ballast getting hot...? 1000w

Discussion in 'Lighting' started by rkilla, Feb 11, 2011.

  1. I understand there is alot of power going through the circuitry of a 1000 w ballast
    i have a metal ballast box and the top of the box is to hot to hold your hand on the cord going to the wall socket is warm as well as the wall socket itself

    this wasn't a real problem until recently i think it might be getting hotter?...? maybe not? i just don't remember it being to hot to really touch but you know i don't remember if i ever really checked in the first place
    plug it in, plug it in right? if it works; it works

    so tonight to ease my worries i installed a small high power fan right infront of the ballast box and the heat seems to be disapating

    i was hoping that this is a common senerio and i'm just worrying about nothing
    but it's my house it would suck balls if my house burnt down

    i have some other lights not in use i will possibly be switching them out taking apart to the bare bones and cleaning the thing hoping it will work better

    can some people that have 1000 w ballasts or had lend me some of there experience sooner rather then later

    :confused:
     
  2. try putting a fan right by it, my 600 watt ballast is too hot to touch while my 1000 watt lumatek is barely warm due it to having a vent of cool air blowing over it (the vent wasn't put there just for the ballast)
     
  3. Something is wrong. If you are using digital ballasts, they should never be too hot to touch. Your cords should not be warm, your socket should not be warm, and the circuit breaker panel should not be warm. When electrical things get hot, you are overloading the circuit. You have a fire hazard on your hands until you have a professional inspect your wiring setup.

    I have lumatek and phantom ballasts 1000w that run 24/7 with no fans or cooling setup for them. My temp gun has never shown them running hotter than 105 F.
     
  4. I have a 600 watt galaxy and it has heat fins all throughout the body but they get hot as hell, pretty much too hot to touch, even though its in a complete separate room than my grow. However my cord, nor outlet have ever been warm, that could definitely be a sign that your wiring to the outlet is either a really small gauge, or a crappy ground, something to that extent. Anywho for my ballast heat, i purchased a real small little 3 inch fan that i keep on it and it keeps it very cool. good luck. please dont let your pad burn down.
     

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