400watt HPS light

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sull3ygt

Member
hey all members... i recently acquired a 400watt HPS fitting (all i needed was the bulb) however the cable is cut. it has one black and one red cable, now from general experience i've connected lights and plugs before but i would like to know if i can connect a regular 3 pin (South Africa) to this wire and plug it directly into a wall socket?

any help would be greatly appreciated...

thanks!
ps. if pics are required i will upload them asap.
 
bass1014

bass1014

Well-Known Member
what are the colors of the wires from the existing socket and what are the colors on the 3 pin plug .. most are black white and bare copper for the ground. black is hot ,white is neutral...
 
S

sull3ygt

Member
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okay so it's a 400w hps. that's the fitting with ballast and everything in it looks in order, no burnt wires or dirt marks. the red and black wires are the lights wire. the brown and blue wire is the extension i would like to connect to the red and black (lights' wire) because i would need to connect it higher up (between 1.5m - 2m) the plug has markings, Live and Neutral and Earth. so basically, which wires go where and if i connect these wires directly to the wall socket, provided i have connected and insulated correctly, i shouldn't blow myself up, right?
 
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Well-Known Member
First you need to read the specs of the ballast to confirm if they align with your power source.
I'm guessing that South Africa is 220VAC like the UK, so insure the unit will accept 220VAC
There is a member named "SnapProvolone" who is a master electrician that is really good at helping with electrical questions, maybe shoot him a PM
Dr. Jekyll

You won't blow yourself up, but you may fry the ballast unit.
Just don't stand in a pool of water when plugging it in
Mr. Hyde
 
Nitro1990

Nitro1990

Active Member
yeah its 240v
RED-BROWN
BLACK-BLUE
BARE COPPER-GREEN

i would open the ballast box an replace that old black/red with proper 3core with earth brown/blue/green/yellow

DO NOT OPERATE THIS DEVICE WITH OUT AN EARTH!!!!
 
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bseeds

Well-Known Member
rewire the light with longer wire 3 or 4 wires 3 would be min 4 would be better if in your light you have a place for it to be hook up what i see is the pic both wires you have need to be hot be different poles to get your 240 vac and a ground that is why i say min of 3 wires if you open the ballast box you can see how they wired it 2 hots and a ground and possably a neutal thats why you might need a 4th wiire if not you can use a reg piece of electric wire that is used in your house for wiring recptices and lights that is in the walls of your home 12/2 or 12/3 wire if you only need 3 wires in your ballast you can use the 12/2 wire use the black and white for the hots and the bare for the ground if you have a place in the ballast for the neatral and ground use the 12/3 wire .black and red as hot white as neatral and bare as ground you will problay need to hook it up in your panal box unless you have a 220 line were you need your light a standerd plug is 110 not 220 rember that most stoves,dryers and hot water tanks are 220 if you need help looking at how they are wired or look up on computer how to basic wiring is done in your home good luck and be carefull rember to shut off power and double chech to make sure that it is off becase electric kills if the conditions are correct
 
Nitro1990

Nitro1990

Active Member
bseeds said:
rewire the light with longer wire 3 or 4 wires 3 would be min 4 would be better if in your light you have a place for it to be hook up what i see is the pic both wires you have need to be hot be different poles to get your 240 vac and a ground that is why i say min of 3 wires if you open the ballast box you can see how they wired it 2 hots and a ground and possably a neutal thats why you might need a 4th wiire if not you can use a reg piece of electric wire that is used in your house for wiring recptices and lights that is in the walls of your home 12/2 or 12/3 wire if you only need 3 wires in your ballast you can use the 12/2 wire use the black and white for the hots and the bare for the ground if you have a place in the ballast for the neatral and ground use the 12/3 wire .black and red as hot white as neatral and bare as ground you will problay need to hook it up in your panal box unless you have a 220 line were you need your light a standerd plug is 110 not 220 rember that most stoves,dryers and hot water tanks are 220 if you need help looking at how they are wired or look up on computer how to basic wiring is done in your home good luck and be carefull rember to shut off power and double chech to make sure that it is off becase electric kills if the conditions are correct
Click to expand...

this isnt an american voltage or set up mate
its a uk wire set up
 
B

bseeds

Well-Known Member
thats how its done in the usa maybe in your place of regon iits different. we have 220 and 110 in are homes like i said look it up and be carefull
 
B

bseeds

Well-Known Member
what is your voltage coming in your home and what is average tv or radio run on so i can help you
 
Nitro1990

Nitro1990

Active Member
bseeds said:
thats how its done in the usa maybe in your place of regon iits different. we have 220 and 110 in are homes like i said look it up and be carefull
Click to expand...
yeah i know america is 220v and 110v this is 240v British set up so no white its brown/red Live Blue/black Neutral Green/yellow Earth
 
Nitro1990

Nitro1990

Active Member
yup we brits run on 240v we have to use a transformer to use 110V but 99.% of stuff in Britian uses 240

an most the products we buy are earthed as standard unless its double insulted then the item contains no eath
 
B

bseeds

Well-Known Member
ok thanks. i just finish watching a video on uk electric wireing up a plug so he should not have a problem wiring up the light looks pretty easy
 
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