Question about mounting Magnetic MH/ HPS ballasts

crazyc123

crazyc123

Member
i have several brand new ballasts that im hanging and im worried about the heat, and i know heat rises so i was planning on mounting them high up, but they are really heavy and i have to mount them to something study, so i was figuring that i could mount them to the ceiling support 2x10 studs. i have some pictures, but was worried about the heat, is it safe to mount them to the wood, i mean i know they get warm, but i shouldnt have any issues right ?

also the ballasts say "this side up" so im assuming they have to be mounted perpendicular



i posted several pictures, so let me know what you think



any ideas, suggestions, warning, etc. would be greatly appreciated
 

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Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
crazyc123 said:
i have several brand new ballasts that im hanging and im worried about the heat, and i know heat rises so i was planning on mounting them high up, but they are really heavy and i have to mount them to something study, so i was figuring that i could mount them to the ceiling support 2x10 studs. i have some pictures, but was worried about the heat, is it safe to mount them to the wood, i mean i know they get warm, but i shouldnt have any issues right ?

also the ballasts say "this side up" so im assuming they have to be mounted perpendicular



i posted several pictures, so let me know what you think



any ideas, suggestions, warning, etc. would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
DANGER WILL ROBINSON.The first pic is pointing out part of an Ikea style shelf. That I tried to burn in a yard fire. I used it as a ballast wall for old school toaster ballasts, and still kept an inch of daylight between. (second pic) I bought this 1000 a a local grow shop for $99. U.S. before I saw the digital on Amazon ; 4 for $420. As for that 1000, it scares the F out of me. I keep it on the cold concrete floor( there is no watering in the room at this time) The ballast gets hotter than a two dollar pistol! I don't what the flash-point on those wood shelves is, but there is somebody around here who does to be sure.
 

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Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
crazyc123 said:
i have several brand new ballasts that im hanging and im worried about the heat, and i know heat rises so i was planning on mounting them high up, but they are really heavy and i have to mount them to something study, so i was figuring that i could mount them to the ceiling support 2x10 studs. i have some pictures, but was worried about the heat, is it safe to mount them to the wood, i mean i know they get warm, but i shouldnt have any issues right ?

also the ballasts say "this side up" so im assuming they have to be mounted perpendicular



i posted several pictures, so let me know what you think



any ideas, suggestions, warning, etc. would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Here is an idea. I realize the concrete block is to thick for your application, there are thinner alternatives that will help defer the heat but you get the jist.
 

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crazyc123

crazyc123

Member
just have them chilling on the floor ? im trying to have them out of the grow room or up high, cause heat rises, trying to keep the heat out of the room. i have 8 1000w fixtures, so you can emagine the heat im going to have.

im trying to do this build clean and dont want ballasts lying all over the floor. tyring to mount them up high or out of way.
 
crazyc123

crazyc123

Member
the picture is the ballast mounted to the ceiling studs in basement

where did u get digital for 4 for 420

and im still in the market for hoods
 
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Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
crazyc123 said:
just have them chilling on the floor ? im trying to have them out of the grow room or up high, cause heat rises, trying to keep the heat out of the room. i have 8 1000w fixtures, so you can emagine the heat im going to have.

im trying to do this build clean and dont want ballasts lying all over the floor. tyring to mount them up high or out of way.
Click to expand...
No not on the floor, but like the other poster said, put a tile instead of a brick between the wood and the ballast. I was just using the brick as an example. I like to keep my ballasts up and away also. Mounting them outside the grow box is always best. The second pic is an early attempt. I learned what not to do.
 

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crazyc123

crazyc123

Member
so i see you had all those ballast hanging on the wall, what was the out come that you learned NOT to do

either dont have them in the room or else dont hang them in the wall. im just at a loss where to out them
 
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Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
crazyc123 said:
so i see you had all those ballast hanging on the wall, what was the out come that you learned NOT to do
Click to expand...
Yup! That's me and my brother trying to figure out how to get to the back of the room without breaking any more branches. We had some heat issues as well. Now I always keep my junque where I can work on it. As you can see, the Apollos are "outside the box"
 
Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
crazyc123 said:
i have several brand new ballasts that im hanging and im worried about the heat, and i know heat rises so i was planning on mounting them high up, but they are really heavy and i have to mount them to something study, so i was figuring that i could mount them to the ceiling support 2x10 studs. i have some pictures, but was worried about the heat, is it safe to mount them to the wood, i mean i know they get warm, but i shouldnt have any issues right ?

also the ballasts say "this side up" so im assuming they have to be mounted perpendicular



i posted several pictures, so let me know what you think



any ideas, suggestions, warning, etc. would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Also, I'm curious, what type of controller/controlers are you pushing 8000w through?
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
@crazyc123 GO GREEN! welcome bro....

#1: Mount ALL ballasts OUTSIDE the grow area = No added heat. In a stand alone building. Mine are in the "attic" space, along with all filtered light cooling intakes and exhausts (Peak vented).

#2: At any lumber yard or place like Lowe's, Menard's etc. You can buy what is called "fire board". It is for use around wood stoves and will not catch fire from any ballast or problem like an overload from the ballast......I mount ALL my ballasts in a row on this board for just this reason. I recently had an older fused 1K digital overload and actually started the plastic around the fuse on fire. The fire alarm (should be included in ALL grows) caught it and sent a message to my phone.....Everything came out peachy (the fire was out by the time I ran out and dropped the stairs) and the "fire board" did it's job by only discoloring a bit..

SAFETY FIRST!!
 
bird mcbride

bird mcbride

Well-Known Member
I prefer the industrial ballasts with the 120/240/360/vac primaries. I always install a 10/15 amp inline breaker when hard wiring, just before the ballast, never at 120/vac.

Fireproofing is an absolute.

Apparently the length of the cord from the ballast to the HID light fixture should be kept as short as practical. I chain the ballasts to the ceiling next to the reflector with dog leash size chain and outside the box. I find the ballasts run cooler outside the ballast box.

For people that run these tents it would be a completely different matter. IMO the "grow tent" manufacturers should be "thinking" about a proper mount for an HID ballast.

NEVER mount a ballast on the floor. Keep it completely away from any possibility of it coming in contact with you and/or water.
 
bird mcbride

bird mcbride

Well-Known Member
I time the lights using a digital timer and $5 relays, one relay per 1/kw HID. The timer is used to activate the 12/vdc source that activates the relay(s). The relays switch the HID's on the HOT side or in some countries, the black wire. Never switch on the common/gnd side or white wire, in some countries. Each relay is equipped with a 15 amp bypass switch that I can use to switch on the HID'(s) manually in the event of a sub circuit circuit failure.

Common wall plug in timers and HID's do not mix well directly.

If what you've just read makes no sense to you, get a timer that is meant for HID lighting.
 
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Oregon Gardener

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
Dr. Who said:
@crazyc123 GO GREEN! welcome bro....

#1: Mount ALL ballasts OUTSIDE the grow area = No added heat. In a stand alone building. Mine are in the "attic" space, along with all filtered light cooling intakes and exhausts (Peak vented).

#2: At any lumber yard or place like Lowe's, Menard's etc. You can buy what is called "fire board". It is for use around wood stoves and will not catch fire from any ballast or problem like an overload from the ballast......I mount ALL my ballasts in a row on this board for just this reason. I recently had an older fused 1K digital overload and actually started the plastic around the fuse on fire. The fire alarm (should be included in ALL grows) caught it and sent a message to my phone.....Everything came out peachy (the fire was out by the time I ran out and dropped the stairs) and the "fire board" did it's job by only discoloring a bit..

SAFETY FIRST!!
Click to expand...
I want to post that in my thread Safety Dance.I had forgotten about fire board:)
 
crazyc123

crazyc123

Member
bird mcbride said:
I prefer the industrial ballasts with the 120/240/360/vac primaries. I always install a 10/15 amp inline breaker when hard wiring, just before the ballast, never at 120/vac.

Fireproofing is an absolute.

Apparently the length of the cord from the ballast to the HID light fixture should be kept as short as practical. I chain the ballasts to the ceiling next to the reflector with dog leash size chain and outside the box. I find the ballasts run cooler outside the ballast box.

For people that run these tents it would be a completely different matter. IMO the "grow tent" manufacturers should be "thinking" about a proper mount for an HID ballast.

NEVER mount a ballast on the floor. Keep it completely away from any possibility of it coming in contact with you and/or water.
Click to expand...
yah i didnt want them on the floor, thats why i wanted to mount them off the ceiling joist studs, thinking now, more like lining the studs with fire board and mounting the ballasts to the fireboard, what do you all think about that ?
 
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