Any MH electical experts out there?

PaulCom · 01/07/2008, 06:56 PM

Did I do something stoooopid?

I bought a CoralView Aqualight - 2 x 250 MH, 4 x 96 Actinics.

I wanted to upgrade a bit, so I purchased two 250W IceCap ballasts and two Phoenix 250W DE 14K bulbs.

I installed the bulbs and plugged the fixture into one of the ballasts. I plugged the ballast into the wall.

After a few seconds, I heard some small popping, like a water pipe heating up. Then one of the bulbs flickered and came on.

Then there was smoke and even a bit of flame. The bulb went out. I non-chalantly unplugged the ballast.

I disassembled the fixture a bit to find the source of the flame. I got down to the igniter and noticed the end of it was wet with a film of this dark colored fluid. There is an LED right next to the igniter, and the bracket had a black hot spot on the underside where it would have been closest to the igniter.

Without laughing too loud, what did I do?

bertoni · 01/07/2008, 07:32 PM

Which PFO ballasts did you get? Are you sure they're HQI compatible? I'm not sure what you mean by the igniter, since I'm not an expert, but I don't think that there shouldn't be any active electronics in the hood that are running besides the bulbs themselves, if you're using an IceCap ballast.

I'd check the model numbers on the ballasts.

tmz · 01/07/2008, 08:59 PM

Does the fixture perhaps have internal ballasts?

PaulCom · 01/07/2008, 09:17 PM

The fixture has internal ballasts for the actinic, but it came with Coralife 250W external ballasts.

"The light source consists of a ballast, igniter, and bulb. The ballast provides the start-up voltage, then backs off and delivers a constant operating voltage and current. The igniter strikes the arc. The bulb houses the arc tube. "

Could the igniter just have been bad? I thought about hooking up the other light, but the ballast plug tingled in my hand when I started to plug it in (prongs just inserted into the outlet) so I pulled back.....

george81 · 01/07/2008, 09:52 PM

how did you hook it up.

PaulCom · 01/07/2008, 09:55 PM

the IceCap came with a female plug on one end and a male plug on the other end.

The fixture had a male plug. I connected the male plug of the fixture into the female plug of the ballast. I connected the male plug of the ballast to the electrical outlet.

BC Sparky · 01/07/2008, 10:16 PM

Pics would be good here.

Did you plug the flourescent component into the MH ballast??? Should not have been regular "cord cap" for the secondary of the ballast.

tmz · 01/07/2008, 10:19 PM

I don't know enough to be of much help. I have read about bulbs having igniters and dual igniters in play causing problems. You may wan't to post this question of the lighting filtration and equipment forum.

george81 · 01/07/2008, 10:48 PM

yeah some pictures of the ballast would be helpful....

BC Sparky · 01/07/2008, 10:52 PM

Two Canuck Electricians on the same post! Paul may have hit the jackpot...

bertoni · 01/08/2008, 12:06 AM

This hand-tingling sounds very dangerous to me. I would not do anything without some help from an electrician.

Icefire · 01/08/2008, 01:11 AM

I guess he just replaced the ballast but does the IceCap ballast still need the ignitor (capacitor) ?

PaulCom · 01/08/2008, 09:08 AM

I just got a reply from IceCap.

No, the ballast does not need the ignitor - and according to IceCap - will damage the ignitor if connected.

No kidding.....damage as in smoke, fire and angry wife. Even the dog is looking at me in a disgusted way.

Does anyone know if I can just remove the ignitor from the system and wire direct? There are three terminals on the ignitor - "B", "Lp" and "N"

A red wire comes from the fixture into terminal B
A white wire comes from the fixture into terminal N
Wires go out from Lp and N into the lamp

Can I remove the ignitor and just connect the red wire to the white going out of Lp and the two neutral wires and be okay?

or do I need to pull out my old electrical text books? *L*

PaulCom · 01/08/2008, 09:38 AM

Lets see if I can get some pics to upload

01/07/2008, 06:56 PM	#1
PaulCom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 80	Any MH electical experts out there? Did I do something stoooopid? I bought a CoralView Aqualight - 2 x 250 MH, 4 x 96 Actinics. I wanted to upgrade a bit, so I purchased two 250W IceCap ballasts and two Phoenix 250W DE 14K bulbs. I installed the bulbs and plugged the fixture into one of the ballasts. I plugged the ballast into the wall. After a few seconds, I heard some small popping, like a water pipe heating up. Then one of the bulbs flickered and came on. Then there was smoke and even a bit of flame. The bulb went out. I non-chalantly unplugged the ballast. I disassembled the fixture a bit to find the source of the flame. I got down to the igniter and noticed the end of it was wet with a film of this dark colored fluid. There is an LED right next to the igniter, and the bracket had a black hot spot on the underside where it would have been closest to the igniter. Without laughing too loud, what did I do?

01/07/2008, 07:32 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Which PFO ballasts did you get? Are you sure they're HQI compatible? I'm not sure what you mean by the igniter, since I'm not an expert, but I don't think that there shouldn't be any active electronics in the hood that are running besides the bulbs themselves, if you're using an IceCap ballast. I'd check the model numbers on the ballasts. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/07/2008, 08:59 PM	#3
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Does the fixture perhaps have internal ballasts? __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/07/2008, 10:19 PM	#8
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	I don't know enough to be of much help. I have read about bulbs having igniters and dual igniters in play causing problems. You may wan't to post this question of the lighting filtration and equipment forum. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

01/08/2008, 12:06 AM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	This hand-tingling sounds very dangerous to me. I would not do anything without some help from an electrician. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/07/2008, 09:17 PM	#4
PaulCom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 80	The fixture has internal ballasts for the actinic, but it came with Coralife 250W external ballasts. "The light source consists of a ballast, igniter, and bulb. The ballast provides the start-up voltage, then backs off and delivers a constant operating voltage and current. The igniter strikes the arc. The bulb houses the arc tube. " Could the igniter just have been bad? I thought about hooking up the other light, but the ballast plug tingled in my hand when I started to plug it in (prongs just inserted into the outlet) so I pulled back.....

01/07/2008, 09:52 PM	#5
george81 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: canada Posts: 254	how did you hook it up.

01/07/2008, 09:55 PM	#6
PaulCom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 80	the IceCap came with a female plug on one end and a male plug on the other end. The fixture had a male plug. I connected the male plug of the fixture into the female plug of the ballast. I connected the male plug of the ballast to the electrical outlet.

01/07/2008, 10:16 PM	#7
BC Sparky Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nanaimo- BC Canada Posts: 254	Pics would be good here. Did you plug the flourescent component into the MH ballast??? Should not have been regular "cord cap" for the secondary of the ballast.

01/07/2008, 10:48 PM	#9
george81 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: canada Posts: 254	yeah some pictures of the ballast would be helpful....

01/07/2008, 10:52 PM	#10
BC Sparky Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nanaimo- BC Canada Posts: 254	Two Canuck Electricians on the same post! Paul may have hit the jackpot...

01/08/2008, 01:11 AM	#12
Icefire Seasoned reefer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In Quebec, Canada Posts: 3,653	I guess he just replaced the ballast but does the IceCap ballast still need the ignitor (capacitor) ? __________________ Temp 80F, PH 8.5-8.0, Alk 6.8-7.2, Ca 430, Mg 1700, NO3 0-0.25, PO4 0.04, 34.4 PPT Lights @ 100% all others, 35% White Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 120lbs live rocks, Hydra52 2x120W, 2 MP40+ 1 MP10 @ 70%, Phosban 550 GFO+Carbon, 200W Heater, SWC Skimmer, Kalk ATO, 150 gpd RODI

01/08/2008, 09:08 AM	#13
PaulCom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 80	I just got a reply from IceCap. No, the ballast does not need the ignitor - and according to IceCap - will damage the ignitor if connected. No kidding.....damage as in smoke, fire and angry wife. Even the dog is looking at me in a disgusted way. Does anyone know if I can just remove the ignitor from the system and wire direct? There are three terminals on the ignitor - "B", "Lp" and "N" A red wire comes from the fixture into terminal B A white wire comes from the fixture into terminal N Wires go out from Lp and N into the lamp Can I remove the ignitor and just connect the red wire to the white going out of Lp and the two neutral wires and be okay? or do I need to pull out my old electrical text books? L

01/08/2008, 09:38 AM	#14
PaulCom Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 80	Lets see if I can get some pics to upload