Fire !!

[TahoeMtn]

I have read many threads on "Is this a good buy?" and I just answered one of them this way.....I understand how we should be supporting our sponsors and I do! BUT why is it that when someone asks about a less expensive item, we always get "Do you want to burn your house down?" How many people have actually had a fire or anything close. Was it to blame on a cheap item or was it the failure of a known "good" item. There are generic items in every market whether it is store-brand soup that is really Campbell's or a generic brand of your heart medicine. Many of us do not have unlimited budgets and fear mongering doesn't help.
So how many fires and what was the cause?

[Hop]

Originally Posted by TahoeMtn

I have read many threads on "Is this a good buy?" and I just answered one of them this way.....I understand how we should be supporting our sponsors and I do! BUT why is it that when someone asks about a less expensive item, we always get "Do you want to burn your house down?" How many people have actually had a fire or anything close. Was it to blame on a cheap item or was it the failure of a known "good" item. There are generic items in every market whether it is store-brand soup that is really Campbell's or a generic brand of your heart medicine. Many of us do not have unlimited budgets and fear mongering doesn't help.
So how many fires and what was the cause?

I've seen a couple dozen fire posts over the years... A couple houses totaled, but usually it's a matter of something melted or something melted and wiped out the tank.

[chrischris]

there have been hundred of house fires over the years because of faulty ballast

[TahoeMtn]

Fact or Myth? Have you read a first hand account? what kind of ballast? I have read on here about several melt downs of a particular (Rio) brand of pump and we get warned about that. But how many ballasts and what kind? I have had two of the Generic brand from E-bay and they don't seem to get any hotter than the brand names at the LFS

[chrischris]

Originally Posted by Hop

I've seen a couple dozen fire posts over the years... A couple houses totaled, but usually it's a matter of something melted or something melted and wiped out the tank.

thats what i hear to
so i change my post thereve been hundreds of ballast malfuntioning causeing house fires

[DarthOcellaris]

I remember a thread over on RC discussing the faulty Corralife digital power strip/timers that caught houses on fire. One guy had some very spooky pictures

[Fly Guy]

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...21&postcount=5

[chrischris]

no im have heard of a first hand account but cant remeber what ballast it was a guy in the lfs

[Hop]

About 4 years ago I remember a guy in a really nice apartment had his PC fixture total his apartment and do damage to the adjoining apartments and water damage below his. I'm not sure I could find those pics or the post again...

[snow_man84088]

I have read a few first hand accounts, I think it might have been on a flyer at my LFS about house fires caused by bad ballasts in the ebay fixtures. It was put up to warn people that insurance companies will not cover house fires caused by electrical fixtures that are not UL rated.

[Jnicho]

I can't speak to the ballasts...I have no experience with them, nor have I seen anything but second hand anecdotal evidence (doesn't mean it's not out there I just haven't gone looking for it). In my own experience with the fire marshals office I found that a large number of fires are caused by improper installation of equipment not the equipment itself. So I have to factor that into any opinion I form regarding aquarium equipment as well, especially with some of the MH installations I have seen. Beyond that I have personally purchased some "off-brand" equipment (no ballasts though), some even from eBay, and have for the most part been happy with what I received. Like anything else, research needs to be done before blindly purchasing what appears to be the "best deal". The lowest bid is not always the best bid!

[tdwyatt]

First hand experience with erly fVHO fluorescent ballasta melting the plastic of cheap (read not waterproof) fluorescent bulb endcaps , don't remember the brand, but the ballasts were Magnetecs; from a long time ago, mid to late 90's. I will see If I can still find the pix.

I doubt Tom xxx (can't remember the last name) from Waterford, MI is still around, but he lost his house and attached garage and car and just about everything he owned when a timer he used to time his lighting shorted out and caught curtains behind his tank on fire. That's as close as I can get to first hand and seeing actual photos of a house loss. These were posted on the old AOL reef forum, maybe Alice might remember the post.

[YLChik]

i had a local reefer with rio that caught on fire - damagage to teh tank not the house

but that isn't a ballast

I am intreasted in the T5 ballast as well - i see workhorse ballastas alot and folks have said the same thing - fire

[mg]

I have read of a few first hand fires with Odyssey light fixtures where the ballast caught fire. I have had a PC endcap melt and start smoking. May have caught fire if I didn't see it as it happened. That was a Hamilton fixture and was explained as arching between the end cap and the pins on the bulb due to poor fit.

[motorslave]

do a search here for fire. there was a thread (maybe last year) about a fixture catching fire. also do a search for Rio. Its no a load of bull. It happens.
Personally, Id rather spend the extra cash when it comes to my house and my family especially. No doubt about it. Also, a lot of stuff made oversea is marked or labeled as UL listed but really isn't (said lighting fixture above) Others may be interested in saving a few bucks here or there, but it aint me. Ill pay for the piece of mind.