burning smell from ballast?

Hi all,
I have a 400w ballast. It came as part of a kit so I imagine its pretty cheap. It hasn't got a screen or anyway to adjust it. I think its magnetic. Anyway I have used it for a few hours and it is really hot. I can't hold my hand on it. There is also a smell of burnt plastic. Is this normal? And if it is unsafe would it just shut down?

take a picture of the ballast and post it

ive had a magnetic 400watt ballast and it was pretty hot ya, had a winding sound to it but it was encased in a metal housing so there was no *plastic* burning smell but time to time it had a little odor but that was just becuz of how hot it was up against/laying on anything. It doesnt sound good. Im not sure what would happen but it could catch fire inside. Call and ask the manufacturer or whoever you ordered it from.

The heats definitely normal. My cheap htg 400 mag is way too hot to hold my hand on. It's been like this for 4+ years.
And the smell I notice when the light has been off for a few weeks and turned back on.
I'd just keep an eye on it since its new though.

Could be cuz its new. If the odor persists after a couple cycles I'd return it. Not worth risking your family/belongings.

Buy a Solis Tek digital ballast, cost a bit more but well worth it. You will be in love with it.

furious248 said:

Hi all,
I have a 400w ballast. It came as part of a kit so I imagine its pretty cheap. It hasn't got a screen or anyway to adjust it. I think its magnetic. Anyway I have used it for a few hours and it is really hot. I can't hold my hand on it. There is also a smell of burnt plastic. Is this normal? And if it is unsafe would it just shut down?

Click to expand...

most modern electronics have a petroleum shipping spray to prevent rust during long term storage and shipping to higher humidity climates.... I say the smell is just build up shipping spray, if you're afraid of it lighting on fire, go out to the garage and let it run full blast overnight on the concrete floor.... I doubt there's any potential for danger, but I'm not an electrician, or the manufacturer of your ballast...

Frozen has a point, tho that oil should burn off within micro seconds of ignition, understanding what happening in a ballast in not really important to operating, one ...like a pc? ..lol
but the bottom line is household current goes in one end e.g 240v DC, and a huge amount of current comes out the other, that huge amount starts the sodium filament then settles back to be just fucking high current, to be able to reach these high peaks, capacitors are used, to manipulate store and discharge this volume of current, and if these leak,....its a world of shit to the owner/grower
naturally the owner grower don't know this until he turns the lamp on and often its to late, the easiest way to have a capacitor leak is simply rough handling or a drop of the ballast, tho they are sturdy built these days, any smells or weird shit ...I repeat

Shut it down email the store you got it for more,
use this post as a reference ..
the voltages are dangerous avoid fucking around

see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_ballast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium-vapor_lamp

Thanks for all the replys. I am still a bit confused because of the mixed answers. I have some sweet tooth auto sprouting with CFLs now . but I need my hps. I have asked for a replacement but of worst comes to worst I'm going to have to try. I'm gonna make a steel box to stop a spreadof fire just invade.

no new ballast should smell of any sort of burning return it to your retailer and at least ask for a replacment but wot the guys r saying is true magnetic ballasts have a very thin coating of a heat resistent product but imo it should not smell at all...