Running 1 bulb on a dual ballast
 

Hi,

Does anyone know how bad it is or if it is bad at all to be running only one bulb on a dual ballast? It is a BlueWave 7 ballast (dual HQI) but only has one switch controlling everything. While I can run 2 pendants (I have them and the bulbs), I don't really want to at the moment. I only want to run 1 pendant. So, my question is, how bad would it be for the ballast to run without a load on it (i.e. no bulb)?

Thanks.

Technically there is infinite resistance across the outputs of the ballast. so it wouldn't see a load.

But a major concern is that there is a potential voltage there. A LOT. With a fair bit of current there as well. If someone of something happened to connect across two of those connectors on the output. You would have a BIG boom and possible fire.

The same goes for if you just take the bulb out of the socket.

It wouldn't damage the ballast as far as I can see(without looking at the design) but there is a hazard there I would not take personally.

Why not just uncouple the unused ballast from the switch? It couldn't be that hard.

I could try that Tony...I didn't want to mess up the nice clean wiring job they did though :redface:

I guess I always COULD run both pendants on the 60G.....you think 500W of MH is too much for a 24x24? :mrgreen:

Thanks for the input guys.

reply
 

Agreed, have you looked inside? You might get lucky and there will be removable connectors.

Harvey 500 watts is not enough! you need a 1000 watt halide over that,.....want to buy one? :razz:

Bah, it's inside, no? I won't tell anyone to look inside your ballast case.. :mrgreen:

Knowing my addiction to gizmos and brightly lit tanks, I'd probably run both, as long as there were no heat issues and everything was acclimated and all that. But if it's enough with one, or you just want to run one ... that's fine. I myself wouldn't have a "hot" ballast without a lamp though. If you were really kinda handy you could retrofit a second switch onto that thing and then you'd never have to spend a second thought on it. I dunno, just an idea... :cool:

Nope, would work good actualy.

Steve