DIY CF lighting, is polarity an issue?

[Sicklid]

I am wiring a magnetic ballast from Hellolights.com, a small 13 watt magnetic job that came with no instructions. Is polarity an issue on these things? There is of course a white wire and a black one coming out of the socket, with a cord (no ground). The cord has a plain jacket on one side, and a raised stripe on the other, leading me to feel there may be a reason for it...

 

[tropicalfish]

yes it is an issue. LEDs only go one way, they are not like normal lights. On the LED, there is a flat side I think, and I THINK it indicates negative, not sure if it was hot or not, I forgot.. lol it ryhmes

 

[Sicklid]

Sorry this is compact fluorescent... 13 watt gx23 bi-pin base.

 

[tropicalfish]

Doh!
My eyes are messing up today...
Saw the temps on the forecast wrong, read this topic wrong, pulled the wrong book out of my backpack..
maybe I need more sleep lol
sorry
I would think so yes, if it were fluorescent in any way.

 

[greenmaji]

Its kind of like installing a NO tube one way and then flipping it over and installing it the other way.. if you have tabs on the bulb and socket it should matter otherwise it should still work.

 

[tropicalfish]

but its a compact fluorescent. In a CF, the ballast is in the lamp, and the ballast has a special polarity I think...

 

[Sicklid]

Well, what would happen if it is backwards, because right now the lamp is lit. Will it burn something out in the ballast?

 

[tropicalfish]

Th base should be the hot connection, and the side (screw) should be the negative.

 

[Sicklid]

Thanks for all your help so far, but there is no side screw (there are staples though! HA. They look dangerous)... hopefully this says 1000 words:

 

[tropicalfish]

well, as long as you match the black wire to the hot and the white wire to the negative, you should be just fine.

 

[Sicklid]

Right, but on a household 120v cord which side is hot and which is neutral? The plug has a larger tab, and a smaller tab, which only goes in one way... I can pull a cover off one of the outlets and peek, but I am lazy. Like I said, the lamp is lit right now, but I don't know if I am damaging anything by doing this.

 

[tropicalfish]

the Large one is the negative. The small one is the hot.

 

[Sicklid]

Thanks a lot, Trop!

 

[jsoong]

This is an AC connection, so the ballast won't care which wire is connected to which. However, it is a safety issue if you swap black & white around ... you increase your risk of electrocuting yourself within the whole circuit.

 

[Sicklid]

Even if I unplug it first?

 

[tropicalfish]

Well, for me, I would care which way it goes in lol...
I am a very cautious person.., believe me...
There has been a chicken pox mini outbreak in our school, and when I come home I literally drown my backpack with lysol-thats everyday.