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Changing ballasts: licensed electrician needed?
United States/California. We have some fluorescent fixtures and the ballasts are failing. These fixtures are wired in via conduit, they don't have a plug. The fixtures are UL listed.
Inside the fixture (in all metal) is a ballast. We want to upgrade them to electronic ballasts. Our all-volunteer staff is very experienced with electrical, but not licensed electricians. We can definitely handle swapping a ballast. It's very straightforward. I've done dozens on fixtures with plugs (here we'll lockout-tagout the breakers.)
Does the NEC allow us to have our handymen swap those ballasts? I know it's allowed on anything with a plug, but I'm not sure whether that applies to the internals of an appliance which is hard wired rather than plugged. I can't imagine you need a licensed electrician to repair a garbage disposal?
Does NEC require the new ballasts be UL listed?
(Please do not give restrictive answers "out of fear for our wellbeing" because seriously, we are competent, and don't go spending our limited funds please LOL!) Please only give answers if you actually /know/ the answer. Major bonus points for citing the relevant parts of the NEC.
I wouldn't use a non-UL ballast either. I'm just trying to figure out if it's a code requirement for a report.
Also your observation that any internal staff can work on electrical make sense, as some volunteers at a local trolley museum just swapped out the main recloser for the facility, which is a 12kv 300kw circuit breaker/switch. None of them have the 5 years of apprentice experience required to qualify as a licensed electrician in our jurisdiction.
Also when I say "major bonus points" I'm speaking figuratively. I really don't have any to give except the usual effects of choosing a best answer.
3 Answers
- TrekkerScoutLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
Under California Electrical Code 89.108.4.1, the only circumstances that are exempted from permitting are:
1. Listed cord and plug connected temporary decorative lighting.
2. Reinstallation of attachment plug receptacles, but not the outlets therefore.
3. Repair or replacement of branch circuit overcurrent devices of the required capacity in the same location.
4. Installation or maintenance of communications wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment.
Since the ballasts are not plug-in types and you are altering from the original, an electrical permit is technically required. In nearly all jurisdictions, you need to have a licensed electrician perform permit work within commercial structures. The NEC requires that all electrical components be listed by UL or another approved certification laboratory.
Source(s): Master Electrician https://bulk.resource.org/codes.gov/bsc.ca.gov/gov... - HyperDogLv 78 years ago
Your personnel are legally allowed to work on your equipment, including lighting and power-distribution. It is up to you to ensure they are qualified to do the work.
Conversely, they would not be legally allowed to work on someone else's property as "electricians", if they're not licensed.
I would not use a ballast that wasn't UL listed. Their testing does add to the product's cost, of course, but the price you pay is small compared to the cost of a fire, or even just the smoky, smelly nastiness caused by a ballast failure and the effect it would have on your business until it cleared.
- ranger_diyLv 68 years ago
I would just replace the ballasts. If it comes back on you, go to the local media and tell them the man is bullying you for trying to save money for your organization. I have seen light bulbs that were harder to replace than ballasts.
