JB Ballests starting fires

[Roadblock]

3rd time in the last year Ive had ballasts burn out and melt the wiring at the point the shades plug in causing toxic smoke that kills your plants and might start a full scale fire depending what your ballasts are near , these ballasts are under 2 yrs old and 600 watts in a nice airy postion , Ive read where makers are pumping more juice out of them trying to compete with digital , whatever the reason its not good so watch your ballasts guys they can cause a lot of grief .

[Reverend]

I would be checking your incoming wiring to see if it is adequate for the job.

[Darth Desolas]

Mm I'd be inclined to think it was local wiring rather than ballasts. I'm not even sure that you can make a mag ballast drive a lamp higher like some of the electronic ballasts do. If your voltage is up above 240 by a significant margin it could...

 

Got one of those online power meters you can get from supermarkets nowadays? That would perhaps provide some more info.

[wietlover]

That's why i got a lumatec digital ballast!

[Darth Desolas]

Reliability wise I'd be more inclined to trust a simple magnetic core than a complex electronic ballast. That said, I too have lumatek electronic ballasts, mostly for the ability to step down light power.

[wietlover]

Super lumens all the way!

[Reverend]

Mm I'd be inclined to think it was local wiring rather than ballasts. I'm not even sure that you can make a mag ballast drive a lamp higher like some of the electronic ballasts do. If your voltage is up above 240 by a significant margin it could...

 

Got one of those online power meters you can get from supermarkets nowadays? That would perhaps provide some more info.

 

It's not the voltage your looking at, it is the cable coming in and what amperage it can handle, lights, fans, etc.

[Roadblock]

Its always at the round pin connection and it melts the female before the male , seems like the connection at the plug corrodes and creates resistance heating up at that point , maybe high humidity and on off cycle makes a little more moisture at the plug , I dont think its the draw because its been way under my max load when its happened , its just ironic its always at that round plug where it burns out and thats all factory wiring , would puting a safty switch between the supply and each ballast stop it from burning , will a Safty Switch trip as soon as somthing goes amiss ?

 

Cheers

[Reverend]

I would strongly recommend a RCD for anyone that is growing.

I would be checking to see if the light socket you are using is in good condition as well.

[brick]

Is it corrosion or arcing? If the pins are loose in the female plug then they will arc causing a hot spot and it can look like the brass pin is corroding.

 

Definitely check your cable size. Like the others suggested. Then check all the cables going into both plugs for loose connections.