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208v Powered LED Lighting in an Industrial Location

How to Wire a 208v LED Light Fixture

It all sounded like a bad joke. Two Texas electricians walk into a bar arguing if a 120v-277v LED driver would work on a 208v line. To solve the issue, they called an Access Fixtures lighting specialist. LED lighting has become the default choice to illuminate commercial, industrial, hospitality, and sports venues. Still, there are lots of questions about LED lighting.

Will a 120v-277v LED driver in a LED high bay luminaires work on a 208-volt power supplies?

Will a 120v-277v LED Driver Work on a 208v Line?

In this case and pretty much every case, the answer is yes. The 120v-277v driver will work even if it is in a canopy light, a wall pack, or an area light. Just like fluorescent ballasts marked 120v-277v, if an LED driver is marked 120v-277v, it will self-adjust to the voltage of the power supply being supplied assuming the voltage falls between 120v and 277v range.

The confusion on this matter comes from older products like HID ballasts. One popular option for HID ballasts used in pulse start metal halide fixtures quad tap. A quad tap ballast would be marked 120v, 208v, 240v, 277v and would have to be set up for the correct line voltage. LED drivers and fluorescent ballasts marked with a dash between the voltage will function in that range. For example, 120v-277v will operate on any voltage between 120v and 240v

:   208v Lighting Wiring Diagram

120v-277v Driver Works on a 208v Line

The driver in the photo is from a LED bollard light and is marked INPUT 100-240VAC and 277VAC. This means the driver will work on any voltage between 100 volts and 240 volts as well as 277 volts. It would not work on voltage between 241 volts and 276 volts. To find additional information on any LED driver, you can simply Google the manufacturer’s name and the model number. For example, here is a link to the series of Meanwell LED drivers like the one above.

LED Light Fixture Driver for 208v

It’s a Black and White and Green and Grey and Purple World

If your LED fixture is ready for 0-10v dimming, it will have 5 wires, black, white, green, grey and purple. Each wire has a specific purpose.

  • Black and White – Power
  • Green – Ground
  • Purple and Grey – Low voltage diming

Black, white and green are expected. Since all Access Fixtures luminaires should be installed by a licensed electrician, as a licensed electrician this would be obvious to you. Less obvious is the green and grey wire. These are frequently in a separated wire exiting the fixture or the LED dirver. If you are not using 0-10v dimming, make sure the green and grey are separately capped and secured out of the way. It you are using 0-10v low voltage diming, then connect them to the low voltage diming circuit. For more information about 0-10v dimming, click here.

120v-277v LED Drivers Are a Benefit and Time Saver

LED drivers are a benefit and time saver, as an electrical contractor can quote a job without knowing the exact voltage. For instance, the other day, another electrical contractor called up specifically looking for bollard lights with a 120v-277v driver because he had no idea what voltage was being used. If he showed up with LED bollard lights that employed a 120v-277v driver, he would be able to install the bollard lights on any voltage between 120v and 277v.

120v-277v Driver Works with a 208v supply

Speak with an Access Fixtures Lighting Specialist

Access Fixtures lighting specialists don’t know how to wire a panel or how to run a power supply to a luminaire, but they do know lighting. If you are an electrician with a technical question about lighting or want to know the best light fixture to select for your client’s upcoming project, the lighting specialists at Access Fixtures are here to help you win more jobs and make more money. Call us at (800) 468-9925.