Help digital ballast keep blowing???!!???

[terrapin710]

Hey all my "buddy" has some issues. He was running a 1000 w magnetic ballast for about 8-10 months and burned out. Then he switched to a galaxy digital 1000w and 6 months later blah luckily still under warranty but had to buy a quantum digital 1000w because could not wait the coupke weeks to get the replacement and less then 2 months gone.HHe checked fuses and replaced and still not turning on he is back on his replacement galaxy but put a heavy duty surge protector on it. Any ideas or similar experiences and this is a EXPENSIVE LEARNING CURVE AT THE LEAST! All input welcomed. Thanks in advance. Ocean grown for life

 

[CrocodileStunter]

this is something wit the wiring in the building. I have ballasts over 20 years old that are still going

 

[terrapin710]

Right that's kinda what I was thinking although my house is less then 25 years old so the wiring is up to date and no electronics with similar watt.. Have ever had issues that's only reason I questioned it

 

[thumper60]

could be just shit luck

 

[a senile fungus]

I'm no electrician, but it sounds like an issue with outlet, wiring, or breaker.

If multiple ballasts have been tried and they're all failing, then what are you hooking up to that is blowing them?

Have you tried different outlets or a different curcuit in the house?

 

[terrapin710]

The third question is not an option for him. And I don't understand the second? He has a 1000 watt and a 4 bulb 56w t5 and a fan is everything plugged don't know why it's blowing he has never had an issue with any other electronics of any type in his house.

 

[sonson176]

Get a meter and check the voltage, then turn on all the equipment and check the voltage again. I'd be willing to bet there's a decent sized voltage drop. Less voltage=more current(amps), eventually things burn up when the current gets high enough above what it was designed for. What voltage is he running the ballasts on? If he's running them on 120, changing them to 240 will definitely cure the voltage drop, unless it's already really low to begin with. Check the frequency if the voltages are okay, although unless there's some huge industrial shit nearby it's probably fine.

 

[terrapin710]

Get a meter and check the voltage, then turn on all the equipment and check the voltage again. I'd be willing to bet there's a decent sized voltage drop. Less voltage=more current(amps), eventually things burn up when the current gets high enough above what it was designed for. What voltage is he running the ballasts on? If he's running them on 120, changing them to 240 will definitely cure the voltage drop, unless it's already really low to begin with.

Thanks bro I appreciate all the help but much more useful when there are some specifics.. The wiring, the outlets, and the breaker possibly I knew in my own.. At the risk of sounding like an ass I don't know what other then those that it could be other then doing something deliberately to it causeing them to die.. Because his room does not have anything crazy going on so it was obvious it was electrical.. So again thank you everyone for the responses.. Son son thanks for the help.. He is at 120. If he rigs the outlet for the 240 he should be good? Sorry when it comes to the actual houses electrical system im not the brightest bulb in the hood lol and when you say check frequency as in if he goes the 240 route check it because that will/ could somehow change it of check it now? Also by adding the surge protector will it protect from drops or just surges? Again thanks for the help brother especially with the cost of these ballast and more importantly my safety..

 

[ttystikk]

Hey all my "buddy" has some issues. He was running a 1000 w magnetic ballast for about 8-10 months and burned out. Then he switched to a galaxy digital 1000w and 6 months later blah luckily still under warranty but had to buy a quantum digital 1000w because could not wait the coupke weeks to get the replacement and less then 2 months gone.HHe checked fuses and replaced and still not turning on he is back on his replacement galaxy but put a heavy duty surge protector on it. Any ideas or similar experiences and this is a EXPENSIVE LEARNING CURVE AT THE LEAST! All input welcomed. Thanks in advance. Ocean grown for life

This sounds like the circuit itself has issues. The most likely cause is a loose connection somewhere that's causing excess resistance. Resistance = heat and loss of power, which could easily explain what you've been seeing.

To investigate, turn off the power at the main breaker to the house. Then work backwards from the outlet and tighten everything down tight. Chances are good you'll find a connection that's loose and hot. If not, then check the temperature of the circuit breaker on that circuit. If it's getting really hot, replace it with one of the same size- do NOT uprate your breakers!

Hope this helps. Do not touch live lines with tools. It is your life I'm trying to save.

 

[billy4479]

What usually kills both magnetic and digital is heat , that's why most of your digital have wasted energy toward a little fan inside , some are even selling external fans to aid in cooling them I bet money there just operating in to warm of a environment . Move them out of the room put them on milk crates or screen move air under or around like cooling any electronic device a heat sink doesn't exchange heat very will without moving air or water to move the heat away , my oldest magnetic ballast is 9 years old and still runs , because I cool it , those digitals say generator ready because they can handle unbalanced power loads , it's heat. Not your power