JB Ballests starting fires

[Pleb Scrubber]

I would tend to think its the ballast causing the problem.

If the wiring couldnt handle the amps being pulled thru it, then the wiring would melt or burn out, not the device. But before that happens the RCD should kick in unless its faulty.

 

Everyone should have a RCD (Residual current device), and most people already do. That will trip when too much current is being drawn.

 

Or an Earth leakage circuit breaker is used to detect too high voltage.

Check your switch board

 

Isnt the round pin the earth pin on a ballast? If it has any power flowing thru it then then it should trip the RCD

 

 

You should be afraid of getting burned while you sleep

[Reverend]

I would tend to think its the ballast causing the problem.

If the wiring couldnt handle the amps being pulled thru it, then the wiring would melt or burn out, not the device. But before that happens the RCD should kick in unless its faulty.

 

Everyone should have a RCD (Residual current device), and most people already do. That will trip when too much current is being drawn.

 

Or an Earth leakage circuit breaker is used to detect too high voltage.

Check your switch board

 

Isnt the round pin the earth pin on a ballast? If it has any power flowing thru it then then it should trip the RCD

 

 

You should be afraid of getting burned while you sleep

 

 

The voltage stays the same the current is what the earth leakage breaker detects.

 

The RCD detects the imbalance of current between active and neutral.

[Pleb Scrubber]

I could be wrong, im not a sparky

 

my understanding is that there are 2 types of earth leak breakers: current tripped and voltage tripped

the current tripped earth leak breakers = RCDs

if the earth pin is getting so hot as to melt the plug, it must be drawing current thru it, lots of current that should trip the RCD (current tripped breaker)

 

It might not be practical to get an electritian in to look at your grow room, but I wouldnt let it go untreated, you could burn your house down

 

I think theres a user here on oz who is an electrician, maybe post a photo of your switchboard?

[brick]

if the earth pin is getting so hot as to melt the plug, it must be drawing current thru it, lots of current that should trip the RCD (current tripped breaker)

 

Could be reversed polarity in the lead or the power point. Which an elb should open the circuit. I have been zapped a few times working on old equipment (refrig) that had that problem going into it. Would explain why the earth is burning (sounds like a good song title ).

 

If the ballast had a problem then just the ballast would blow, there would be no burning at the plug point. Gotta be either loose connections or reversed polarity. RP can be fataly dangerous.

[Roadblock]

Not saying its the round pin itself , just the plug containing the round pin is always where it melts dont know which of the contacts start it as the plug is beyond recognition , it could even start on the inside where that plug connects to the ballast side , its on the going to lamp side of the ballast the shade plug , the power supply side is fine didnt even trip the 10 amp breakers on a standard powerboard .

 

Its running of my garage and that doesnt have a RCD on it the house does , Im going to connect the garage to an RCD , I asked before but nobody answered , will an RCD stop the device from burning up ?

 

Cheers

Edited January 30, 2011 by Roadblock

[brick]

Imo you have to find the cause of the problem and fix it. I would be getting an elb first. You would also need to get the garage power tested. You may not be earthed in the garage. Again imo you may have shonky garage wiring.

[Reverend]

RCD will stop imbalance of current between active and natural and also over current, 2 types rated at 40 or 63 amps and will trip above that it is a circuit breaker combined RCD. It will prevent the device burning.

You need to check your wiring to your garage.

[Pleb Scrubber]

 

Its running of my garage and that doesnt have a RCD on it the house does , Im going to connect the garage to an RCD , I asked before but nobody answered , will an RCD stop the device from burning up ?

 

Cheers

 

It probably will stop the device burning up, but it does that by shutting off the power.

 

So it might not fix your problem, but it will improve your saftey

[Jonezy]

A RCD doesn't care how much current is flowing through the circuit, it only detects the imbalance as reverend said. This is in the event of the active shorting to earth and is mainly used to save people from electrocuting themselves (no help if you grab the active and neutral). A combined CB/RCD will trip if the circuit goes short circuit (Active to neutral) or overloads. The ballast in a light works by limiting the current flowing through the light bulb and if it doesn't then the bulb will generally go bang.

 

If your wiring to your grow area is inadequate (wrong cable size, poor connections etc) then voltage will be lower and may cause some devices to increase their current draw to maintain the same power (this will burn out motors). If your problem is on the connection from your ballast to your light I doubt the incoming voltage would be the problem, so it's probably a poor connection causing heat to build up. Street lights (HPS or MV) use a magnetic ballast and have a pretty good operating voltage range without any dramas.

 

You can't pump power out of a ballast. The bulbs are made to operate at a certain voltage (eg. 125W MV runs at 125V from memory). Too much variation from this will cause the light to either turn off or the bulb to fail.

 

You can purchase plug in RCDs that you plug into your socket and then power board into them.

[jaikai]

Your shed power supply is the problem here, unfortunate but needs a sparky to sort it. I hate giving elec advice, the stuff can kill even competent ppl.

 

Amazez me sone growers lose sleep at might over PH issues, etc yet have a potential house fire wired up and ready to go...