Halide Smoking--Follow Up Question

M

Meli

We moved our tank today and everything went great until we went to plug in our light. We had two dedicated 20 amp GFCI outlets installed. When we turned on the halide, it shut off the outlet (I don't know the technical term). So, we reset it, but I forgot to turn the light off before I reset it, and it started smoking (see attached picture for location). So, before I spend 60.00 on a bulb, I'd like to know if it sounds like the bulb is causing the smoke, or is it a problem with the fixture and I get to go buy new lighting. A year ago I had the outlet where the tank was switched to a GFCI and it kept shutting down that outlet. I just assumed it was because that outlet had too much other stuff on it and we were just over loading it. So, I don't think it was the new wiring. I think it's just a problem with the fixture. Anyway, sound like a bulb or the whole fixture? Thanks.
 
I would say it's a fixture problem... :? Take it apart and look for some burnt wiring or use the old smell test.
 
I'm assuming the ballast is still alright. How can I figure out if the ballast will work with a different fixture? I know that's probably a completely dumb question, but I really don't know what I'm looking for as far as compatability is concerned. Thanks.
 
Usually when you see smoke coming out of a device, you've caused damage thet needs to be investigated. whether it just heated up the insulation on a wire or something more severe, I wouldn't trust it without checkign it out completely. And I do Agree with Serk. "electronic devices work on Smoke, not electricity." they are sealed devices that contain smoke, you let the smoke out, they stop working.
as far as lights.... they dont emit light, they suck Darkness. If you've ever seen a "burned out" bulb, you'll notice it's blackened. this indicates that the bulb is Full and must be replaced. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
That is probably the nuttiest post I've ever read on our board, and we've had some doozies. :roll:

The fixture is at fault. How old is it? Could it have gotten wet during the move, and shorted something out? Do you still have a warranty on it? I doubt a new bulb would solve the problem.

A home fire is the last thing you need. Make sure it is safe to use, or get a new one.
 
We had the light right at two years. It's very possible it got some water splatters in the fixture from the move. We did not take it off the tank. I don't think it is under warranty, and since I figure it's my fault, I don't feel like I should ask for any sort of compension.

You're right, it's worth 250.00 to not start an electrical fire. I'm thinking the fixture is a complete loss, but I thought maybe the ballast would still be alright. It's still sending electricity to the fixture because I can plug it in and it start smoking again. Is it most likely the interaction between the ballast and the GFI that caused my problem or would it be the combination of the fixture/ballast/GFI? I'd really like to plug the light into the GFI, but I also don't want to blow another fixture. I'd love some advice. We're thinking about getting a pendent style light this time since it will look pretty nice where we've moved the tank. So, do you think the ballast would be alright? The current light is a 150W, so would I just need to find a fixture that's a 150 W? Do different fixtures have different connectors to the ballast? Electricity is my extremely weak area.
 
The problem is quite likely in the fixture only, unless the GFCI outlet is wired incorrectly. If everything else runs well, and only the light displays a problem, the light is the problem. It uses 150w of power. Your hair dryer probably uses 1500w, correct? Plug in the hair dryer and see if the circuit and outlet stays on (or trips).

You could probably use the ballast if you wanted to wire it to a new pendant fixture. It just has to be another 150w fixture. There are either 2 or 3 wires in the cable that leads up to the light.
 
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