial discharge or turning off:
As the mains voltage in North America is 120V, it is enough that the voltage would drop to 95-105V for 120V CFLs, and non programmed start ballasts to flash at full output. This voltage range is too narrow to dim the lamps.
At 220-240V countries, the range of lowering the mains voltage during a brownout is very wide, and the CFLs and cheap electronic ballasts dimming as the mains voltage lowering, until the voltage reaches 95-105V and the lamps extinguish to partial discharge or shut off.
This is the conclusion I reached.
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I"m don't speak English well, and rely on online translating to write in this site.
Please forgive me if my choice of my words looks like offensive, while that isn't my intention.

I only working with the international date format (dd.mm.yyyy).

I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.

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Re: F32T8 instant start troffers flickering during power outage « Reply #14 on: December 18, 2022, 01:51:34 PM » Author: desktoptrashcan
Something similar to this happened at my old high school a few years back. They lost a phase on the incoming supply.
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