highgrade-singh Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Hey all, I've been reading up on the requirements to power a 1000w light bulb with reflector and ballast however am still abit confused. A friend of mine bought a 1000w Lumatek digital ballast from the grow shop along with a reflector and bulb as a package. However recently his reflector wires burnt out therefore today I've been checking the requirements to power it as I also use a 1000w Lumatek digital ballast and bulb but with my old reflector. I'm hoping someone can guide me with what I need to check to make sure its safe. I've read a few articles online however there are different views. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gb1 Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 if wires are burning...they are not the correct type or they have been installed incorrectly through the reflector. Do hydro stores not use grommets when connecting devises together? Last issue I read about this showed something to this effect anyway. It doesnt make sense to me that fires would occur as a result of adding a reflector... unless it was done by an unqualified person. @ 240 you'd need a circuit that can handle 4.1 amps.. hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
botanics Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) Make sure all connections are tight mate, IEC connectors fully plugged in, ballast on non combustible surface with plenty of ventilation around it, using a decent relay etc. e2a Most faults where conductor insulation has melted are due to faulty connection and arcing causing the heat, if it's the correct cable for the load and is not damaged etc it should be ok, just check that connection into the reflector, they can work lose from time to time Edited July 31, 2015 by botanics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrtibbs Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 I was pretty scared about how safe a 1000w ballast would be, but have been reassured by the many people that i know that use them. If anything a dodgy connection at the reflector sounds more likely. Still i decided to use 2,400w Ballasts instead. All that power to one bulb just worries me for some reason, but i am pretty sure they are safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSZZ Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Lumatek 1000w ballasts/reflectors I've noticed come with the standard 12amp 3 pin plug, where as the maxibright ones and some other manufacturers come with the bulkier 16amp one (iirc). Not saying thats the cause but perhaps a bit of info that might help the discussion? I'm not an electrician but always something that stood out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
botanics Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Lumatek 1000w ballasts/reflectors I've noticed come with the standard 12amp 3 pin plug, where as the maxibright ones and some other manufacturers come with the bulkier 16amp one (iirc). Not saying thats the cause but perhaps a bit of info that might help the discussion? I'm not an electrician but always something that stood out. You raise a good point there mate, although this is a digital ballast and should be a bit softer on the starting, a standard BS1362 13A fuse and plug should handle it. @@highgrade-singh I'm a spark by trade mate, without the numbers it's guesswork on the start up current etc, but I stand by what I've said previously, really make sure all connections and terminations are tight from plug to lamp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c20spit Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 (edited) what reflector was it being used on? as some are not suitable. 1000w systems used to use 3x 1.5mm cable but the industry is cutting costs so it seems the standard is now using 3x 1.0mm cable for 1000w. This should be fine as the running amps are ok on this cable its just the start up amps on the standard magnetic ballasts that is high but its only for a short time. 600w ballasts and a lot of shades now only use 3x 0.75mm, again this is on the limit for 600w and is definitely not suitable for 1000w. A lot of the cheaper stuff uses this size cable. the other problem they have is that a lot of cheap shades are just simply wired badly, if you are using 1.0mm cable but only clamp half of that cable in the bulb holder then you are basically using 0.5 cable for a small section. Edited July 31, 2015 by c20spit 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gb1 Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 I was pretty scared about how safe a 1000w ballast would be, but have been reassured by the many people that i know that use them. If anything a dodgy connection at the reflector sounds more likely. Still i decided to use 2,400w Ballasts instead. All that power to one bulb just worries me for some reason, but i am pretty sure they are safe. would that not make you think that maybe you have two electrical devices now, that could possibly do the exact same thing? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrtibbs Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) would that not make you think that maybe you have two electrical devices now, that could possibly do the exact same thing? Agree to a certain extent, but would you rather 1000w of energy causing a problem all going down one channel ( From - Plug socket, Cables, heat, reflector) or 400 w spread out with 2 separate plug sockets for the energy to travel down. Just seems safer to me, and less chance of burning out connectors at the reflector due to 2 separate points taking all that energy. i don't have to worry about if the reflector is up to the job of handling all that power if a bulb goes or one shuts off for any reason i have one still going even though i have less watts, i have a more even spread of light for my setup. my lamps fire up at different times so no huge 1000w+ spike at the same time on startup I understand what you are saying, but i just preferred a little less power than a 1000w. 1000w just seemed daunting for little old me. Edited August 1, 2015 by mrtibbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gb1 Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 well here's the thing...if it's wired properly..they shouldn't burn. why not rewire it so it's good? Seems like an easy fix by adding a grommet. or re positioning the shade so it does not let the wires burn with heat.... I just find it wrong that lights are burning at the shade entry. This is not the first time Ive read this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonisingt35r Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 i have my ballast inside a large deep metal baking tray which is off the ground by an inch or so so if the majic smoke does start it wont catch anything alight, and above it is a fire alarm, ive got another alarm on top of my test. just make sure all your connections are good, loose connections will generate heat eventually. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fra Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 U can get heat resistant flex cable that should solve the job but would mean re-wiring it from lampholder to inside ballast or heatproof connector block connected nearest to ballast as possible with a protective cover over connectors or lots of sparkys tape for safety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highgrade-singh Posted August 6, 2015 Author Share Posted August 6, 2015 The burnt wires were outside of the tent at the connection to the ballast. My friend bought the reflector, ballast & bulb as a package from the grow shop. The reflector wire is thicker then my usual 600w reflectors however there is no details on the reflector. I'm not very good with electrics but only the ballast has details regarding the current and voltage, the bulb just says 1000w HPS and the reflector has no details on it. The wires were all original and he didn't ever open or touch them so there shouldn't be any issues with the wiring. I'm assuming either the grow shop sold him a faulty package or he over powered the black-box contactor/timer? I hope I don't have any issues with my 1000w but at the moment have changed it back to a 600w just to be cautious and due to the high temps at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herbal Kint Posted November 20, 2023 Share Posted November 20, 2023 (edited) Went to check on my ballast connections and found a loose connection (that pin wasn't properly sitting in),saw one connected a bit on side, disconnected it and saw its melted a bit. Change cable or it's good to use? Check your cables fellas Edited November 20, 2023 by Herbal Kint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Posted November 20, 2023 Share Posted November 20, 2023 No mate, don't use that, just get a new one for a few quid. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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