I was an idiot. I should not have tried to tend plants after a day of feeling in a fog. Well I did. I was moving plants around and something fell into something else that somehow caused the plug that goes between the ballast and light to catch fire. It is covered under a warranty for a year but I think that only covers defects. My questions are, can I just repair the plug and back plate or will I have to replace the whole ballast? (the cord that went to the wall seems fine) Until I replace it, they will have half the light they usually do. Everything seems out thank God, but is there any chance of damage to the electrical wiring? Lesson learned, no tending to things in a daze (this was not from smoking) and keep a cleaner room. thanks for any helpful info
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Almost had a fire, now what?
- Thread starter Red Fang
- Start date
I dont think this is the right forum for this question....post a pic of the damage. If its just superficial I would replace the cords..
I'll second that.
Gotta say, if your breaker didn't blow, you are risking another fire.
On a properly fused circuit a fast blowing breaker should prevent this sort of thing.
Since you are replacing the duplex outlet anyway, it would be a good idea to replace it with a GFI outlet, (Ground fault interrupt).
Can't be too safe when ya no want attention.
Aloha,
Weezard
Gotta say, if your breaker didn't blow, you are risking another fire.
On a properly fused circuit a fast blowing breaker should prevent this sort of thing.
Since you are replacing the duplex outlet anyway, it would be a good idea to replace it with a GFI outlet, (Ground fault interrupt).
Can't be too safe when ya no want attention.
Aloha,
Weezard
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thanks, I will but have to get batteries so tomorrow probably. sometimes the prescriptions I take hit me harder than others. I have the ballast inside an old unused oven and when I open the door there is still heat in my face but no smoke odor. This is probably normal for a ballast to give off heat after going off anyway. I heard a clicking sound and noticed a small flame. I immedately unplugged it and there appears to be some blackness on the prongs of the plug that connects to the ballast. A little plastic or rubber or whatever it was melted, both on the plug itself and on the ballast where it meets up with this plug. Just a little corner of both. The plug and cord that carry juice from the wall to the ballast seem completely undamaged. I will post pics later but I am so thankful I was not having to explain this to a fire dude. I notice on the HTG website that they have some assembly thing for 8.95. Provided there is no internal damage, would that do the trick? I will keep checking it but it seems to be gradually cooling from almost too hot to touch to just warm.
I post that before your post, sorry.
are you saying there could be an electrical fire going on inside the walls or something? If so how would I know or what could I do?
oh think you are saying a fire is a risk if I continue using it the way it is, not that there is any immediate risk. Yeah the 20 amp circuit breaker did not blow, an exhaust fan and timer are plugged in and working apparently fine.
are you saying there could be an electrical fire going on inside the walls or something? If so how would I know or what could I do?
oh think you are saying a fire is a risk if I continue using it the way it is, not that there is any immediate risk. Yeah the 20 amp circuit breaker did not blow, an exhaust fan and timer are plugged in and working apparently fine.
um,did you just say you had the ballast inside an oven? if so,count yourself as lucky,it didnt happen sooner,dont ever ever ever do that again....go buy a new ballast,take your lumps on this one,what you did was kinda dumb...
no I said I just put it into an unused oven that has no juice going to it (after the fact, when nothing external was going on anymore), in case something was still going on inside the ballast where I couldn't see it. The oven has a self clean option where it heats to 900 inside to clean it, so on the slight chance it had yet to catch fire, I would be safer. No, the ballast was on bricks on the ground and things got knocked over into it, including an empty plastic bag and it started combusting. It looks like light superficial damage but lesson learned in many ways. I was franctically trying to rush around and do things and will not repeat that again (so yes kind of dumb that I was trying to rush around in this condition and that this allowed a plastic bin to knock and press an empty bag into the ballast and that the bag and bin was allowed to be there to do this in the first place).
Oh ok I just dont see what caught fire? Something fell inside the ballest??? This is a mag ballest? How the hell did that bag get inside? Very strange.
so do I see if they will cover it under warranty (I go to the place in person) or save myself the humiliation and replace it? If it was only the outside that got slightly singed the internals could be fine? or is there a chance they may not be? I will have someone who I trust and knows more than me look at it and/or post pics first. I certainly won't use it, just a matter of how much I need to replace. thanks
no they are in a cool room outside the grow room (of course I do not have them in an oven while in operation, I may be a bonehead once in a blue moon but not that stupid 
), I mentioned that I put it in the oven just to make sure it was still not any internal combustion going on.
), I mentioned that I put it in the oven just to make sure it was still not any internal combustion going on.
my concern would be that the heat of even a short lived flame could have melted a small bit of rubber/plastic that coats/separates conducting wires. And that those now exposed bits of metal could short circuit at some point allowing an internal fire to break out you may not notice until you return to a pile of ashes where the house once sat.
http://www.nehydro.com/indoor-lighting/hid-ballasts?sort=featured&page=2
my ballast came from htg but looks a lot like this one (bottom, 2nd one from left). See the black thing on back where it plugs into? The outer edge of the plug (the one that goes to the light not the one that goes to the juice and the wall) and the area where it plugs into appear slightly damaged on the edge. The bag left a black spot on top of the ballast also (away from the plugs). Again I will post pics when I get batteries for the camera.
my ballast came from htg but looks a lot like this one (bottom, 2nd one from left). See the black thing on back where it plugs into? The outer edge of the plug (the one that goes to the light not the one that goes to the juice and the wall) and the area where it plugs into appear slightly damaged on the edge. The bag left a black spot on top of the ballast also (away from the plugs). Again I will post pics when I get batteries for the camera.
well point well taken. I will have someone I know and trust open in up tonight or early tomorrow (unless there is any chance warranty would cover it and then the guys at the hydro shop should check it) and see if such damage is visible. Are you telling me that even if there is not the slightest sign of any charring/damage in there, there could still be unseen damage? I guess it is not worth risking but please answer the question if you could anyway.
you need to have an electrician look at the ballast and test it. you could test it yourself of course, first check all the wires for any sign of damage, then see if the ballast still works, if yes let it run for an hour and check how hot it gets and how warm the cables are. if it seems to be getting too hot, you will know it cannot longer be used. basically those ballasts are made to last, can you open it and look inside? if you can open it thats the first thing i'd check once it's cooled down and no power going to it of course. if you see any components looking burnt out it is clear too. but it would not surprise me if it still works, as long as it wasn't broken and that caused the fire? not sure a ballast should get hot enough to ignite stuff touching it? at least my 600 watt ballast and lights don't get that hot. if you have an electrician buddy best ask him in the end, or at least post pics of everything in detail so the electronically talented members can help you.
Thats a mag ballest just replace the Transformer/cap/ignitor/lamp cord you will have a new ballest. The internal parts will run ya 50-75$
http://1000bulbs.com/product/89504/...=PLUSRITE777dash7777263&site=pricegrabber.com
http://1000bulbs.com/product/89504/...=PLUSRITE777dash7777263&site=pricegrabber.com
no chance at all of your warranty covering you against you dropping something flammable onto it. Your home contents insurance might, but I wouldn't fancy filling out the details on that form. The slightest chance? There's the slightest chance of almost anything. The chance is small. But so is the cost of a new one. The cost of a new home isn't. Cost risk reward ratio comes into play.
thanks for the friendly advice man! If I absolutely had to spend $170 or so for a new 1000 w switchable ballast, I would, but I don't really have lots of spare money. Believe me, I will take no chances, if anything seems even slightly damaged I would replace it but can't really afford to replace what I don't have to. I think you understand that. The dude who can help me is out having a good time and don't want to bother him. He will prob be furious and rip me, but then will check it out tomorrow, likely afternoon.
Maybe I will have time to get the necessary repairs/replacements after that, it depends on him. So we are talking all day tomorrow at half light, maybe another day, will that harm things?
OK so I went and checked in the oven and maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but something smelled a little funny. But when I touched the ballast it was only slightly warm and cooler than before. I still got a waft of warm air when I opened the oven. But I think I am ok. I touched where it meets the plug and it crumbled a little, there was a little charred ash there or whatever. but just in that corner. ok well we will see. thanks
Carbon tracking can as much of a problem as physical damage. Carbon is conductive and the electricity can arc across it, particularly with the high voltage spike that HID lamps need to start. I'm still not understanding what the ignition source was, but I wouldn't use the ballast until it was checked out. As long as you still have lights going during the proper period, things should be fine. Growth might slow a bit, but the light will keep everything going as it should be.
ok well bad news is I may not be able to go to the store until day after tomorrow but good news is the insides are absolutely pristine, not the slightest signs of black or damage at all. just superficial plug/thing it connected into damage. A little charring from the rubber on the metal prongs of the plug that can be wire brushed, I think I can manage that! still can't believe things were catching fire and that I came that close to disaster, not a laughing matter at all! I have a lot of time on my hands these days so I may try plugging it in and watching what happens, constantly for an hour while I fart around down there and then check every 15 minutes for any smoke or other horrors!
I have pics but can't find the cord to plug in to, sounds almost too hard to believe I know but it is true. no damage but to rubber, no cord damage so I will see. wish me luck for I need it! thanks
still can't believe things were catching fire and that I came that close to disaster, not a laughing matter at all! I have a lot of time on my hands these days so I may try plugging it in and watching what happens, constantly for an hour while I fart around down there and then check every 15 minutes for any smoke or other horrors! I have pics but can't find the cord to plug in to, sounds almost too hard to believe I know but it is true. no damage but to rubber, no cord damage so I will see. wish me luck for I need it!
thanks
