Other lamp technologies - choice of contactors

Modular contactors and impulse relays do not use the same technologies. Their rating is determined according to different standards.
For example, for a given rating, an impulse relay is more efficient than a modular contactor for the control of light fittings with a strong inrush current, or with a low power factor (non-compensated inductive circuit).

Figure 51 shows the maximum number of light fittings for each relay, according to the type, power and configuration of a given lamp. As an indication, the total acceptable power is also mentioned.

• These values are given for a 230 V circuit with 2 active conductors (single-phase phase/neutral or two-phase phase/phase). For 110 V circuits, divide the values in the table by 2.
• To obtain the equivalent values for the whole of a 230 V three-phase circuit, multiply the number of lamps and the total acceptable power:
  • by [math]\displaystyle{ \sqrt 3 }[/math] (1.73) for circuits without neutral;
  • by [math]\displaystyle{ \sqrt 3 }[/math] for circuits with 230 V between phase and neutral or 400 V between phases.

Note: The power ratings of the lamps most commonly used are shown in bold.

For powers not mentioned, use a proportional rule with the nearest values.

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Type of lamp	Unit power and capacitance of power factor correction capacitor		Maximum number of light fittings for a single-phase circuit and maximum power output per circuit
			TL impulse relay				CT contactor
			16A		32A		16A		25A		40A		63A
Basic incandescent lamps LV halogen lamps Replacement mercury vapour lamps (without ballast)
	40W		40	1500 W to 1600 W	106	4000 W to 4200 W	38	1550 W to 2000 W	57	2300 W to 2850 W	115	4600 W to 5250 W	172	6900 W to 7500 W
	60W		25		66		30		45		85		125
	75W		20		53		25		38		70		100
	100W		16		42		19		28		50		73
	150W		10		28		12		18		35		50
	200W		8		21		10		14		26		37
	300W		5	1500 W	13	4000 W	7	2100 W	10	3000 W	18	5500 W to 6000 W	25	7500 W to 8000 W
	500W		3		8		4		6		10		15
	1000W		1		4		2		3		6		8
	1500W		1		2		1		2		4		5
ELV 12 or 24 V halogen lamps
With ferromagnetic transformer	20W		70	1350 W to 1450 W	180	3600 W to 3750 W	15	300 W to 600 W	23	450 W to 900 W	42	850 W to 1950 W	63	1250 W to 2850 W
	50W		28		74		10		15		27		42
	75W		19		50		8		12		23		35
	100W		14		37		6		8		18		27
With electronic transformer	20W		60	1200 W to 1400 W	160	3200 W to 3350 W	62	1250 W to 1600 W	90	1850 W to 2250 W	182	3650 W to 4200 W	275	5500 W to 6000 W
	50W		25		65		25		39		76		114
	75W		18		44		20		28		53		78
	100W		14		33		16		22		42		60
Fluorescent tubes with starter and ferromagnetic ballast
1 tube without compensation (1)	15W		83	1250 W to 1300 W	213	3200 W to 3350 W	22	330 W to 850 W	30	450 W to 1200 W	70	1050 W to 2400 W	100	1500 W to 3850 W
	18W		70		186		22		30		70		100
	20W		62		160		22		30		70		100
	36W		35		93		20		28		60		90
	40W		31		81		20		28		60		90
	58W		21		55		13		17		35		56
	65W		20		50		13		17		35		56
	80W		16		41		10		15		30		48
	115W		11		29		7		10		20		32
1 tube with parallel compensation (2)	15W	5 µF	60	900 W	160	2400 W	15	200 W to 800 W	20	300 W to 1200 W	40	600 W to 2400 W	60	900 W to 3500 W
	18W	5 µF	50		133		15		20		40		60
	20W	5 µF	45		120		15		20		40		60
	36W	5 µF	25		66		15		20		40		60
	40W	5 µF	22		60		15		20		40		60
	58W	7 µF	16		42		10		15		30		43
	65W	7 µF	13		37		10		15		30		43
	80W	7 µF	11		30		10		15		30		43
	115W	16µF	7		20		5		7		14		20
2 or 4 tubes with series compensation	2 x 18W		56	2000 W	148	5300 W	30	1100 W to 1500 W	46	1650 W to 2400 W	80	2900 W to 3800 W	123	4450 W to 5900 W
	4 x 18W		28		74		16		24		44		68
	2 x 36 W		28		74		16		24		44		68
	2 x 58 W		17		45		10		16		27		42
	2 x 65 W		15		40		10		16		27		42
	2 x 80 W		12		33		9		13		22		34
	2 x 115 W		8		23		6		10		16		25
Fluorescent tubes with electronic ballast
1 or 2 tubes	18W		80	1450 W to 1550 W	212	3800 W to 4000 W	74	1300 W to 1400 W	111	2000 W to 2200 W	222	4000 W to 4400 W	333	6000 W to 6600 W
	36W		40		106		38		58		117		176
	58W		26		69		25		37		74		111
	2 x18 W		40		106		36		55		111		166
	2 x36 W		20		53		20		30		60		90
	2 x 58 W		13		34		12		19		38		57
Compact fluorescent lamps
With external electronic ballast	5 W		240	1200  W to 1450 W	630	3150 W to 3800 W	210	1050 W    to 1300 W	330	1650 W     to 2000 W	670	3350 W to 4000 W	not tested
	7 W		171		457		150		222		478
	9 W		138		366		122		194		383
	11 W		180		318		104		163		327
	18 W		77		202		66		105		216
	26 W		55		146		50		76		153
With integral electronic ballast (replacement for incandescent lamps)	5 W		170	850 W to 1050 W	390	1950 W to 2400 W	160	800 W to 900 W	230	1150 W to 1300 W	470	2350 W to 2600 W	710	3550 W to 3950 W
	7 W		121		285		114		164		335		514
	9 W		100		233		94		133		266		411
	11 W		86		200		78		109		222		340
	18 W		55		127		48		69		138		213
	26 W		40		92		34		50		100		151
High-pressure mercury vapour lamps with ferromagnetic ballast without ignitor Replacement high-pressure sodium vapour lamps with ferromagnetic ballast with integral ignitor (3)
Without compensation (1)	50 W		not tested, infrequent use				15	750 W to 1000 W	20	1000 W to 1600 W	34	1700 W to 2800 W	53	2650 W to 4200 W
	80 W						10		15		27		40
	125/110W						8		10		20		28
	250 / 220 W (3)						4		6		10		15
	400 / 350 W (3)						2		4		6		10
	700 W						1		2		4		6
With parallel compensation (2)	50 W	7 µF					10	500 W to 1400 W	15	750 W to 1600 W	28	1400 W to 3500 W	43	2150 W to 5000 W
	80 W	8 µF					9		13		25		38
	125/ 110W	10 µF					9		10		20		30
	250 /  220  W (3)	18 µF					4		6		11		17
	400 / 350 W (3)	25 µF					3		4		8		12
	700 W	40 µF					2		2		5		7
	1000 W	60 µF					0		1		3		5
Low-pressure sodium vapour lamps with ferromagnetic ballast with external ignitor
Without compensation (1)	35 W		not tested, infrequent use				5	270 W to 360 W	9	320 W to 720 W	14	500 W to 1100 W	24	850 W to 1800 W
	55 W						5		9		14		24
	90 W						3		6		9		19
	135 W						2		4		6		10
	180 W						2		4		6		10
With parallel compensation (2)	35 W	20 µF	38	1350 W	102	3600 W	3	100 W to 180 W	5	175 W to 360 W	10	350 W to 720 W	15	550 W to 1100 W
	55 W	20 µF	24		63		3		5		10		15
	90 W	26 µF	15		40		2		4		8		11
	135 W	40 µF	10		26		1		2		5		7
	180 W	45 µF	7		18		1		2		4		6
High-pressure sodium vapour lamps Metal-iodide lamps
With ferromagnetic ballast with external ignitor, without compensation (1)	35 W		not tested, infrequent use				16	600 W	24	850 W to 1200 W	42	1450 W to 2000 W	64	2250 W to 3200 W
	70 W						8		12		20		32
	150 W						4		7		13		18
	250 W						2		4		8		11
	400 W						1		3		5		8
	1000 W						0		1		2		3
With ferromagnetic ballast with external ignitor and parallel compensation (2)	35 W	6 µF	34	1200 W to 1350 W	88	3100 W to 3400 W	12	450 W to 1000 W	18	650 W to 2000 W	31	1100 W to 4000 W	50	1750 W to 6000 W
	70 W	12 µF	17		45		6		9		16		25
	150 W	20 µF	8		22		4		6		10		15
	250 W	32 µF	5		13		3		4		7		10
	400 W	45 µF	3		8		2		3		5		7
	1000 W	60 µF	1		3		1		2		3		5
	2000 W	85 µF	0		1		0		1		2		3
With electronic ballast	35 W		38	1350 W to 2200 W	87	3100 W to 5000 W	24	850 W to 1350 W	38	1350 W to 2200 W	68	2400 W to 4000 W	102	3600 W to 6000 W
	70 W		29		77		18		29		51		76
	150 W		14		33		9		14		26		40

(1) Circuits with non-compensated ferromagnetic ballasts consume twice as much current for a given lamp power output. This explains
      the small number of lamps in this configuration.
(2) The total capacitance of the power factor correction capacitors in parallel in a circuit limits the number of lamps that can be controlled 
     by a contactor. The total downstream capacitance of a modular contactor of rating 16, 25, 40 or 63 A should not exceed 75, 100, 200
     or 300 µF respectively. Allow for these limits to calculate the maximum acceptable number of lamps if the capacitance values are 
     different from those in the table.
(3) High-pressure mercury vapour lamps without ignitor, of power 125, 250 and 400 W, are gradually being replaced by high-pressure
    sodium vapour lamps with integral ignitor, and respective power of 110, 220 and 350 W.

Fig. N51: Maximum number of light fittings for each relay, according to the type, power and configuration of a given lamp (Concluded)

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