Ok I originally was going to use cfl setup but really want hid lighting what is the safest ballast and why how often do hid lights catch fire? And what are some of the best safety measures you can take regaurding a fire with a ballast

use a digital ballast with a built in heat sink....
DO NOT encase the ballast in an enclosed area
DO NOT allow objects to sit over the top of the HID lamp
DO NOT allow objects to touch the HID lamp
DO have professional quality wiring and devises
DO NOT use cheap timers to run the ballast, make sure your timer is rated for INDUCTIVE LOADS
DO NOT let liquid touch the HID lamp at anytime when the lamp is hot
DO make sure the frame of the ballast is properly grounded.
DO NOT make cooltubes out of anything other than thermally rated glass.
DO NOT use a lamp that is bigger than the wattage rating of the ballast. 400w ballast means MAX 400w lamp..
DO have some type of guard to prevent accidental contact with the bulb in case the fixture falls or your a clutz like me
DO NOT touch the glass of the lamp with bare hands, ever, even when off. your fingers leave oils on the glass that burn and create hotspots, which can make your bulb explode in rare instances.
DO NOT cycle ballasts between lamps without restarting the ballast (2 room relay operation)
DO NOT trust anyone that says there brothers friends cousin is an electrician and he said that you (insert whacky idea here)
Do take very careful precautions to ensure you have proper ventilation if using your HID system in an enclosed area (fans, cooltubes, outside exhaust, outside intake)

i think that covers it all

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it really depends on your space. it may not make sense to use HID lighting at all.

what's your grow space dimensions?

It's not the ballast that will catch fire. It's the hot glass flying from an exploding bulb (at around 1800F, I think), that will instantly ignite whatever is flammable. just practice some of the safety measures detailed by iam5toned.. seriously.

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3x3 4 ladies I was thinking 400w

One thats UL rated. If it fails, UL becomes a defendant in the lawsuit. So they make dang sure its safe before they approve it.

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