Bad Ballast right?

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I have the Coralife Aqualight Pro 250w seen here:

http://www.marineandreef.com/products/Aqualight_Pro25048.jpg
http://www.marineandreef.com/products/RES53069_LG.jpg


Today, after shutting them off while doing a WC so as not to bleach the exposed SPS, one side did not fully turn on and looks to be lacking power. (yes, they were fully cooled down)

Supecting a bad bulb, I switched the ballast firing the bulbs and the "dim" bulb swiched sides, leading me to believe that the ballast is the cause.

A replacment is available from marineandreef, but want to double check with others who have had a ballast go out if this is typical?

I have read a while back that swiched timers are hard on ballasts and can ruin them, has anyone heard of this?

I am using this timer, perhaps I overlooked something and mismatched them?
http://www.intermatic.com/?action=prod&pid=9235&did=3&cid=44&sid=116


I almost looks as if its stuck in the startup mode.......

TIA!!!!

 

[H20Sidhe]

I don't know MH, but I have had fluorescents do that & it was the starter, not the ballast. A $1 part. Do MH have starters?

 

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This is an electric ballast and the "starter" I believe is located within the bulb. The ballast has a start and run mode dictated by the "switch" in the bulb.....and I think one of them is shorting out inside the ballast.

I really need to review the basics on these more cuz they are all a little different from wattage to wattage and mogul to HQI.

I hope someone has run into this before so I can be confident buying a new $130 ballast will fix it.

In rereading the dang instructions it says NOT to stack them.....and mine have been.......freakin idiot!!!!! I must have burned it out......

 

[sacfishguy]

mine did that. there is a stater inside the box if you have mechanical ballast. it cost me about 15 dollars for the part and i wired it back in and it was fine. if you open the ballest box you might see where the starter melted. you might want to give that a try.