IEC 60601-1-11 Home Class II With Ballasts

JPTrares

Registered
While trying to meet the IEC 60601-1-11 we are hitting a snag on the requirement that we must meet the Class II with no functional earth terminal requirement. This is particularly because we use high wattage lighting, so we use fluorescent ballasts. They great majority of ballasts require a ground, especially with high wattage as we use. Any experience or expertise in this area?
 

Benjamin Weber

Trusted Information Resource
Class II is allowed to have a functional earth. But this earth connenction is not allowed to be used as a means of protection against electric shock.

You can even use the third green-yellow conductor of a mains supply cord. But the interruption of this conductor is normal condition.
 

JPTrares

Registered
I agree that normally Class II may have this, however section 6 of the IEC 60601-1-11 standard reads:
  • Shall be Class II
  • Shall not have a functional earth terminal
I think this standard adds the requirement of no functional earth terminal because of studies that show that a large percentage of homes still have only 2 wire systems or insufficient gorunding.
 
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