Electronic Ballast HELP!!!

NY11 · 02-23-2005, 08:13 PM

I recently installed a 28 watt retrofit kit into my 12 gallon Nano Cube. I mounted the small electronic ballast behind the heat shield beside one of the cooling fans. I was under the impression that electronic ballasts were "cool" running, but my water temperature has jumped to almost 82 F, and the ballast was very hot to the touch. I put my own square pin endcap on the kit...could there be some kind of wiring problem thats making it this hot, or does "cool" running not always mean what it says? Help! I'm afraid I might burn down my apartment!

NY11 · 02-23-2005, 08:14 PM

P.S.....The ballast is supposed to support up to 55 watts, so I dont think its struggling to light the 28 watt bulb.

wharyat · 02-23-2005, 08:44 PM

Typical for any ballast, shouldn't be overly hot tho. Double, triple, quadruple check your wiring when working with this high of voltage, even if it's low amps.

wharyat · 02-23-2005, 08:46 PM

Is it a double 28 watt ballast? or is it made for 1 55 watt bulb?

yardboy · 02-23-2005, 08:51 PM

Hmm, my Icecap 330 runs with 2-140W VHO bulbs with no discernible heat output. I'd check my wiring carefully.

NY11 · 02-23-2005, 09:45 PM

Well it originally came with a small square end piece...like a female plug adapter that accepted the 4 pins on the light bulb. I cut that off, and replaced it with a square pin end cap. There were two wires coming from the ballast with two smaller wires in each. The smaller wires were not color coded, so I put wired the two small wires from each large wire to its corresponding side of the end cap. I didn't cross them or anything out of the ordinary.

The ballast is meant to run a single bulb.....here is the link to show what it originally looks like. http://www.hellolights.com/14nanretkit.html