Please Help ...light Experts

[robzifer4]

Ok i got a Coravue 250W ballast and am trying to hook it up the to light socet but the ballast has three wires and the light socet has only two......the ones on the ballast are green,,white,,,and black and the ones on the socet are black,,,white.......anyone know how to hook this up?????
Thank you!!!!

 

[nanocube24]

Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT an electrician.... The black and white wires are the hot and neutral wires. The third green wire is the ground on your light. In older homes, there wasn't a ground wire run sometimes and the neutral (I think) ran back to the panel and acts something like a ground. Have you opened up the socket and looked for a ground wire? If one is there you can just buy a new plug at Home Depot. If not, the best, and most expensive solution would be to run a new circuit that is properly grounded. Like I said I am not an electrician, but this is what I would do. Maybe somebody else can chime in with other ideas. HTH

 

[reckler]

I am an electrician. now for 15 years. nanocube24 is right. he should become an electrician because I know alot of sparky's that couldn't tell you what he just did.
you can hook the green wire to anything that might have a solid groung on it. if you don't want ot play with the electricity in your house then just find something close (copper water pipe,or a metal window frame.) something that will give you a groung. It has been my experiance that if your plug isn't a 3 wire plug then it most likely wouldn't matter even if you change it out to a 3 wire. you should search out a true ground somewhere close. Now if you are talking about the ballast that sits inside a light, then the green wire will attach to the green screw by where you removed the old ballast. if you don't have a green screw there you can just add a screw to the shell of the light. hope this helps. let me know!

 

[robzifer4]

Hey thanks alot guys...got the light all hooked up and the green wire grounded....Ill try to post some pics here to let ya see the new lights!
Thanks
Rob

 

[nanocube24]

glad to help robzifer4!! Let's see those pics!

thanks reckler!