Almost had a fire, now what?

[rives]

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!

If the carbon has impregnated the rubber, simply wire-brushing it isn't going to take care of it. Some electrical solvent (not WD-40) may take care of it in addition to the wire brushing. There is a reason that the lamp sockets are rated for 4,000 volts, and it doesn't take much conductivity for that shit to flash to where you don't want it. If you have access to a meter that will read in meg ohms (millions of ohms), you can get a pretty good idea when it's clean.

Good luck.

 

[gaiusmarius]

as rives said the plants will be fine with the lights that are running, if you get it fixed in a few days all will be well with yields too. the warranty in no way covers things that are your fault. that includes accidentally dropping some flammable plastic on the ballast, lol.

gl with it man, lets hope your electrician buddy gives it a check over and replaces the singed bits for ya. do post some pics of the damage.

 

[Red Fang]

well I thank you for your posts but have to re-read to understand as I am not too coherent right now. It was wire brushed, and operated for over 8 hours while I was mostly down there cleaning and watching it. When first plugged in, it made a brief sharp buzz but then it worked fine. I kept worrying and thinking smoke was coming off. It seemed in the dim light like heat waves were coming out, but I think it was mind over matter. Never a funky smell, never a funky visible problem at all while closely watching with a flashlight. The light worked fine, and the ballast seemed to as well. I will only operate it while I am awake but I think it is ok. I want to replace the slightly singed parts and will, but not really that bad once cleaned up. I have pics but only the before it was cleaned up. I might as well post them since I have them but I need help with that too so not tonight. I think I dodged a bullet here for sure!

 

[pip313]

I want to know what started the fire, a flammable liquid, or the plug becoming partly unplugged?

 

[GoodyTwoShoes]

All houses now should have a safety fuse or switch or whatever they are called.
That means if something shorts out the switch will switch off the electricity in one millionth of a second, so it's impossible to electrocute yourself or start a fire.

Sounds like you didn't have a short circuit, but as you said a plastic bag fell onto the ballast and caught fire. That shouldn't happen because they don't get hot enough to start a fire, maybe melt things but not start a fire.

Anyway sounds like you should keep your grow room clean, no plastic bags or junk cluttering up the space.

 

[Red Fang]

I want to know what started the fire, a flammable liquid, or the plug becoming partly unplugged?

You gave me an idea! yes still don't have pics, well I do but between worrying about posting them and only having the before pics not the after it was cleaned ones, I wonder what point they would serve. But I digress, you have a point. First there was a clicking sound then a spraying sound. I thought I left air in the sprayer I use for serenade and organic controls. I see a flame, blue in the center and yellowish white halo around that coming from where the plug that goes to the light meets the ballast. then a bag catches fire. Surprisingly seems like very light damage even though it made a quarter size deformation into a thick black plastic bin! I will not be that sloppy again I assure you! But what started it all, I think it was a plastic bin I put plants into, and as the weight made it unstable it fell into the juncture where the plug and ballast meet. Sparking sounds ensued from the plug becoming partially unplugged form the significant weight and then the tiny fire. It seems I learned a very valuable lesson while being very lucky in the process. the near fire was what a couple days ago? and the the light operates fine, and no further issues from the ballast. Even soon after the near fire, the ballast was very warm but not too hot to touch and keep your hand on for several seconds. Since then, and probably previous to this problem, it gets pretty warm before cooling back down again, but never more than just pretty warm. So yes I think the plug became partially stressed from the weight and partially disconnected and caused this superficial damage. A lesson to all, keep things clean and try to refrain from being a bonehead when you think you can have a superman moment when you are not quite right!

 

[Guyute54]

If I where you I would get a new setup. And keep things tidy. Also I have a smoke detector in my grow cab and outside of it. I also have a fire exstinguisher outside my room. I would suggest to do the same. Fire is nothing to fuck around with.

 

[TripleDraw27]

who is on first?
who is on second!

 

[Red Fang]

yeah sure hahaha laugh!
anyway, those who said not to use the ballast ended up being right in the end. I posted this to make the point: never ever use a ballast that might be suspect/questionable! Do not make the same mistake I did! No problems using it for like 3 weeks or more finishing flowering what I had. I then had it off for at least a week then used it again for supplemental lighting with another later batch. I don't know if it was that it was sitting idle or that I jostled the wire slightly while getting things ready. But it was put into the timer, and the next day I go downstairs to the room. Well, the light was off, the other of course on. Why was it off I wonder? I check and the plug was all charred worse than the other time by far. No smoke or off smell whatsoever. The only clue I had that something was off is the gas stove we use for cooking has an electric clock on the same circuit ,and it was flashing like the power had gone out. That is when I discovered the light off and the cause being the charred ballast! The circuit had not blown, and when I pulled the plug from the wall it sparked so there was still juice going to it! So somehow, miraculously the house DID NOT BURN but it very well could have while I was asleep and unaware! I will gladly look like the village idiot if my mistakes will prevent anyone from making the same errors!

 

[Red Fang]

and yes I have to get a smoke detector. have a monoxide detector there and that did not go off. well lesson learned, almost had 2 catastrophes so about time right? but it is learned.

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

Wow. You dodged a bullet.

 

[Red Fang]

yeah to whoever was praying for me or whatever force helped me I THANK YOU! It somehow just went out on its own! The ballast was pretty warm but not too hot to hold it for several seconds and it went from that to cool in a half hour or so maybe. It was quite a shock and wake up call to say the least! That day I got a new ballast (and plug for the light) and next day that light was working again, should have done that the first time. Thanks for the positive vibes

 

[rives]

Some people learn the easy way, some the hard...... Glad that you came through it safely and learned from the experience.

 

[huarmiquilla]

howdy Red Fang

how you do?
respect

am keen to ask to you with respect to total wire within you circuit
such and such wire size within each leg form to being sufficient with respect to you 20amp circuit fuse
such and such wire size within you receptacle

much respect you to share such experience
similar
much respect you to share such experience to learn and grow thinks

positive vibrations

 

[BrnCow]

Put the damn thing back together and take it back. Tell them it started smoking / burning at the point of damage (don't explain how/why) and you unplugged it and and want to exchange it for another one. Skip all of the other talk and bs. If they won't do it, maybe they will check it out to see if it is safe to use and if needed, change the burned plug for you. I know it seems chickenshit to not explain all of the circumstances but grow shops rip people every day and the least bit of wiggle room will give them an out. One of them fuckers in 0n 6080 S. Hulen in Ft. Worth,TX sold my bud a CO2 regulator that was supposed to work with a controller (according to the shop guy) and when he got home, right on the front page of the instructions it said in big letters - Not to be used with a controller! And of course they would not take it back or trade it for something else....e tried it and it froze up in just a few minutes...fucking rip offs! Ivy League my ass!

 

[Canada]

I had ballast cord burn and melt. i had hit the lamp cord and it come loose from the ballast causing an arc and destroying the cord and the female plug on the ballast . I took it back to the store they gave me a new ballast and told me to make sure it was plugged in tight . They told me at the store this is common . So i went home took all 4 of my ballast and plugged in all my lamp cords as tight as possible and electrical taped them all in place and tied up all my cords to prevent this form happening again .

 

[Wendull C.]

Any time you put a distance between two connectors it creates an arc and that creates heat, which in turn created your fire. If your ballast does not come with the latches around the lamp cord make your own.
Get them off the ground where they can be stepped on or secure the cords to where they hang so they cannot be pulled.
Any time you open a ballast case you void the warranty, but on any magnetic ballasts I use I open them up and hard wire the lamp and power cord and seal them within the case.
I don't care about warranties. A ballast is cheap compared to a fire.
Mine aren't even in a residential area or in the house with my family and I still hard wire them.

 

[KAT]

I put a isolated fire suppression tank above my elec board and ballest in all my rooms.just to be safe.never get to layed back when it comes to safety.happy trails...........

 

[Red Fang]

huarmiquilla: thanks for the positive vibes man! Right back at you! I put aside my own discomfort posting this in hopes it would inspire others to avoid the same mistakes and you recognized that. I wish you positive vibrations as well.
Canada, brncow: I may try that, I have to get a few more things there, so they may just replace it without a fuss. thanks everyone!
peace

 

[Red Fang]

ok so went to the shop and worried that they wouldn't do anything for me (meanwhile the radar detector was beeping at times like crazy and looking around for an obvious cop or someone sitting in a car and acting odd but couldn't find anything of the sort). this ballast everyone knows about, another was going on and off unless I put a block under one side and tilted it. With that and a digital timer that seemed to have a mind of its own and come on as it's supposed to but go off at random times, I was fucked for sure! Well as it ends up, I had the occasional pomegranate but some were seedless or nearly so as well! Oddly the first picked were the worst! Overall the seeding was minor and I have impressed! But I digress! I waited and waited while they did this and said that amongst themselves. Ends up, they replaced the burnt ballast and the other just required tightening something. nontheless, I was thrilled to get that one replaced! I fully planned to have to get at least one ballast, instead I spent a little more on other things. everyone won! I feel blessed! thanks for the advice!