Vertex Electronic vs PFO Pulse??

rstar · #1 03-22-2010, 03:59 AM

Hey everyone! One of my PFO SE 250W ballasts finally crapped out on me this weekend after 4 years of use (plus i bought it second hand). It won't fire bulbs anymore however you can hear it hum. So i have a few questions. First, is it easy to repair? And second, if i go the replacement route should i replace it with another PFO pulse start, (j&l has it on sale for $124 right now) or go with the vertex electronic ballast for $130. Havent hear too much about the vertex ballasts so any input there would be good! It's also worth noting that i am currently lighting the other half of my tank with another PFO ballast (pulse start) i have. So if i go to the vertex ballast will there be a significantly difference in the light between the two halves?

Millepora_Maniac · #2 03-22-2010, 04:20 AM

HI Man, I use the Vertex ballast, but I only run one, so i don't know if it would fire differently or not, but I can tyell you one thing, they are expensive to fix to the point where you might as well buy a new one. Good luck.

fkshiu · #3 03-22-2010, 04:53 AM

I can almost guarantee you that an electronic ballast will produce a slightly different colour of light than a pulse start ballast with the same bulbs. You'll also get different electrical draws and different PAR values (the electronic will be less on both fronts).

You can repair a pulse start ballast depending on what has gone wrong. It is usually the capacitor and it is easy to diagnose a bad capacitor by simply removing the ballast cover and looking at the cylindrical object that looks like a big battery. If it's all blacked and burnt then it's fried. Another common pulse ballast is is the igniter dying. This also should be fairly easy to replace. PFO ballasts are simply a collection of other manufacturer's parts so it should be fairly easy to source parts even though PFO is now defunct. The issue will be labour cost. If you are a handy electrical person or know someone who is, then repair may be worth it. However, if you aren't then it might be cheaper simply to buy a new ballast.

I use a 175W Vertex ballast and it's fine. All electronic ballasts are pretty much "black boxes" with little you can do to repair if something goes wrong, but electronics are generally quite reliable because they don't have very many parts to break down. Electronics also use less wattage, are smaller and quieter than a magnetic ballast like a pulse, but again, won't give you as much PAR.

rstar · #4 03-22-2010, 02:51 PM

is the loss in par considerable enough to warrant just going with the pulse? Or should i go with the electronic because thats the way theyll all be in the future when my other PFO goes and its time to replace that?

pterfloth · #5 03-22-2010, 04:18 PM

If you aren"t scared of doing a little wiring, open up the ballast box (unplug first!) and look inside at the ballast. Get the model number of the ballast and call your local electrical supply contractor, like Nedco, and order a new ballast and capacitor. When you get the replacement, use the same color coding, ie. connect the same colored wires as the old ballast. It may look scary at first, but its pretty simple, connect red to red, yellow to yellow, etc.

I have done this on several occasions in the past. It isn't hard, will save you money and the replacement ballasts are easy to get.

rstar · #6 03-23-2010, 06:29 AM

Just wanted to put out a thanks for all the advice. I decided to get adventurous and open the ballast box up, inside was a blown capacitor. I sourced one in the city and picked up the new cap for $30. Undo the old one, put in the new one, bam bam just like new! Thanks again everyone!