Electrical Question - Please help

[Bobzilla]

I just got a 400w hps system off craigslist. It's a type i havnt see before.

When i plug it in i need to jiggle the plug to make it power up all the way. It's not an old cord, i just put a new one on 5 minutes ago. And i plugged it into a power strip and plugged the power strip into the wall. I need to jiggle the plug on the power strip going into the wall, not on the light gong into the power strip.

So my question is, sup with that? Why is this happening and is it safe?

I called the guy i bought it from and he said he had the same issue, (but of course forgot to mention it during the transaction). He said he had used it for a full grow and never had any safety problems.

Your input is greatly appreciated. I really want this to work out, this light upgraded my set up from all CFL's.

 

[Wingman420]

Hey Bobzilla I get that u are trying to conserve $$ and recycle lights that still work but please remember HID lights pull enough amps to kill and seriously injure. I would be very careful while using this in moist conditions, and only use with protective circuits to reduce risk of serious injury. I may also want to return the piece to its rightful owner. When it comes to electrical I always use new stuff thats right out of the box signaling it is UL Listed for Moist Conditions. I hate spending the $$$ but after purchasing the correct equipment once its all good forever. Unfortunately I was Busted the nazi bastard police took all my lights and grow equipment. After my release I was broke but still buy brand new as I do not want to be the guy who gets juiced. I also make 420% sure all my HID's are plugged into their own circuit with GFCI protection. This will insure I am ok if I step in a puddle with a 1000wt ballast in my hand that is electrifed and drop it into the reservoir the circuit will shut down within 1/42nd of a second stopping all current from killing us.

 

[Max420]

The light will come on in stages. It can take like 10 minutes for one to come all the way on.

 

[Max420]

I bought two of those lights and they're the best value I've found on growing equipment...except for my 2 dollar carbon filter maybe or my free grow cabinet. You can make those into remote units without a lot of trouble. I took mine apart to see how difficult it would be. It's just a matter of lengthening two wires and adding a ground wire. With the materials on hand, it's a 10 to 15 minute job.

Also, the light you have will burn a cmh bulb which is a big plus.

 

[G-Dog]

If I read correctly it is the power strip plug that is messed up?

Try widening the prongs slightly so they make better (more of a spring action) type of connection.

 

[Bobzilla]

I may also want to return the piece to its rightful owner.

I talked to him about that and he wont take it back.

The light will come on in stages. It can take like 10 minutes for one to come all the way on.

Yeah, i dont think this is the issue. When i jiggle the plug the light gets much more intense. I should try to just turn it on and not mess with it and see what happens.

If I read correctly it is the power strip plug that is messed up?

No. I may have worded that a little weird. Let me try to clarify. If i plug the light into the wall with no power strip i have to jiggle the
plug to make it turn on all the way. If i plug the light into a power strip, i have to jiggle the plug to the power strip, not to the light, to get it to it's full intensity. So, in other words, no matter how it is plugged in, i need to jiggle the plug that is plugged into the wall socket.

I'm going to go try a few things. First i'm going to plug it in and leave it, to see if it will get to full intensity with no jiggle. If that doesn't work i'll try to widen the plugs to get a more secure connection.

Max, i was interested in making mine a remote unit as well. I want to build an air cooled hood for it.

 

[G-Dog]

Well if Jiggling works at the outlet, have you tried another outlet? Maybe your outlet is worn out.

Your lamp uses a lot of current, you need a good connection. If it is not connecting correctly at the outlet it will get hot. Keep an eye on that.

They do come on in stages and maybe wiggling it just sends spikes of power.

You say the fellow knew this. I know I could figure it out if I were there, but over the net it is tough.

Sorry I cannot be more help.

 

[Bobzilla]

I tried many outlets. It's the same all over the house. I tried plugging it in and leaving it. When i plug it in, the ballast hums, i leave it for 5-7 minutes and the bulb does nothing. The prongs do not need to be widened because it is a brand new cord i installed yesterday. After doing some digging on google i found a couple possible culprits. The bulb looks old, i am going to buy a new one and see if this helps. If not, an article i found said it may be the ignitor. I have some electrically inclined friends,so if needed, i could get help replacing it. And yes g-dog he knew all about it, but didnt tell me till i called him to complain about it. If all else fails, i'll bug him till he takes it back. And if he doesn't i'll report him to craigslist for selling me something portrayed to be fully operational when it was not.

 

[G-Dog]

I tried many outlets. It's the same all over the house. I tried plugging it in and leaving it. When i plug it in, the ballast hums, i leave it for 5-7 minutes and the bulb does nothing. The prongs do not need to be widened because it is a brand new cord i installed yesterday. After doing some digging on google i found a couple possible culprits. The bulb looks old, i am going to buy a new one and see if this helps. If not, an article i found said it may be the ignitor. I have some electrically inclined friends,so if needed, i could get help replacing it. And yes g-dog he knew all about it, but didnt tell me till i called him to complain about it. If all else fails, i'll bug him till he takes it back. And if he doesn't i'll report him to craigslist for selling me something portrayed to be fully operational when it was not.

I bought something that didn't work at a garage sale one time. It was an electrical sidewalk trimmer. I was so mad I wanted to just throw it through his window.

I just set it on his lawn at night though. If I acted out all my fantasies I would be dead or in jail.

 

[SnowBender]

?-maybe it just needs a new ignitor. ~$30

 

[Hogdady]

?-maybe it just needs a new ignitor. ~$30

SnowBender gets the prize....you need a new ignitor

 

[G-Dog]

Yeah but people shouldn't sell shit that is known to be broken. That just breeds anger.

 

[Bobzilla]

Will installing a new ignitor involve any soldering? Is it a fairly simple process? If so i could do it myself. I would like to take it apart and look around to see how easy it would be to make it a remote unit. Max, what is the process of installing a ground? It seems easy enough, i have just never done it before. I expect people to warn me about fiddling with powerful electronics i dont know much about. I appreceate the concern, but i am a reasonable person. If i dont think i can do it i wont try.

Yeah but people shouldn't sell shit that is known to be broken. That just breeds anger.

Exactly. This whole situation is very frustrating and is making me more angry by the minute. I am on a very tight budget. I wasnt even planning on buying a HID light for a few months but it seemed like such a good deal, i didnt want to pass it up. I'm going to do some research on installing a new ignitor. If i dont think i can do it i'm going to call him and try to reason with him about returning my money. 100 dollars is a lot of money to me.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[G-Dog]

Installing all the parts on ballast are simple and if memory serves wire nuts and/or Spade Connectors are used. I bought the individual pieces from ebay or someplace to make my own 250 watt hps. It can be as custom as you want when you do that, you can keep the ballast out of the grow room completely and stuff like that. Sorry I am stoned on hash and a joint and I am rambling. The point is they are a very simple fix.

And those energy spikes you get from wiggling the plug would go along with the added energy that the iginiter would provide.

I have been experimenting with CFLs myself lately. I seriously hate heat.

 

[Max420]

It still may not be broken. It could need an igniter, but it could also be a bad bulb. You had to jiggle it to get it to work. Something's loose or the bulb is at least partly broken.

I hope you didn't get stuck on a bad deal. I wouldn't buy anything until after I saw it work. That's never a good idea especially on craigslist.

I think I know what it is though...Sorry I didn't catch it from the first.

That thing can be wired to 440, 220, 120, and I think 277 if it's like mine. Mine was wired for 220 when I bought it and I had to change a wire and make it work from 120. When I plugged it up while it was still 220 and me using 120 outlets, it came on dim, then went out. When I changed it to 110 it came on some, then after a few minutes it blazed.

You need to look at the wiring. Check the black wires and see what number is on the current feed. If it's 220, 440, 277, or anything other than 110 or 120, then you need to locate the 120 or 110 wire and switch them. It took me like 5 minutes to change both of mine.

I hope that's what it is because it's an easy fix. If not, then you should try a different bulb and then an igniter. It won't hurt to have a new bulb because they dim after a while and are not so good for growing.

 

[Bobzilla]

I went to the hydroponics store and for $31 dollars bought a new ignitor. Instillation would have been easy but the old ignitor in the ballast was very odd looking. After some research i got it in and it works like a charm. I'm happy. Thanks again to everyone for all the help.

 

[SnowBender]

Right on!

Get a new bulb as soon as you can afford one. aged bulbs dont put out near as much light as fresh ones.

Tip -avoid turning off and on your light quickly to save wear on bulb and ballast. you want it to warm up fully before turning off, and cool off before turning back on. (at least that's what i was told...)

 

[Bobzilla]

Thanks for the info snowbender. I was planning on getting a new bulb as soon as i can. I plan on getting this MH conversion bulb also.

 

[Bobzilla]

Although i'm happy i got it working , and the whole process taught me a lot about ballasts, I ended up spending around $150 dollars when all is said and done. I could have just spent a couple more bucks and got a brand new setup.

Now i plan on making my own air cooled hood, which will teach me even more about the inner workings of the equipment i will be using. The guy at the hydro store said any type of glass will to for a reflector. What do you guys think? Should i pay extra for tempered?

 

[lbezphil2005]

how is jiggling the plug going into the power strip affecting the ignitor? has he replaced the plug coming out of the light? It's not wired incorrectly, if it was jiggling it would not affect the light. I suspect it's something inside the actual plug itself, NOT THE FIXTURE! By the way, I've been an industrial electrician since 1989, plenty of high bay light experience.