Inside CNN Field Problem

Addressing fixtures installed at the Inside CNN Store at 10 Columbus Circle in Manhattan, NY

Customer reported issues of HID electronic ballast failures for recessed multi lamp luminaires.  The fixtures in question are installed at the Inside CNN Store at 10 Columbus Circle in  Manhattan, NY. Wilger was contracted by the luminaire manufacturer to determine the root cause of the ballast failures. 

We examined the luminaires and installation.  We determined the following:

  1. There were (20) three lamp HID luminaires recessed in a drywall ceiling around the perimeter of the store.  The ceiling is approximately 12 feet in height and the space is climate controlled.
  2. Each of the luminaire heads are powered by an electronic HID ballast and  35W Par20 Metal Halide lamps were being used.
  3. Of the (20) luminaires, (15) have one lamp non operational, (1) had two lamps non operational and (1) has all three lamps non operational.  A total of twenty lamps are non operating.
  4. Prior to removing luminaires from the ceiling to check the wiring, we shut down the luminaires and swapped one of the known good lamps with one of the non operational lamps to rule out faulty lamps.  When we energized the luminaires the same lamp heads were non operational which rules out a lamp problem.
  5. We then removed the recessed housing from one of the luminaires to check the wiring.  Upon our examination, we noted  that the factory wiring was correct in accordance with the ballast manufacturers wiring diagram.
  6. When examining the wiring, we noticed that the building ground was not attached to the pig tail ground in the luminaire.  The electronic ballast installed in the luminaire was required to be grounded in order to operate properly.  Additionally, without a proper ground, wired to the luminaires, there was potential for a shock hazard.

After properly grounding the luminaires all of the luminaires operated normally and the customer reported no further issues.

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