Re: [APD] Problem with MH light

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Unless you *know* the smoke wass not coming from the
ballast, I wouldn't want to start it without having a look
at the internals. If the transformer developed any shorted
windings and started smoking, the telltale odor is usually
hard to mistake for any other -- but it need not be strong.

I'd want to inspect for heat damage or spark marks from the
outlet throughout the circuit to the bulb socket.

Note: If the ballast is under warranty, opening it will
probably void the warranty!


Scott H.

--- Steven Pituch <spituch at ev1_net> wrote:
> I just had a problem with one of my two Hamilton 175 Watt
> MH pendant lights.
> When one of the lights started to flicker on as they do,
> I heard a fizzling
> noise.  I quickly looked a the bulb and the light was
> flickering as it made
> the fizzling sound.  I looked at the top of the pendant,
> and smoke was
> pouring out of it.  Then the GFCI went off and shut
> everything down.  I
> unscrewed the bulb and it looks OK (not burned).  It has
> a ceramic socket.
> The socket looks OK.
> 
> So I have to figure out what is broken.  It looks like
> there is a switch in
> the bulb.  It was probably what was making the fizzling
> sound.  I wonder if
> I need to just buy another bulb (after I inspect the
> wiring to the mogul
> base), or do I need to take the power supplies apart (the
> good and bad one
> for comparison) and see if the capacitor or transformer
> is bad.
> 
> Any advice on a plan of attack?  The bulb is about a year
> old (about 4000
> hours on it).  It is a standard HomeDepot Phillips bulb.


=====
S. Hieber

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Amano Returns! 
at the AGA 2004 Annual Convention -- Nov -- Baltimore

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