All-glass 2x55W died. My options?

Lighting, filtration etc
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krisw
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All-glass 2x55W died. My options?

Post by krisw »

Well, I noticed that my 75G was getting a little bit more algae than usual, until today I realized that one of my 2 2x55W all-glass PC light strips on top wasn't on when it should have been. So, I unplugged it, switched out the bulbs, and still no light. So, I haven't taken the thing apart yet, but I'm guessing that the ballast is dead. Is that a safe assumption?

If that's the case, can I just replace it with another cheap ballast with the one from Home Depot's normal strip lights, or would I be better off going with an ahsupply type kit. I don't really want to spend a lot of money on replacing this, since up to this point, the 2 PC strips were working fine for this tank. Ideas?
tomterp80
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Post by tomterp80 »

One thing to check out, is that you should make sure you don't have corrosion around the contacts. Unplug the light fixture, and sand or file the metal where it contacts the light posts. It probably IS the ballast, but this is something you should eliminate as a possibility before springing for a new ballast.
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Ghazanfar Ghori
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Post by Ghazanfar Ghori »

FYI - a new ballast will run you about $35-$40.
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krisw
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Post by krisw »

Good suggestion Tom! I'll try this tomorrow. It sure would be nice if this is the problem.

Thanks!
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Ghazanfar Ghori
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Post by Ghazanfar Ghori »

Update?
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krisw
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Post by krisw »

The strip is still dead... I decided to just order the 2x55W AHSupply kit, since a ballast by itself would cost a little bit, but this way I'll get better end caps, and a much better reflector. Hopefully there won't be any problem retrofitting the light strip. I had thought about maybe trying one of those T5 retrofitting kits, but I already have the bulbs I need for PC right now, so this seemed like the easiest way to go.
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Ghazanfar Ghori
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Post by Ghazanfar Ghori »

Did you already order it?
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krisw
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Post by krisw »

Yeah, already ordered it... Why do you ask?
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Ghazanfar Ghori
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Post by Ghazanfar Ghori »

Would have gone in on the order with you and split the shipping.
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krisw
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Post by krisw »

Oh... Sorry about that! Luckily, they don't charge an arm and a leg on shipping. This will be the first time I've order anything but bulbs from them. They seem to be a pretty good operation.
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