[APD] Re: Problem with MH light

["Steven Pituch" <spituch at ev1_net>]

Scott said:
>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!

Thanks Scott,
Ok the transformer and capacitor look good.  I removed the ceramic socket
from the pendant.  Man, this thing is heavy duty!  When I removed the socket
by pulling it down and pushing the cable into the top of the pendant, a
whole bunch of charred pieces of plastic fell out of the pendant. The wire
nut connectors to the socket were charred.  The wires obviously shorted out
after the twist connectors disintegrated.

This pendant is five years old.  It must be extremely hot at the top of the
socket.  The two short pigtail wires from the socket are fabric covered,
probably some high temperature ceramic fiber.  However, the wires from the
cable don't look anything special.  Their insulation is gone, just turned to
powder.  I wonder if I need some special hi-temp wire nuts or the normal
kind will be OK.   In either event I should probably rewire these every
couple of years since the insulation on the cable is bound to deteriorate
again.

This is could to happen to all Hamilton pendants unless the design was
modified after 1998.

Steve Pituch

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