Electrician Needed!! - Page 3

GrowFun21 · 09-25-2002, 02:08 PM

I want to try it out at another house first. I have pretty much ruled out sending it back thorugh the mail because I do not trust the company (Indoorgrowlights.com) that I got it from. My thoughts were this : Isnt a switcvhable system simply an enclosure with a MH and an HPS ballast inside the same box and a toggle switch connected to them? If this were the case and I had a bad ballast, shouldnt the other one work?. I have tried both by plugging it directly into the wall socket. As soon as I hit the power switch The 20 amp fuse blows. The electrical system is only supposed to have 15 amp fuses to begin with. Right now I am just trying to make sure I do not have a bad product. I live in a house that is WAY outdated, so I am hoping this is the problem....if we turn on the microwave and hairdryer at the same time the fuse blows. What worries me more is that if it a bad ballast, where in the world would I take it to get it fixed. It is a diamond Lumenarc III, but I received no papers that said anything about a warranty. ......

jvthc4me · 09-25-2002, 02:23 PM

It's unfortunate, but without a warranty and a reputable company with which to negotiate that warranty, you may be stuck with the product. You probably should consider contacting the manufacturer, explain that you don't trust the vendor, and see if they'll help. Investigate that route before you void what warranty you might have by opening the box.

If you have no warranty, then it's up to you. The wiring of these devices is incredibly simple. Search the net for ballast and you'll find wiring diagrams for typical units (there are VERY few alterations). Unless memory fails me, the same transformer is used (with possibly different taps for various voltages), and the capacitor and / or ignitor is required for HPS, while the ignitor (as I recall) is not required for MH. The switch would simply alter the circuit to include the correct capacitor, tap and ignitor for whichever lamp you choose.

That said, it could be a short in the transformer. That would probably cause it to smell burnt. It could be a short in the wiring that supplies the transformer, or even from the transformer forward. This would explain how it could draw enough power to blow a fuse. It should draw about 1/3 the power of a hairdryer. If you can run a hair dryer on the same circuit (i.e. the same plug on the wall) as the ballast, then no doubt the ballast is at fault.

I don't believe the capacitor or ignitor can fail in such a way that causes this - they would likely fail to ignite and run the bulb.

That's all of the bad news.

Some good news can be found in a search for "ballast." There are companies that specialize in ballast kits - which contain all of the parts and diagrams that would rebuild the unit. If the transformer is bad, this may be your best bet. Cost would be under $80.

If you can handle a soldering iron and follow instructions for about six wires, you're probably able to fix the problem. Otherwise, you'll need to find someone who can.

GrowFun21 · 09-25-2002, 08:47 PM

It has to be a bad ballast......I took it to my friends house, where there are ciruit breakers and up to date elctrical outlets and it blew the fuse both times, once on the HPS witch and once on the MH switch........can anyone interpret possible problems fomr thsi now?....I am going to take the ballast apart and post pics as soon as I finish this paper.....hopefully There will be one wirethat is visibly burnt out and we can fix it.......Ill be back with pics ASAP

JimiC · 09-26-2002, 02:35 AM

ok, as someone said a few posts ago, you dont want to void your warranty if you can avoid it.

in a lot of cases its possible to peel off the "warranty void if broken" seals that they stick over the screws or joins in the casing of electrical things.

its worth spending some time and unsticking that seal with as much care as possible, then if you dont find anything that can be fixed, you still have the chance to put it back together and send it back.

GrowFun21 · 09-26-2002, 01:11 PM

here is one pic........you can see the ballast looks kinda charred.......keep in mind that we had the MH bulb in when the HPS switch was on (I know, it wasnt me)....It would fire up to full power and then go dim, then fire up again....ths happened until it blew the fuse sometime after an hour and now whenever i plug it in it immediately blows the fuse (when turned on)

GrowFun21 · 09-26-2002, 01:13 PM

and another.....

GrowFun21 · 09-26-2002, 01:15 PM

one more view after this

GrowFun21 · 09-26-2002, 01:17 PM

here...........I can take more form different angles if anyone thinks they will help....just instruct me on what you want the pic of..........Any ideas as to what is messed up?

uncle-al · 09-27-2002, 08:28 AM

do us a favor and see if you can get a clear clos up of the wiring diagram on the transformer

i suspectthe transformer is damaged the starters look good and so does the capacitor but that is just a visual inspection there is some information on the ballast sticker that i can make use of

if you cant get a good picture try to draw it out in paint and load it aS a BMP

GrowFun21 · 09-27-2002, 09:41 AM

Im not sure how much more pics would help....Im taking it to a shop about an hour away to be fixed....I realized that even if you guys knew the problem I would probably not be able to fix it, so I am gonna take it in. They can do it in a day and they said the most it would cost to replace everything inside the casing is 170 bucks (parts and labor).........does this sound like an OK price?....they seemed pretty cool....they offered me a replacement light to use for the day they would have mine.....it is a hydrofarm store listed on hydromall.com, so I am assuming they are legit

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