cooling ballast
 

Can I put a fan on my mh ballast to cool it down or is that bad? It smells like burning plastic and it's driving my wife nuts :rolleyes:

anyone? Can I have the ballast outside or would it get too cold?

Go
 

I would think if it was outside it would get moisture in the ballast as well as the cold temp especially in Edmonton. If the ballast is in your stand maybe use some weather stripping around the doors of your stand so the smell doesn't leak out.
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Aprilia RS125

Why is it smelling like burning plastic? Mine don't smell that way. :confused:

I'm not sure why it smells that way. Is it because it's new and is breaking in? It seems to get hotter than the other one I had. If the enclosure it's in is too small will the components(ignitor,capacitor) get too hot?

I took the lid off my ballast enclosure for heat issues...I'm told the ballasts last longer if you keep them cooler..however, I would not want to keep them outside...they're secluded enough already, and don't smell.

I had the same problem with the smell when I first got mine.I was told some manufactures apply a light coat of oil or lubricant to protect the ballasts,it went away after the first week.

The smell should go away in a week or so....their should be an oil on the transformer.....I would not put your ballasts outside unless they are rated for out door use, which I would dought if you bought them for your aquarium!!!

What model/brand of ballast is it? I had the IC660 and when I first plugged it in, there was a burning smell. I asked Icecap, and they told me that it was damaged due to improper wiring (my fault). So I had to send it back to them to get repaired (for free).