Lighting Issues I need help...

[swreef103]

so i got this light that's 2x250 hqi mh..Won brothers kinda cheezy but not bad looking and i had it for 2 days and 1 side stopped working.So i tryed everything to get the both of them to fire by checking the sockets and all the wiring inside but nothing's loose and the only conclusion i came to is that i had a bad ballast bcuz the fan let go the 1st day i had it.. I picked up 2 coralife hqi ballast from a fellow reefer last night and i hook it up and i still have the same issue except no the bulb that was firing isn't firing up completely..it just takes its time and doesn't ever reach its full spectrum...
Is anybody out there capable of telling me what the overall issue here is..it should work but then again i'm not an electrician so i could be wrong.maybe i just bought the wrong light that i can't fix but i need to know for sure if anybody can help me that would be awesome and there probably is a frag in it for the guidance toward what is really my problem..

 

[67belvedere]

check the bulbs and the ignitors that are inside of the fixture the ballasts are magnetic and pretty much bulletproof i would say it is probably an easy fix

 

[Reef Arch]

Also if they are de bulbs double check they are in correctly... I had one which appeared in but wouldn't hit full spectrum.. Reset it in the fixture and it came right up.

 

[swreef103]

yeah i've tried it all but i know there starters are pretty rusty and i think the new ballast might have them inside already..gonna take one apart and check it out now...

 

[swreef103]

can anyone tell me if the coralife 250 hqi ballast is magnetic or electonic?i was told magnetic but i wana be sure...

 

[s_kelley]

If its older theres a pretty good chance its magnetic, another way to tell is the electronic doesnt get nearly as hot at the magnetic

 

[swreef103]

yeah i tried to take out the ignitors in the housing but i never saw a light with them in the housing b4..anybody ever see that?so i tried wiring the sockets individually to the cords and they did absolutely nothing at all.really starting to make me mad i'll ya...i even tried 2 brand new bulbs and still i just get one to fire barely making any light.seems like it's trying to ignite the bulbs but they just won't turn on fully...

 

[swreef103]

nobody can guide me in the right direction huh?then i guess i'll throw it away...

 

[willray]

Magnetic ballast will be heavy 3+ lbs.E balast will be lighter and smaller. I would gut it and replace all innards.

 

[JohnK]

Also if you can disassemble the ballast it is magnetic, if there is a seperate ignitor, then it's magnetic. Electronic ballasts will be sealed, and I've never seen one with a fan.

I'd start by swapping ballasts so you can see if it's a ballast problem, or a bulb/socket problem.

 

[Jennifer]

Yup if there are big heavy transformers and capacitors inside then it is a magnetic ballast.
If there is just a pc board with a bunch of components then it is an e-ballast.

If the bulbs fire but do not come up to full power then it is prob the capacitor.

I did a diy on replacing the capacitors in mag ballast a while back. Maybe this will help you if it is a magnetic ballast.
You will need to find the replacement capacitor yourself though. There is a link to where I got mine in the diy. Or just click here

Good luck
cheers - Jenn

 

[swreef103]

yeah i had my buddy and fellow reefer kevinpratt take care of it for me.after all it was only a capacitor issue after we tested it with a meter and it cost me $13 for a new one.but now i'm stuck with these 2 coralife magnetic ballast....oh well could be worse.
thanks again kevin you're a LIGHTSAVER!!!

 

[jackthestrat]

thanks again kevin you're a LIGHTSAVER!!!

Nice pun.