Advanced Ballast Recall.

K2

I heard today that we're pulling 4 to 5 thousand Advanced IOP intellivolt ballast that we installed last year. My impression is that it might be a nation wide recall. Right now it is only the 2 lamp standard power and the 4 lamp standard power. The reason is a high failure rate because of a bad component.

I remember these multi volt ballast being discussed on this forum and thought i would add this.

mdshunk

Thanks.

Advance is my preferred brand of ballast, but I was never happy with the Intellivolt line at all. Like you said, too many failures.

RobertWilber

yep.. they were my buy 11 to get 3 that worked

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Magnettica

So when u realize the ballasts are all bad, it's too late because you still whind up changing the ballast out repeated times. If it's T&M what's the problem?

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RobertWilber

I unfortunately am still encumbered with the fuzzy antiquated notion of providing reasonably fair or equitable value for compensation received ...

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fridaymean

You must be one of those dang contractors that wants repeat and word-of-mouth customers. How dare you?

RobertCDF

I think he owns one of those word a day calenders as well.... I have no idea what he said.

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JohnJ0906

Is there actually going to be a recall? Has anyone heard for sure? I didn't see anything on Advance's website. (Not that they would trumpet it to the skies or anything )

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John from Baltimore
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All replies based on the 2008 NEC

RobertWilber

au contraire ... I compose them ...

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K2

I thought I'd bump this one and maybe get EL's take on it. I'm not sure if the swap out I originally posted about ever happened because gas went up and I didn't want to travel for the work.

Electric_Light

I could not find anything about the recall on Advance website.

Anyways, the best solution is to install them as a system, meaning lamp made by OSI, GE or Philips (they include Venture too in their list...) and register for the Plus 90 warranty with Advance and get the ballast changed on Advance's dime, including labor.

advancetransformer.com/support/index.jsp?cid=-53&scid=11
advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/CO-7050-R02.pdf

K2

Seems they are a pretty tight on the labor.

Do you have an opinion on the Universal voltage ballasts in general? I think they have some engineering to do.

Electric_Light

I explained all the benefits and disadvantages in the other thread, but a couple things.

Universal input power supplies are getting more and more common. Look at the back of your computer monitor. It's likely rated 96 to 264 or 100 to 240v full range, not long ago, the units had to have a dedicated power supply depending on where it was gong to be shipped to.

Computer power supplies usually have a 115/230 selector switch, but many newer ones can handle full range w/o a switch.

You'll hear "but I've had bad experience with them" and such anecdotes, but there's no case study I could find showing 108 to 305v full range ballasts are statistically less reliable.

An electrician should know better to check the voltage at the fixture and not expect idiot proof voltage indicator. If that adds 50 cents to the ballast and there are 2,000 ballasts, that's $1,000 in unnecessary cost.

Usually, the fixture will have a label showing the voltage and failing that, you could always measure it.

T8 instant start electronic ballasts do a great job of SKU reduction. You just need two types of ballasts for just about every T8 you encounter.

For 120v, 230v and 277v operation;

Advance ICN-2P32-SC will operate 1 or 2 17,25,32W lamp or 1 40W.
Advance ICN-4P32-SC will operate 3 or 4 17,25,32W or 3 40W


If you were to go with magnetic, you have to have 1 & 2 lamp version for every lamp wattage + 120 & 277v. If you run into 230v driven fixture and you don't carry it, you don't finish that job.

K2

I have no doubt they are less reliable. At least to this point in time.

Electric_Light

How many defects out of how many installs? There will always be some that will die during the first 100 hours or so, called infant mortality.

If there are too many failing at one location, they maybe subject to excessive surge from equipments within the facility or the installation is causing the case temperature to exceed ballast spec, which can be tested by using thermal phase change crayon at the test point specified by ballast manufacturer.

Did the Centium/Optanium IntelliVolt have more warranty returns per 100 ballasts than did 277v dedicated units during the first year of use?

K2

I'm reasonably certain they did. I'll see if I can dig up the proof.

Electric_Light

It would only be meaningful if the result is from multiple facilities. If one facility was fitted with the Intellivolt and another with something else, you don't know if the failures are due to surge induced by VSDs and other machinery in the facility, or the ballast themselves.