Can I do this safely to my ballast?

[stlouisguy]

I had a cooling fan on my ballast start making a humming noise, so I took the top off and the fan out and whatever was vibrating stopped so I reinstalled it.

Then I got to thinking, I keep this huge ballast in a seperate cabinet next to the tank, and the fans keep the ballast cooled down. But can I keep the top off the ballast, thereby letting the heat out all over instead out of the fans.

Is there any reason not to?

 

[Letmegrow]

Other than dust or water, I do not see why not.

 

[JxMetal]

I don't see any reason not to. I think it's just there for protection. But if nothing can touch it and mess it up then do it.

 

[Letmegrow]

Copy cat.

 

[stlouisguy]

water not a chance, dust I can spray it down every few weeks with the canister airs

I figure it will lenghten the life of the ballast if the heat can dissipate faster

 

[JxMetal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7160267#post7160267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Letmegrow
Copy cat.

lol, you just beat me to it

 

[Letmegrow]

Great minds......

 

[chadfarmer]

still under warranty?

if so I would get a new fan and put the cover back on


maybe there is a reason they put the fan on (thank about the cost of not putting the fan on)it is there for a reason, most likely


what about kids , dog anything else that can touch the inside of the ballast and get a nice shock ---- the capacitor could probably hurt someone pretty bad

 

[DrBDC]

If it's an enclosure with the metal fins built onto it then it actually cools the ballast better than w/o it. Seems weird I know you'd thinkit would be cooler open to the air. Maybe if you had constant air flow over it but contact the company and ask. It may void the warrenty.

 

[DrBDC]

If it's an enclosure with the metal fins built onto it then it actually cools the ballast better than w/o it. Seems weird I know you'd think it would be cooler open to the air. Maybe if you had constant air flow over it but contact the company and ask. It may void the warrenty.

 

[stlouisguy]

Both fans still work, one just had a buzzing that I fixed. I think I will split the differance, I will put the cover back on, just not screw it down.

 

[zt444a]

Constant hot, dry air flowing over something electrical also means static build up too.

Make sure the cover isn't part of your case ground circuit as well... just to be on the safe side, right?

Personally, I'd go cover off as long as everything else was protected and the grounding circuit was ok.

Howard