Hi,
Technically, the electrical code states that the wiring between the lamps and the ballast are suppose to be rated at 600V and rated for a operating temperature greather than 90C. The wires that come attached to your ballast are suppose to be rated for those conditions.
The operating voltage across a 4 foot T12 is around 100V. At starting, the voltage can jump as high as ~200V. So, wiring rated at ~240V or so is fine. You can derate the operating voltage requirement to ~300V for this application, but the temperature requirement may more difficult.
Something like regular house hold wiring or zip cord is not good enough. Something like heavy duty wiring for outside extension cable is not quite up to code, but it is okay. This type of wire is called cabtire and the usual temperature rating is around 60C. If you can keep the temperature below 60C, then it should be fine. One of the other reasons why wires breakdown is because of UV radiation. I would not use this type of wiring in MH.
The electrical current passing through the lamp is usually less than 1 amp (probably around 430mA) for a normal T12, so a 18 AWG is fine.
- Victor.
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