Dead ballast

[vigilo]

Hi guys! just a quick question...

I have a digi 400w ballast for 1.5 years.. on my 5th run, i was awoken one morning by a loud POP
I looked over to my room and the ballast was emitting thick smoke. i ran to the ballast and stuck my hand thru the smoke and unplugged it asap. now my room smells like an electrical fire.

My question is: is this a normal/heard of death of a ballast? or is there a possibility of tampering that went on?

 

[globel]

that happened to me one time but it was a brand new ballast. Your lucky you were home when that happened.

 

[vigilo]

yah very. its weird to happen all of a sudden

 

[dotblunt]

Care to name brands? I've got 4 digis and with all the stories I'm reading here my nerves are fraying...I bought the things to be more safe not less!

I've got 4 Lumateks, 2-400s and 2-1ks both 120V.

 

[geopolitical]

Sounds like a bad capacitor. yeah it can happen. Sometimes they'll dry out over time.