• Restaurants
Fluorescent lighting is an extremely efficient light source. With the
latest electronic solid state fluorescent dimmer ballasts, they can be
dimmed effectively. Most fluorescent lamps today can be dimmed
to approximately 5% of full bright with the appropriate dimming
ballast. Compact fluorescent lamps using dimming ballasts are now
replacing incandescent down-light sources in many applications.
Leviton Lighting Control Division makes a complete line of
fluorescent dimmers, that are able to operate virtually any dimming
ballast by any of the different manufacturers. Because there are
many ballast manufacturers, there are many different ways to control
the various dimmer ballasts. To supply the correct dimmer we must
know the ballast manufacturer and the exact model number of the
ballast, as well as the incoming line voltage to the ballast.
Leviton Lighting Control Division supplies fluorescent dimmers
individually where only a single circuit of fluorescent lighting is
controlled, or we supply one or more fluorescent dimmers as part of
a larger system with mixed loads. Any of our extensive line of
lighting controls can be used with our fluorescent dimmers for
fluorescent dimming ballasts.
dimmer Module for
There are two basic types of solid state fluorescent dimming ballasts.
One type is designed for the retrofit market, where the original
ballasts installed were not capable of dimming, and are now being
replaced by dimming ballasts. These ballasts are designed to operate
with the existing two wires (a hot and a neutral), that fed the original
fixture. The ballast is changed, new lamps installed, and a dimmer is
inserted to feed those fixtures.
The other type of solid state fluorescent dimmer ballast uses two
low voltage wires to control the intensity setting of all the fluorescent
lamps on a circuit. These are normally used in new construction
where there is little extra cost involved for running the control wires
back to a dimmer location.
Since none of the ballasts are intended to dim to blackout, Leviton
Lighting Control Division furnishes an ON/OFF contactor that turns off
all power to the ballasts when the system OFF switch is operated.
There is an older type of dimmer ballast called “magnetic” or “core
and coil” which is still manufactured. Leviton Lighting Control
Division does make dimmers for these ballasts, however, these
ballasts are not recommended for new construction as they will be
phased out over time. Dimmers for these ballasts should be
considered for replacement only, not new construction.
The diagrams on this page illustrate typical wiring of dimming ballasts
using two control wires between the ballasts and the controller. Any
Leviton Lighting Control Division remote controls can be used, as well
as time clock control and photocell control for automatic daylight
harvesting. As the diagram illustrates, an ON/OFF contactor or line
voltage switch is required to turn the system off since the ballasts
dimming range is down to 5%, and most applications do not want this
low light level to stay on when a room is not occupied. The line
voltage feeds through the contactor directly to all ballasts on the circuit
to power the ballasts. Dimming actually takes place within the ballast,
the low voltage control signal tells the ballast what light level is desired.
Since the control signals are low voltage (10 volts DC) and current
limited, the control wiring between the ballast and the Leviton Lighting
Control Division controller can be Class II wiring. Depending on local
electrical codes, this wiring may not need to be run in conduit.
The wiring shown is typical of the Advance Transformer Co Mark VII™,
the series of dimming ballasts. Several other ballast suppliers are
using this same control scheme.
CONTROL OPTIONS
• Manual Control System
• Remote Preset System
• Designer Preset System
• Automated Control System
The typical dimming ballast of this type requires about one half
milliampere of control current, allowing the Leviton Lighting Control
Division dimmers for these ballasts to typically control up to a
maximum of 100 ballasts. The on/off contactor is normally rated at
20 amperes since the typical lighting circuit is a 20 ampere circuit.
More than one dimmer can be controlled together for larger lighting
loads, to allow a whole ceiling with multiple circuits to dim uniformly
up and down.
The diagram at the top of this page shows the physical layout of a
stand alone dimmer for these ballasts. It is a surface mounted unit 12 "
x 12" x 3" deep box with a one inch mounting flange on two ends.
The systems version of this dimmer is built in single and dual
modules that fit the standard MDS dimmer cabinets shown
elsewhere in the Leviton Lighting Control Division catalog. They take
up one 4 inch dimmer space in any of the cabinets shown there.
down to 5%. In this case a line voltage switch or contactor is needed
to turn the power off when the room is unoccupied. Dimmer ballasts
of this type presently on the market require an adjustable low light
limit control to be incorporated into the dimmer module to set the
low light level to 5%. Allowing the lamps to go lower than this can
result in shortened lamp life.
Basic Field Wiring Schematic
This drawing illustrates typical wiring of dimmer ballasts using the line
and neutral wires to both power the ballast and control the light level
of the fluorescent lamps, such as Advance Mark X.
ballasts are specifically designed for (but not limited to) the retrofit
market. They are ideal where the original ballasts installed in a room
were not capable of dimming, and are now being replaced by
dimming ballasts. These ballasts are designed to operate with the two
wires, a hot and a neutral, that fed the original fixture. The ballast is
changed out, new lamps are installed, and the existing building and
fixture wiring is reused. No separate control wires are required. Wh e n
power is turned on the lamps come to full bright as usual. However, if
a solid state dimmer is inserted into the line feeding the ballasts, it is
possible to set the light level of the lamps anywhere from full bright
T M
These dimmer
THREE WI RE LI NE VOLTAGE CONTROL
Capacities
120 Volt FEC-EDB Dimmers mount in MDS cabinets
FEC-EDB 19201920 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 25002500 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 36503750 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 50005000 watts4" height
277 volt FEC-EDB Dimmers mount in MDS cabinets
FEC-EDB 44004400 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 55005500 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 87508750 watts4" height
FEC-EDB 1100011000 watts4" height
There is another type of ballast that uses line voltage dimming as
above, but that requires an additional third wire supplying a
constant line voltage to the ballasts, as well as a variable or dimmed
line voltage. Because these ballasts require adding a third line
power wire between the ballasts and the dimmer unit, this type of
ballast is not well suited to retrofit applications.
For Mounted in 12" x 12" x 3"D Box
FEC-BC-EDB 10V DC120/277V AC LINE
Mounting in MDS dimmer cabinets
FEC-EDB 10V DC 120V AC MODULE
FEC-EDB 10V DC 277V AC MODULE
SPECIFICATION
Dimmer shall be designed to drive either two wire or three wire line
voltage dimmer ballasts. Dimmer shall contain a low light limit adjuster
to allow proper settings for the particular ballast chosen. Dimmer
system shall contain an on/off contactor to turn the feed voltage to the
dimmer ballasts on and off. Dimmer shall be capable of dimming from
full bright down to the low light limit established by the ballast chosen.
Dimmer shall be convection cooled, dimmer units requiring fan cooling
are not acceptable. Dimmers shall be available for 120, 240, 277, and
347 volt service depending on job requirements.
– LINE VOLTAGE DIMMERS
SPECIFICATION
– Dimmers for dimmer ballasts with Low Voltage
(0 to +10V DC) control
Dimmer shall be designed to drive dimmer ballasts requiring low
voltage zero to plus 10 volts DC control to set light intensity. Dimmer
shall incorporate an on/off contactor to turn the feed voltage to the
dimmer ballasts on and off. Dimmer output shall have a full range of
output from zero volts continuously and smoothly variable up to plus
10 volts DC. Dimmers shall be convection cooled, dimmer units
requiring fan cooling are not acceptable. Dimmers shall be available
for 120, 240, 277, and 347 volt service depending on
job requirements.