Anyone ever have a light pop, or have a fire?

Megas

Member

• Mar 7, 2012

• #1

So I'm kinda paranoid about growing in a tent or a ikea cab because of the enclosed space and grouped plants and such. Has anyone ever had a light burst and have a fire start before?
I'm looking into LED lights as well I realize they produce less heat but are still a full electrical unit. Any input would be good.

Better safe than sorry

 

Finepointcanon

Well-known member

Veteran

• Mar 7, 2012

• #2

Personally, I've been foolishly haphazard with my neem spraying right before the lights go off. Like, I've gotten up in the a.m. and found big water spots on the bulb. They handled that heroically, but I have heard of them popping for no reason.

 

MIway

Registered User

Veteran

• Mar 7, 2012

• #3

Megas said:

So I'm kinda paranoid about growing in a tent or a ikea cab because of the enclosed space and grouped plants and such. Has anyone ever had a light burst and have a fire start before?
I'm looking into LED lights as well I realize they produce less heat but are still a full electrical unit. Any input would be good.

Better safe than sorry

Click to expand...

never been there w they popped... thankfully. but yeah, almost like a bit of the core can melt & crack/pop the outer glass shell... come into rooms w glass around the floor, no doubt. those were all cheapo bulbs on cheapo ballast, ghetto rigged to the extreme... not saying other situations don't happen too.

good reason to always go with glass in the hood... even cooltubes vertically. could u imagine being underneath one w it pops... ouch!

 

M

mugenbao

• Mar 7, 2012

• #4

1000w Sun Master Cool Deluxe MH exploded inside reflector

MH Bulb:Exploded View

I know I've seen other threads, don't feel well enough to keep looking. As you can see, it happens.

 

foomar

Luddite

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Mar 7, 2012

• #5

They certainly can burst , and hot fragments can be projected a considerable distance and a real danger to eyes , the ballast may not trip out and continue to feed in power till the inner tube melts down and is a fire risk to whatever is underneath.

Many expensive bulbs will melt or fail if used with a digital ballast , some of the cheapest unbranded imports run fine , as they are over runs of branded products and real bargains can be found.

A poorly constructed chinese power supply is probably more dangerous in a led array than an HPS tube.

A bulb is most likely to fail on startup within the first few weeks , then many months till reliability falls off , very few that fail actually burst.

Cooltubes are great as long as the fan continues to run , if it stops then a meltdown is inevitable but at least contained.


The only fire i have seen was from a 23 watt chinese cfl in a desk lamp that would have burnt the house down , saved by a smoke alarm.

I would not feel safe with lots of these in a veg box or in the house , worth the extra for reputable branded.

 

CannabisTHC

Member

• Mar 7, 2012

• #6

I set up my cab years ago without the reflector since the plants were getting so tall, well I rigged the bulb too close to the shelf. After I finished I was planning on taking off to go to the store and on my way out of my apartment I smelled smoke. Lone and behold the light had gotten the shelf so hot it had burnt through the shelf to where it was black and filled my bedroom with smoke. Ended up setting the fire alarms off in the place, which wasn't good in itself. But luckily I averted disaster.

I have had a bulb go off in my face but that was just a normal light bulb in a fort house years ago.

 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Mar 7, 2012

• #7

us bare bulb grows are at and increased risk. I use a SS bowl filled with water directly under the bulb. It wont stop the flying pieces but the hot tube that falls will go into the bowl. I also put a tarp and square cider blocks on the floor in a 7x7 to protect the carpet from that

 

RidgeRebel

Member

• Mar 7, 2012

• #8

The fan at the bottom right corner of this pic started this fire at my buddy's spot. as crappy as it was to walk in to and discover, he's lucky the fire burned a hole in the rez and put itself out. yes, after destroying everything, even the paint was burned off the walls, the fire put it's self out and when he got there it was like it never happened... minus the (extensive) damage.

 

Megas

Member

• Mar 8, 2012

• #9

foomar said:

Many expensive bulbs will melt or fail if used with a digital ballast , some of the cheapest unbranded imports run fine , as they are over runs of branded products and real bargains can be found.

Click to expand...

Whaaat? What ballasts do you guys run?

RidgeRebel said:

The fan at the bottom right corner of this pic started this fire at my buddy's spot. as crappy as it was to walk in to and discover, he's lucky the fire burned a hole in the rez and put itself out. yes, after destroying everything, even the paint was burned off the walls, the fire put it's self out and when he got there it was like it never happened... minus the (extensive) damage.

Click to expand...

YIKES, what kinda fan was it? I have a cpl fans running in my house every day that makes me paranoid.

 

RidgeRebel

Member

• Mar 8, 2012

• #10

it was an old generic 6" oscillator. what had happened was so much gunk had built up in it that it would actually stop, and you'd come in and say, "hey your fans not on." and he'd go start it like a plane propeller. well i guess this time he didn't get to it quick enough and the motor overheated and wooooosh~

Clean your fans.

 

Megas

Member

• Mar 8, 2012

• #11

I'm curious about this whole digital ballast comment now. Who do you guys go with, it's odd since they are so much more efficient.

 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Mar 8, 2012

• #12

I use Lumatek never had any issues with them

 

foomar

Luddite

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Mar 8, 2012

• #13

Have a BAL ballast 600w digital running 12/12 for over six years without any problems , most bulbs available through non canna outlets will fail early.

This one was recommended as suitable for digital by the hydro retailer and website enquiry , am still finding shards all over the room and thank god i wear glasses.

High pitched noise from the glass dropped into audible range just before she blew , would really recommend shades or tougthened pescription glasses working around them live.

If there is a verified list of digi compatible bulbs somewhere i would love to see it.



That fanless BAL ballast is a reliable bit of kit , have had bulbs blow and mistakenly sparked up or unknowingly ran 400w and halide bulbs with no damage .

Screwing in a 400 w phillips retro white CMH was probably the worst electrical attrocity , hard to obtain and bloody expensive , lovely colour for 30 seconds ......


Those pictures of a fire caused by a stuck fan were disturbing , just retired a couple of cheap ones to be safe , one was very hot on the worn out bearings after a year on 24/7.

European or USA manufactured fans of higher quality with proper bearings are worth the extra money , some of the nasty chinese ones produce lots of RF interference from old poor design and would not risk a grow , or worse , on a loose change fan.

 

Megas

Member

• Mar 8, 2012

• #14

foomar said:

If there is a verified list of digi compatible bulbs somewhere i would love to see it.

Click to expand...

You know I have no idea how there isn't something like this on here. Maybe we can get a list going of known trusted ballasts and lights going.
What have guys have had years of reliability with? Looking for long term not just I've been running this bulb or ballast for 2 weeks and everything is fine.

 

foomar

Luddite

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Mar 9, 2012

• #15

Would expect all the ballasts to conform fairly close to the standard spec , seems to be a grey area with some bulbs as to being are rated or not , retailers are clueless and websites are often contradictory.

Hoped the industry would have moved to makeing only digital compatible by now , most new installations are digital and the slightly higher cost would be covered by reduction in inventory.

 

Megas

Member

• Mar 9, 2012

• #16

What I dont understand is most places I look for hardware at all I see is digital ballasts and the magnetic ones that are usually offered look like junk. Boggles my mind how bulbs aren't up for the task