Other lamp technologies - choice of circuit breaker
Modular contactors and impulse relays do not use the same technologies. Their rating is determined according to different standards and does not correspond to the rated current of the circuit.
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).
For LED lamps, see [LED lighting - characteristics|LED lighting]].
Fig. N70 shows the maximum number of light fittings for each relay, according to the type, power and configuration of a given lamp.
- 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 √3 (1.73) for circuits with 230 V between phases without neutral,
- by 3 for circuits with 230 V between phase and neutral or 400 V between phases.
- 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.
- The total acceptable power values mentioned (such as "1550 W to 2000 W" for incandescent lamps - iCT 16A contactor) are provided as an indication only. The minimum value is for the smallest lamp power (1550 W, corresponding to 38 x 40W LED lamps), the maximum value for the highest lamp power.
Products | iCT contactors | iCT+ contactors | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Type of lamp | Maximum number of light fittings for a single-phase circuit and maximum power output per circuit | ||||||||||
16 A | 25 A | 40 A | 63 A | 20 A | |||||||
Basic incandescent lamps, LV halogen lamps, replacement mercury vapour lamps (without ballast) | |||||||||||
40 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 |
4660 W x cos φ | ||
60 W | 30 | 45 | 85 | 125 | |||||||
75 W | 25 | 38 | 70 | 100 | |||||||
100 W | 19 | 28 | 50 | 73 | |||||||
ELV 12 or 24 V halogen lamps | |||||||||||
Ferromagnetic transformer | 20 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 |
4660 W x Cos φ | |
50 W | 10 | 15 | 27 | 42 | |||||||
75 W | 8 | 12 | 23 | 35 | |||||||
100 W | 6 | 8 | 18 | 27 | |||||||
Electronic transformer | 20 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 | ||
50 W | 25 | 39 | 76 | 114 | |||||||
75 W | 20 | 28 | 53 | 78 | |||||||
100 W | 16 | 22 | 42 | 60 | |||||||
Fluorescent tubes with starter and ferromagnetic ballast | |||||||||||
1 tube without compensation[a] | 15 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 |
4660 W x cos φ | |
18 W | 22 | 30 | 70 | 100 | |||||||
20 W | 22 | 30 | 70 | 100 | |||||||
36 W | 20 | 28 | 60 | 90 | |||||||
40 W | 20 | 28 | 60 | 90 | |||||||
58 W | 13 | 17 | 35 | 56 | |||||||
65 W | 13 | 17 | 35 | 56 | |||||||
80 W | 10 | 15 | 30 | 48 | |||||||
115 W | 7 | 10 | 20 | 32 | |||||||
1 tube with parallel compensation[b] | 15 W | 5 µF | 15 | 200 W to 800 W |
20 | 300 W to 1200 W |
40 | 600 W to 2400 W |
60 | 900 W to 3500 W | |
18 W | 5 µF | 15 | 20 | 40 | 60 | ||||||
20 W | 5 µF | 15 | 20 | 40 | 60 | ||||||
36 W | 5 µF | 15 | 20 | 40 | 60 | ||||||
40 W | 5 µF | 15 | 20 | 40 | 60 | ||||||
58 W | 7 µF | 10 | 15 | 30 | 43 | ||||||
65 W | 7 µF | 10 | 15 | 30 | 43 | ||||||
80 W | 7 µF | 10 | 15 | 30 | 43 | ||||||
115 W | 16 µF | 5 | 7 | 14 | 20 | ||||||
2 or 4 tubes with series compensation | 2 x 18 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 18 W | 16 | 24 | 44 | 68 | |||||||
2 x 36 W | 16 | 24 | 44 | 68 | |||||||
2 x 58 W | 10 | 16 | 27 | 42 | |||||||
2 x 65 W | 10 | 16 | 27 | 42 | |||||||
2 x 80 W | 9 | 13 | 22 | 34 | |||||||
2 x 115 W | 6 | 10 | 16 | 25 | |||||||
Fluorescent tubes with electronic ballast | |||||||||||
1 or 2 tubes | 18 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 |
4660 W x cos φ | |
36 W | 38 | 58 | 117 | 176 | |||||||
58 W | 25 | 37 | 74 | 111 | |||||||
2 x 18 W | 36 | 55 | 111 | 166 | |||||||
2 x 36 W | 20 | 30 | 60 | 90 | |||||||
2 x 58 W | 12 | 19 | 38 | 57 | |||||||
Compact fluorescent lamps | |||||||||||
External electronic ballast | 5 W | 210 | 1050 W to 1300 W |
330 | 1650 W to 2000 W |
670 | 3350 W to 4000 W |
Not tested | 4660 W x cos φ | ||
7 W | 150 | 222 | 478 | ||||||||
9 W | 122 | 194 | 383 | ||||||||
11 W | 104 | 163 | 327 | ||||||||
18 W | 66 | 105 | 216 | ||||||||
26 W | 50 | 76 | 153 | ||||||||
Integral electronic ballast (replacement for incandescent lamps) | 5 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 | 114 | 164 | 335 | 514 | |||||||
9 W | 94 | 133 | 266 | 411 | |||||||
11 W | 78 | 109 | 222 | 340 | |||||||
18 W | 48 | 69 | 138 | 213 | |||||||
26 W | 34 | 50 | 100 | 151 | |||||||
Low-pressure sodium vapour lamps with ferromagnetic ballast with external ignitor | |||||||||||
Without compensation[a] | 35 W | 5 | 270 W to 360 W |
9 | 320 W to 720 W |
14 | 500 W to 1100 W |
24 | 850 W to 1800 W |
4660 W x cos φ | |
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[b] | 35 W | 20 µF | 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 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 | ||||||
90 W | 26 µF | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | ||||||
135 W | 40 µF | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||||||
180 W | 45 µF | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||
High-pressure sodium vapour lamps
Metal-iodide lamps | |||||||||||
Ferromagnetic ballast with external ignitor, without compensation[a] | 35 W | 16 | 600 W | 24 | 850 W to 1200 W |
42 | 1450 W to 2000 W |
64 | 2250 W to 3200 W |
4660 W x cos φ | |
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 | |||||||
Ferromagnetic ballast and external ignitor, with parallel compensation[b] | 35 W | 6 µF | 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 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 25 | ||||||
150 W | 20 µF | 4 | 6 | 10 | 15 | ||||||
250 W | 32 µF | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | ||||||
400 W | 45 µF | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | ||||||
1000 W | 60 µF | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||
2000 W | 85 µF | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
Electronic ballast | 35 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 | 18 | 29 | 51 | 76 | |||||||
150 W | 9 | 14 | 26 | 40 |
[a] 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.
[b] 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.