Help with diy hood electricty?

[enemec1]

Where dose the ground wire for a retro fit lighting hood mount to?
I have a hamilton dual 175w MH and dual 40vho set up but I'm not sure where the ground wire is susposed to mount at.

 

[doodoobrown]

are you using a 3 prong power cord

 

[enemec1]

yes

 

[Fast Fred]

Are you asking "Where on the fixture does it connect to"?

 

[enemec1]

yes the wire from the ballist has a ground wire in it dose it connect to the reflector or in a junction box?

 

[enemec1]

also do you just stab the wire in the vho end caps, than screw it to the reflector?

 

[Fast Fred]

Well, I'm not exactly sure of this particular set up. But I can tell you this: You'll want to ground everything that is metal. For example, if the reflector is metal, ground it. If the bracket that holds the light socket is metal, ground it. If both are metal, and bolted together, then they are bonded together electrically, and only one ground wire is needed for both. You can use a crimp-on solderless connector - one with a spade or eye, and bolt it to the metal of the reflector or bracket or whatever. You can even slip it under an existing bolt, like the one that holds the two together.

All grounds will always go together. The main purpose is for safety. Let's suppose a hot (live) wire were chaffed and touching the reflector, and the reflector is not grounded. When YOU touch the reflector, YOU complete the circuit, and YOU are the ground. Death or serious injury could occur. Normally the ground wire has no electric going through it. If the chaffed hot touches a reflector that IS grounded, it should trip the circuit breaker or GFCI recptacle.

Also, be sure ALL aquarium equipment is run through a GFCI receptacle. This also could save your life.

I hope I wasn't too confusing.

 

[Fast Fred]

Also, if you have heat-sinks for your ballasts, you'll want to ground them too.

 

[enemec1]

that was what i was looking for thank you? waht about the t12 socket Just stab the wire in through the bottom? like a wass outlit?

 

[Fast Fred]

Sorry, but I'm not that familiar with T-12 sockets. If it's like most other fluorescent sockets, the wires just stab right into it. Strip the wire first though. Strip only what you NEED exposed.

 

[Fmellish]

wrap the ground around one of the screws in the mogul socket. Then screw it in tight. The ground can basically be grounded to any piece of metal on the socket. I always ground to a screw.