Ballast stopped working

guy incognito

guy incognito

Well-Known Member
I have a 1000w switchable ballast, im not sure of the brand - it doesn't say on it. I think I bought it off ebay several years ago. Anyway,

I'm running it 18/6 with an old MH bulb.
I switch to 12/12 and change the bulb to HPS during the dark cycle, and I made sure to flip the switch to HPS.
The light never turns on, so I try 2 different HPS bulbs with no luck.
I verified the power was on up to the ballast.
I unplug it, flip it to MH and replace the bulb with a MH and plug it back in - no dice.
I grab the plug from the light socket and try to push it in to make sure it is still plugged in - it was.
I grab the power cord and try to push it into the ballast to make sure it is still plugged in and the connection started smoking. I didn't see any sparks, but it was smoking badly and smells like that burnt electrical smell.

I opened the ballast and it looks fine. everything still looks brand new inside. No fried or dirty wires, nothing disconnected.

WTF happened to my ballast? Why did it stop working? What caused it to smoke when I jiggled the power? I would have to throw out a good ballast just because it had a loose connection or something. Plus now I have a whole tent ready to flower that is sitting in the dark.
 
T

TWS

Well-Known Member
Could be the ignitor. Did you try a different socket or what was smoking ? Should be a place or a Hydro store that replaces parts.
 
C

callahanman

Member
SnapsProvolone said:
Sounds like a bad cord, perhaps kinked causing failure.
Click to expand...
Agree. Sounds like power cord problems, and since that is the simple fix go with that. Unplug ballast and take it down. Take the cover off, and look at the cord coming into it. Smoke equals heat and heat is caused by resistance, resistance can be caused by carbon buildup from loose/broken/bad connections. Could be as simple as a loose wire nut, check inside them. The problem area will be easy to spot, it will be melted and smutted up. You may need to wipe some of the smut off, use a paper towel and alcohol. If it's in the wires then you may have to take it off the switch, it should be easy to see how to do that but you may need to remove a switch cover, and most likely there are points where you take a screwdriver and loosen the lugs. Anyway take the cord off the lugs and cut off the bad part and strip it out, re-attach to lugs and try it. Take some pics with your phone or something as you go, that way things can go back together right. Or just take the ballast to an electrical supply house and ask one of the contractors that are buying stuff if he will take a look at it, sometimes they will help a bro out for a sixpack or a jay.
 
C

callahanman

Member
If it is inside the windings you may not see it right away, and the ballast is bad. If it smoked up then you should be able to find it, feel around and look for smut on your fingers.
 
WeeGogs

WeeGogs

Active Member
:fire:
guy incognito said:
I have a 1000w switchable ballast, im not sure of the brand - it doesn't say on it. I think I bought it off ebay several years ago. Anyway,

I'm running it 18/6 with an old MH bulb.
I switch to 12/12 and change the bulb to HPS during the dark cycle, and I made sure to flip the switch to HPS.
The light never turns on, so I try 2 different HPS bulbs with no luck.
I verified the power was on up to the ballast.
I unplug it, flip it to MH and replace the bulb with a MH and plug it back in - no dice.
I grab the plug from the light socket and try to push it in to make sure it is still plugged in - it was.
I grab the power cord and try to push it into the ballast to make sure it is still plugged in and the connection started smoking. I didn't see any sparks, but it was smoking badly and smells like that burnt electrical smell.

I opened the ballast and it looks fine. everything still looks brand new inside. No fried or dirty wires, nothing disconnected.

WTF happened to my ballast? Why did it stop working? What caused it to smoke when I jiggled the power? I would have to throw out a good ballast just because it had a loose connection or something. Plus now I have a whole tent ready to flower that is sitting in the dark.
Click to expand...

listen to a man that knows !!!

the metal halide bulb has an ignitor built in, you should hear it spark from the bulb when you turn the ballast on and the bulb will ignite.

the hps bulb has no ignitor so it stays out, because the ignitor is inside the hps ballast you dont hear it spark as the bulb ignites.
so when the bulb does not ignite you wonder what is wrong.

thats why a switch to turn the ignitor on for hps.

the ballast internal ignitor has given up the ghost, kaput, dead.

an hps bulb will not work in a metal halide ballast as the metal halide ballast has no ignitor when you buy it.

and better to smoke weed than to smoke your ballast or your house down !

dont fuck around with wires.
 
Green Troll

Green Troll

Active Member
i wouldn't take any chances here. if you have gotten a few years use out of an unbranded ebay ballast, you have got your moneys worth! now go buy a well known brand from a hydro store and relax knowing your electrics are of the highest quality :)
 
T

triedntrue

Member
callahanman said:
If it is inside the windings you may not see it right away, and the ballast is bad. If it smoked up then you should be able to find it, feel around and look for smut on your fingers.
Click to expand...
Jesus christ, do not listen to this advice. Some Ballast's have some large capacitors in them that could still be charged even if the ballast isn't working. Ballasts operate at high voltage and you don't want to get shocked. If you got more than 3 years out of a cheap unbranded ballast, throw it away and buy a nice replacement and things will work again.
 
WeeGogs

WeeGogs

Active Member
triedntrue said:
Jesus christ, do not listen to this advice. Some Ballast's have some large capacitors in them that could still be charged even if the ballast isn't working. Ballasts operate at high voltage and you don't want to get shocked. If you got more than 3 years out of a cheap unbranded ballast, throw it away and buy a nice replacement and things will work again.
Click to expand...
lol.

thought of a poem.

Mary had a little lamb it pissed upon a pylon,
10,000 volts went up its arse and turned its wool to nylon.
 
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