Ok. I have a standard switch that I find out I cant use for firing the lamp ballast combo since its only 2 amps so I must use the breaker. I want to fire up both the live to the fans and the lamp with the breaker but unlike switches I dont see input output positive and negative. So how do I hook up positive and negative live as input and 2 positives , 2 negatives as output to my units?

I have attached photos of the breaker. I only see 2 conections.

and number 3

You would just connect the neutrals together, they do not connect throught the breaker. Then one side of the breaker is the live wire from the wall and the other side is live to your ballast, fans, or transformers. However, it is a good idea to run the fans a while after you turn off your bulb so you want to be able to turn off the bulb but leave the fans running. I was not sure if you were allowing for that.

David.

Thanks. No i missed the fan after shutoff detail this time. So sounds like I have to get either a switch that handles the 10 or 15 amps or another breaker. My original plan was to have live 120 enter the first switch which outputs to the fans. The fan switch would then forward the 110 current to the lamp breaker or switch. This way the fan switch has to be on before the lamp gets fired. On shutoff i can kill the lamp then the fan after a few minutes.

I think I get it with the breaker. There is no input output just positive and negative. The breaker is an autoswitch so no need for input ouput.

I assume it does not matter which side is positive or neutro on the breaker as long as i dont mix positive with neutro contacts touching.

Something is not right. I think we are getting terminology confused somewhere. You said there are only 2 connections on your breaker, correct?

Some breakers have a line side (input) and a load side (output). No breakers I have seen have a positive and negative. The only breakers I have seen with a connection other than line and load are ground fault breakers that have a neutral connection.

I am not sure where you are located. If it is a normal breaker then one side would connect to hot lead from wall plug (black in US, brown in europe). The other side would connect to hot lead to PJ components. The neutrals (white in US, blue in europe) will just connect together with no connection to the breaker.

Hope this helps.

David.

Spend $2 on a light switch and you wont have any problems.. or fires...

Dont be cheap.. its very important to have proper switches..

Breakers are not designed to work as a switch.

True - I've heard it said many times before - a breaker is not to be used as a switch. It may be a breaker is not designed for the high duty cycles a common switch is meant to see? You can always use both if you want the breaker in your build for some reason. You can use a common light switch from Home Depot or Lowe's instead of a breaker. Breakers are meants to be pressed onto the panel bus and don't have a screw terminal for your hot wire anyway. Use a fuse or an in-line breaker (I think Lumenlab sells them) instead of a panel box breaker.

True. I was just worried about getting the breaker connected properly. I was not even thinking about that.

Here at work we have a lighting breaker panel that everyone uses as switches. The breakers do seem to fail pretty often. I am always bugging my boss to install some lighting contactors and switches.

David.

Thank you all for your continued help. Yes you are correct its just a breaker that has one input and one output with no place to put the neutro except joining them together i am finding out here also.
My plan was to use the breaker only as a current peak protector. So I did finally find a switch that is 15amps rated. I assume this is enough for my 400w single ended kit. Can you confirm?

So here is the direction of the 110v current as its passed. Live cables ------ breaker positive only-----15amp fan and lcd transformer switch positive and neutro(neutro direct from live connector)----second 15am light switch positive , neutro. End of live energy line. So the fan switch must be on before the lamp will fire. The ground wire from my 3 prong computer connector will be attached to a screw on the aluminium side of the box.

So have I got it right?

15 amps should be enough. The light kit itself should draw about 4 amps when running, a bit higher during startup maybe.

Your wiring sounds good to me but I will rephrase it just so you can be sure I read it right. All neutrals tied together. 110v live from wall into breaker, out from breaker to 15 amp switch. 15 amp switch to LCD, fan, and second 15 amp switch. Second 15 amp switch to ballast. Does that sound right? That should work.

David.

Yup thats sounds great thanks davidcb. So just one other question. The ground pin from the 3 prong computer plug should go to the aluminium via a standard wire atached via a screw correct?

Not sure what aluminum you are talking about. On the electronic ballast there is a screw for connecting the ground. On a coil ballast you can connect it to whatever you are using to hold the coil in place. Also you will probably want to ground anything on the LCD that was grounded originally.

David.

My ballast connections has no ground. So I figured the ground wire from the 3 prong input live can be attached to metal box to self ground.
To ground the lcd I have attached a picture of what i have done. that is the lcd ground wire. What is this wire supposed to be in contact with? Any metal say that aluminium right angle the support because thats how i have it right now.