Growroom Electricity and Wiring

[DevilMist]

old hydrofarm ballast switchable question?!?!

old hydrofarm ballast switchable question?!?!

Hello. I have a switchable hydrofarm 1000w ballast (HPS/MH) that I am rewiring and rebuilding, had bulged capacitor and blown ignitor. I want to keep wiring as straightforward as possible, and wire it up for HPS ONLY, with no switches at all. I have already wired up the power side correctly with no switch, and the capacitor should be no problem.

I have removed the switch for HPS to MH completely. In the schematic on the transformer I see the red wire (which would normally be the ignitor lead on a HPS) going to a MH bulb. And I have no wire labeled lamp at all. It is a venture brand ballast.

I have a white wire with red striping labeled X1, a blue labeled X3, along with red wire coming from long side of transformer. Is the X1 wire my lamp wire in this case (HPS only)? and this would go to red X1 lead from ignitor correct?

and if this is all correct, I can then terminate the red wire (from long side of transformer)?

Thanks any help appreciated, all the diagrams I come across are for HPS or MH only, not switchable transformers.

 

[iTarzan]

This could be useful.

http://www.venturelighting.com/BallastHTMLDocuments/wiring_diagrams-Add.html

 

[Jhhnn]

Nothing about the transformer changes in a 1000w switchable ballast. The switch just interrupts the ignitor wiring, preventing it from working in the MH mode. With mine, the switch just opens the white (yellow) X2 lead for the ignitor.

This is the best I've found-

http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/wiringlights.htm

 

[rives]

Schematic "A" in iTarzan's link is the most commonly used one that I've seen. The only difference that there should be in a 1k switchable ballast would be that the ignitor gets switched out of the circuit in the MH mode - the transformers should be the same.

 

[DevilMist]

understood. im literally just making sure that the red wire can be terminated and not used, if i am to wire this in the most simple way possible HPS only, with no switch. those diagrams on venture's site are for hps only, and don't match the ballast i have. just based on my own exp, im pretty positive the X1 should be wired to the X1 from ignitor, X3 to X3, etc. its just that im used to the red from the transformer being the X1

 

[rives]

The ballasts should be the same for both HPS & MH - the only difference should be whether or not the ignitor is in the circuit. Can you post a picture of your components and the schematic, or give a part number for the ballast.

 

[DevilMist]

V90D511 is on the venture sticker, says it requires a BVS-020 ignitor. convertible between 120/208/240/277, wired for 120v. the red wire comes from the "long" side along with the blue X3 and wh/red X1. only other wires not hooked up are X2 com from short side, and socket wh and black

 

[iTarzan]

Rives is it worth paying extra for a HPS kit that has a power factor of 97 or 98% compared to 90%?

Also is it worth to pay extra for a oil filled capacitor compared to a dry film capacitor?

I assume I should just buy 4 tap if the extra voltage on 5 tap is useless to me.

 

[rives]

Ok, it's a multi-tap ballast, but a search doesn't turn up anything on the part number.

By "socket" white and black, I take it that you are referring to the incoming power as coming from a "socket" and not the lamp "socket"?

It would help if you could post a picture of the attached schematic. From above, you said that it showed the red wire going to a MH lamp, but that there is also a red/white X1 lead from the long side. Do they show the HPS lamp on the schematic, and is it attached to the white/red X1? The usual multi-tap configuration is below, but you seem to have some additional wires.

http://www.venturelighting.com/images/Wiring_E_big.gif

 

[rives]

Rives is it worth paying extra for a HPS kit that has a power factor of 97 or 98% compared to 90%?

Also is it worth to pay extra for a oil filled capacitor compared to a dry film capacitor?

I assume I should just buy 4 tap if the extra voltage on 5 tap is useless to me.

High power factor is virtually meaningless in a residential setting. Industrial plants have their power factor metered and are penalized when it is too low, but power companies don't even monitor it in a residential setting. Electric motors pull the power factor down, and high power factor lighting helps counteract that.

Oil filled capacitors are typically a little more reliable than dry ones and can operate at higher voltages. However, they make a hell of a mess if the case ruptures and stink terribly when they blow.

The 4-tap should be fine for you unless you see yourself in a 480v setting at some point. Pretty unlikely.

 

[DevilMist]

Ok, it's a multi-tap ballast, but a search doesn't turn up anything on the part number.

By "socket" white and black, I take it that you are referring to the incoming power as coming from a "socket" and not the lamp "socket"?

It would help if you could post a picture of the attached schematic. From above, you said that it showed the red wire going to a MH lamp, but that there is also a red/white X1 lead from the long side. Do they show the HPS lamp on the schematic, and is it attached to the white/red X1? The usual multi-tap configuration is below, but you seem to have some additional wires.

http://www.venturelighting.com/images/Wiring_E_big.gif

yes the HPS is going to the wh/red X1 from ignitor and X1 from long side.

as far as my "socket" black and white, they are coming from the connector on the case, which goes to the cord set and socket

 

[DevilMist]

the schematic on the ballast is just as you posted "Wiring_big.gif", with the addition of a red wire below the blue, independent, which runs to a MH lamp and the common.

 

[rives]

If that is the case, it sounds like the red wire should probably just be capped off. Interesting ballast configuration, I haven't seen one like that. It was apparently purpose-built for the switching application.

 

[DevilMist]

If that is the case, it sounds like the red wire should probably just be capped off. Interesting ballast configuration, I haven't seen one like that. It was apparently purpose-built for the switching application.

ok thats what i thought. just making sure im not trippin. too hard.

thanks for all the help

 

[DevilMist]

circuit diagram for switchable 1K HF ballast

circuit diagram for switchable 1K HF ballast

okay buddy here is a rendition of the ballast circuit diagram I was whining about. its exact, and I'm still pretty much positive I can just cap the red wire (to MH lamp) before it hits the common, and wire up the ignitor to the wh/red, blue and common. please take a look and double check me if you can, I really can't pop this ballast when I replace the cap and ignitor. plus if anyone else needs his nfo.....here it is. thx again

 

[rives]

Yep, you should be able to just cap it.

 

[DevilMist]

cool thanks again for the dbl check. id add rep but it doesnt seem like i can.... anyway thx rives much appreciated

 

[better bud]

man this is sweet,it will save somebody's life man,safety first

 

[Hoot.N.Annie]

Hope someone could give me some advice.

I have a couple of old water pumps for Hydro,one of which is a 130gph Beckett that is missing the plug.I am sure it was a 3 prong plug originally,but I need to run it as a 2 prong plug.It has 1 Black wire 1-White wire,and 1 Green wire.I'm betting that the green is the wire that went to the ground part of the grounding plug?.Can I just cut it off and wrap it with electrical tape?

Thx.

 

[rives]

Yes, the green is a ground.

However, using an ungrounded water pump is a VERY poor idea. At a minimum, you should use a GFCI receptacle or construction pigtail feeding the circuit. GFCI's will work even when ungrounded, and will trip when they sense an imbalance in current between the power that is being sourced vs the power returning.