WOW!!! My endcap just caught on fire

[derrikd]

WOW..

[DJ88©]

jiminy_crime,

To ground the ballast you do exactly as you described and then take the wire and hook it to the third rounded prong on a thre prong plug.

From what I have been reading lately it is sounding like this isn't corrosion due to moisture but a space forming between the leads of the lamps and the contacts.

The main solution for this is to ensure proper contact between the two at all times.

The only way I can think to do this for those using the three piece endcaps(FYI Icecap isn't the only company making thse or using them) is to check them regularly for damage and scorching.

Otherwise take out those endcaps and solder them and seal them as Frick has done.

As an aside it is not only these style endcaps that can have this problem. Any endcap can. VHO, PC, T5 etc.

[Frick-n-Frags]

Well gee thanks Lee, very kind words.

later that day, after the incident, I got kind of sick to my stomach meditating on what almost happened 'I ALMOST BURNED DOWN MY HOUSE' , so I had to lose all the endcaps pronto, ASAP, yesterday was too late.......Tim's pic clinched it.

JonF, I have been meditating upon possible solutions like a clip on or screw down clamps for attaching the flour pins without soldering, because I really don't like to do all this prepping and soldering either (but it is getting much easier with practice ).

The old technique from the early 90's when we were all reeling from spending $8 for actinic 03's was to buy the size of PVC endpiece that fits over the end of the bulb, drill two holes, solder on then thread the wires through the holes and then pot the whole shebang in silicon sealer. I would currently shop for a lighter weight or more streamlined cap solution than that big hunk of PVC.

jiminy, if you use a grounded 3-prong plug on the IceCap's wiring harness here is how to wire it:
*Black(hot)-(when facing the plug prongs like it was going to be plugged into your face oriented w/ground pin at bottom), the upper left prong)
*white(neut-right prong)
*green(ground - ground pin)
(why? you want your plug wired correctly for starters)

OK, if you have the 3 prong plug and it is plugged into a grounded outlet, the IceCap is grounded. The ground plane of the PC board and the housing are grounded together.

[DJ88©]

Frick,

I think screw down clamps is the best route. you can torque down on the pin and ensure that tight contact.


Now to come up with something.


Give me a day. Off to HD I go.

[Frick-n-Frags]

Right on Big D, HD needs a thorough scouring and so does Radio Shaft .

I've been looking for an excuse to trek across town to the surplus electronics store (geek nirvana ).

I am also going to grab some industrial catalogs from work. General ones like McMaster-Carr or Grainger and also more specific ones like Phoenix connectors or Pioneer Electronics etc.

Hey if Geo can make da' killa' Ca reactor, maybe we can make da' killa' endcap

[DJ88©]

HMm electronics surplus store.. I know what I am doing before work tomorrow.

I am sure there is something out there. my one concern tho is corrosion. Tho a bead of silicone can cure that. eay to take off when you need to.

have a good one.

[kevinpo]

I have ben running these type end caps since 1995 using both tar and electronic ballast. I currently have 32 bulbs running. I have seen the charring occur a couple of times over the years (but only with smoke no fire). I disassembled the end caps and found 2 areas of poor contact that caused three potential fire hazards.

1. Where the bulb pin contacts the socket.

2. The connection where the wire attaches to the socket. This is a spring type connection that must be pried open if you ever remove the end cap after wiring. It can be "unsprung" slightly, then when the wire is reinserted the connection it rather loose. This can also happen if you use stranded wire instead of solid and you clip a few strands off when stripping the plastic jacket off.

3. The wire jacket becomes hardened and cracks off exposing the wires to corrosion causing it to heat up further. Normally this is caused by a loose connection at the bulb or socket.

Just my observations,
Kevin

[tag007]

Originally posted by stranglehold
I have some dielectric grease that I will be putting in and around my endcaps.

This is a nonconductive silicone grease that chould help to minimize corrosion.

This is exactly what I was thinking. This would provide insolation and protection against corrosion. I would also think that you could pack the whole endcap full of the stuff.

It also seems that dow-corning has a variety of dielectric silicon gels; some that harden into a flexible seal, similar to aquarium silicone sealant, others stay gel like.

-TAG

[Frick-n-Frags]

MWEEEEP MWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There they is........

[jiminy_crime]

So just using the green wire that comes out of the ballast and hooking it straight to the grounding part of the plug is sufficient enough? Are you saying that the ballast will then be grounded without having to run a wire from the outer shell of the ballast to the grounding part of the plug? Does this make sense?

Also the jumper wires on the other ends of the bulb, can it be some of the wire that came with my ballast. I would just cut some pieces of the wire since there is extra and use it for the jumpers. Correct?

[The H2O Guru]

and caution required here . Remember if you change the unit you are writing your own warranties. You could be very unhappy with the results of your modifications . Plus you may shift the responsibility from the maker to yourself .

Walter The H2O Guru

[ktwalker]

So if nobody is going to draft up a letter for Icecap and/or other popular manufacturers that provide these endcaps with their products, we ought to have a game plan for dealing with the risks ourselves.

Seem's I'm hearing four things.

1. Get some sort of elastic band that resists high temperatures and put it around each bulb setup to keep your end caps firmly connected to your bulbs, preventing arcing

2. Get some sort of nonconductive grease like the (e.g., silicone grease) to put around your connections in all your end caps

3. Periodically check your endcaps for partial melting and burnt plastic smells at least once per 6 months, possibly even once every 3 months.

4. Good home owners or renters insurance, especially if you are in an apartment complex with other people above or below you.

Am I missing anything else?

kris

[JonF]

As a start i have left a message with the tech support people at icecap. I will let you know about any and all feedback i receive, and direct them to this post where hopefullly we can get a response for best practices. My tank is enclosed in 300 pounds of wood ...

[Greg Hiller]

Wow, you guys are scaring me. I also have had a 3 piece VHO end cap melt but not catch fire. I've also had a PC endcap melt. I'm beginning to think that metal halide bulbs in a metal fixture are the way to go. The sockets are ceramic and metal, and can withstand high temps.

- Greg Hiller

[JonF]

Just spoke to Chris Conti at Icecap. They're aware of this thread and preparing a list of suggestings/instructions to post. Very stand up of them.

[Kenzy]

Having been through this myself (thread) I've put a bit of thought into it.

I don't think moisture plays a large role in corroding the endcaps, they seal pretty good given the enviroment that they are in, if the endcaps are mounted properly.

In my case it was a matter of the supports warping likely due to moisture, to a point where I was no longer getting solid contact between the lamp pins and the endcap contacts. This happened just after I replaced my old lamps for new ones. Perhaps I didn't pay close enough attention to how they went back together, but I believe is the real reason mine melted. Once everything is tightened down there is no way a lamp will move in or out of an endcap, but if the lamps are not installed tightly against the contacts then there will be arcing. It's just a matter of time after that.

[ktwalker]

I've been using an Icecap 440 for the last ~2 years to drive 300 Watts VHO to a 29 gal with open-back wooden canopy, and I don't use the full endcap (the part that screws down). I just use the endcaps with the wiring in it (forgive me; don't know the technical names). Because I made my own end cap mount (so I could save space), and I didn't do the best job of DYI jobs, I've had arcing for the last 2 years, and it has gotten a little worse with time, most likely due to the screws getting a little loose due to wood-tension relaxation.

For the past 2 years, I've had glass separating the bulbs from the water. So major moisture has not been getting up there. Recently I removed one panel to move a powerhead to a better postion.

There's no way I'm tempting fate. I'll defintely be going to home depot tonight for some sort of elastic straps and that grease. But I hope Icecap does some serious testing/investigating to accurately determine the source of the problem rather than just reading this post and theorizing like we are. If I understand correctly, they are ballast manufacturers, and not endcap manufacturers, but if they're going to bundle them in with their products, they are partly responsible for helping to insure safe operation of the whole lighting system.

Best wishes to all (including Icecap, who I'll continue to purchase future lighting products from),
kris

[DJ88©]

Brad,

That is my thoughts exactly.

For those that aren't comfortable with them still tho I am going to look into other possible solutions.


Walter,

no one is modifying anything? ie ballasts. curious as to what you are thinking we are modifying.

if it is in reference to the grounding wire. All ICECAP, FULHAM etc ballasts need to have a ground wire attached. some are part of the harness some aren't. The ones that aren't you need to attach yourself.

Kevin,

You have mentioned one reason that you shouldn't use stranded wire when hooking up these endcaps. They are made for solid core. Stranded will allow for more possible corrosion. As well tho and more importantly the individual strands can move, bend break etc which can lead to arcing which is the root of the problem here.

[brutuscz]

My primary lighting is from metal halide. What I did for safety..other than a gfci, is place ceramic tile between all lights and circuits , and my wood canopy. That way if something does happen, I hope it prevents fire from reaching wood.

[jimsar]

Originally posted by brutuscz
My primary lighting is from metal halide. What I did for safety..other than a gfci, is place ceramic tile between all lights and circuits , and my wood canopy. That way if something does happen, I hope it prevents fire from reaching wood.

That's an idea ... Can you post pictures? I've got Dremel, tile/glass bits and thinset mortar. If ceramic tile can protect the shuttle, hmmm ...

[jiminy_crime]

On my 55 gal. tank (48"x21"x12"), I have a homeade canopy that I built for it. I purchased the URI A4 ballast made by IceCap which is the equivalent of the 660 but without the dimmer switch or the heatsink. I also purchased stand-offs that mount into my canopy and using 48" light bulbs it is a perfectly snug fit. What is the purpose of the rubber bands in my situation?

[ASH]

From IceCap:
After reviewing the posts that this subject has stirred we have decided to rewrite our endcap instructions. Our plan is to spell out the proper, safe method of installing and maintaining your water-proof endcaps.

Though I think we have done an excellent job with the advice we have provided on our RC forum, we need to go to the next step and remove the concerns hobbyists rightly have after reading these threads. It is not enough to sell a safe product if it is not used safely.

Andy

[melev]

Great!!!!! Thanks Andy.

[esmithiii]

Originally posted by lduncan
From my understanding of how Arc-fault breakers work, they would prevent any sort of gas dicharge type lighting, such as flouro or MH from working. These are in effect, sustained and controlled electric arcs.

I believe that the arc-fault breaker monitors the power line for a "noise" profile associated with arcing, which also occurs when starting almost all lighting used on reef aquariums. Thus preventing them from starting. It would be a very shrewed device that can tell the difference.

Layton

Not exactly. I think you missed my point about the ballast being a transformer. FWIW one of my previous clients is the largest manufacturer of arc-fault breakers. I have them in my home for all bedroom circuits, one of which has a flourescent fixture on it.

Here is a link to product information: Cutler-Hammer's product information on Arc-interupters.

More information

Ernie

[Frick-n-Frags]

I can't fathom any way to make endcaps 100% arcproof. I am too afraid to ever use them again. There are way too many little metal pieces in them that can lose contact with each other.

BTW, my other 15 endcaps are mint. Not a trace of scorching or anything else, but still, screw them all. I am still doo-dooing bricks over what almost happened........................

Thanx Andy, and thanx for doing the URI deal so we can get IceCaps cheaper than $180. (I bought one BTW) You know that always bummed me out .

Also, if you are reading this, please verify that the ground plane of the PC board is tied to the case and the line ground so that additional case grounding is not necessary if the 110 socket has a good ground. Thanx again.