Full Version: Grounding of Ballast
The LL schematic shows grounded ballast. I received mine with no ground wire. Does it need to be grounded? If it does, how do I do it without the ground wire? Can someone help?
Ground it to the outside of the case using one of the mount holes. Run it to the ground prong on the outlet .
I was wondering about this also, I'm using a Cap and Coil style ballast. I was looking for somewhere to ground the transformer. I used a continuity tester and found that casing of the transformer doesn't even show continuity so what point would there be in grounding it?
QUOTE (ScottEK @ Feb 2 2006, 09:11 AM) 
I was wondering about this also, I'm using a Cap and Coil style ballast. I was looking for somewhere to ground the transformer. I used a continuity tester and found that casing of the transformer doesn't even show continuity so what point would there be in grounding it?
well, just to make myself feel better I hooked the ground wire from the outlet to the bbracket holding the ballast, but I don't think its a really big deal as long as everything in the pj is fastened down so it doesn't touch the ballast
QUOTE (ScottEK @ Feb 2 2006, 10:11 AM)
I was wondering about this also, I'm using a Cap and Coil style ballast. I was looking for somewhere to ground the transformer. I used a continuity tester and found that casing of the transformer doesn't even show continuity so what point would there be in grounding it?
It shouldn't show continuity with anything else. The point of grounding any electrical item is to provide a path for electricity to flow other than your body or some other unsuspecting innocent object 
should some "hot" wire escape the confines of its insulation. If metal parts in your project are grounded and a hot wire contacts them a circuit breaker in your panel box will (well - should 
) trip. If they're not grounded and there's no handy path to "ground" that item becomes a hazard for any unwary soul poking around inside the box. Know how some tools and appliances don't have a grounded cordset (three pronged)? They're commonly referred to as "double insulated". That means they have an amount of protection in the form of electrically insulating layers and smart design such that it's almost inconceivable that a user might get shocked due to something "coming loose" in the device. Your typical grounded tool (with three pronged cordset) has all electrically conductive parts connected to "ground". Make sense? The ballast doesn't "have to be grounded" but it's good practice to do so.
QUOTE (Durachko @ Feb 2 2006, 11:38 AM)
It shouldn't show continuity with anything else. The point of grounding any electrical item is to provide a path for electricity to flow other than your body or some other unsuspecting innocent object should some "hot" wire escape the confines of its insulation. If metal parts in your project are grounded and a hot wire contacts them a circuit breaker in your panel box will (well - should ) trip. If they're not grounded and there's no handy path to "ground" that item becomes a hazard for any unwary soul poking around inside the box. Know how some tools and appliances don't have a grounded cordset (three pronged)? They're commonly referred to as "double insulated". That means they have an amount of protection in the form of electrically insulating layers and smart design such that it's almost inconceivable that a user might get shocked due to something "coming loose" in the device. Your typical grounded tool (with three pronged cordset) has all electrically conductive parts connected to "ground". Make sense? The ballast doesn't "have to be grounded" but it's good practice to do so.
should some "hot" wire escape the confines of its insulation. If metal parts in your project are grounded and a hot wire contacts them a circuit breaker in your panel box will (well - should ) trip. If they're not grounded and there's no handy path to "ground" that item becomes a hazard for any unwary soul poking around inside the box. Know how some tools and appliances don't have a grounded cordset (three pronged)? They're commonly referred to as "double insulated". That means they have an amount of protection in the form of electrically insulating layers and smart design such that it's almost inconceivable that a user might get shocked due to something "coming loose" in the device. Your typical grounded tool (with three pronged cordset) has all electrically conductive parts connected to "ground". Make sense? The ballast doesn't "have to be grounded" but it's good practice to do so.yeah..what he said... and remember what your mother always told you: "Don't go stickin' a fork in the toaster whilst she's plugged in " and you'll be ok...
QUOTE (Durachko @ Feb 2 2006, 12:38 PM)
It shouldn't show continuity with anything else. The point of grounding any electrical item is to provide a path for electricity to flow other than your body or some other unsuspecting innocent object should some "hot" wire escape the confines of its insulation. If metal parts in your project are grounded and a hot wire contacts them a circuit breaker in your panel box will (well - should ) trip. If they're not grounded and there's no handy path to "ground" that item becomes a hazard for any unwary soul poking around inside the box. Know how some tools and appliances don't have a grounded cordset (three pronged)? They're commonly referred to as "double insulated". That means they have an amount of protection in the form of electrically insulating layers and smart design such that it's almost inconceivable that a user might get shocked due to something "coming loose" in the device. Your typical grounded tool (with three pronged cordset) has all electrically conductive parts connected to "ground". Make sense? The ballast doesn't "have to be grounded" but it's good practice to do so.
should some "hot" wire escape the confines of its insulation. If metal parts in your project are grounded and a hot wire contacts them a circuit breaker in your panel box will (well - should ) trip. If they're not grounded and there's no handy path to "ground" that item becomes a hazard for any unwary soul poking around inside the box. Know how some tools and appliances don't have a grounded cordset (three pronged)? They're commonly referred to as "double insulated". That means they have an amount of protection in the form of electrically insulating layers and smart design such that it's almost inconceivable that a user might get shocked due to something "coming loose" in the device. Your typical grounded tool (with three pronged cordset) has all electrically conductive parts connected to "ground". Make sense? The ballast doesn't "have to be grounded" but it's good practice to do so.Thanks Durachko. Better be safe when tinkering with it. It's just a wire to the ground post anyway.
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