Ice cap Question

[outta names]

I have had my ballast for 1 year and 2 months and both my ballast are beginning to not work properly. The best way I can describe it is that they do not always fire on the first try. Sometimes it takes unplugging them two or three times before the lights come on. They just started to do this in the past month. At first I thought my timers were bad but I bought new ones and tried different outlets and it still happens? Anyone ever have this problem? I know icecap makes great products so this seems a little strange to me?

 

[jeffbrig]

Are we talking MH or VHO? Either one, you may want to check the wiring for corrosion just to rule that out first.

 

[outta names]

VHO, I have checked the wire and conectors and don't see any signs or corrosion. I would hate to have to do this but won't Ice cap repair them if there is something wrong internally or would I have to buy new ones?

 

[Ryan454]

you may want to check the bulb brand for compatability because i had a similar problem with my (electronic metal halide) ice cap ballast not firing an XM brand bulb but if I switched it off/on several times, sometimes it would work and then the next day i would come home from work to find that just my actinic lights were on so i called ice cap and they told me to use something other than an XM bulb and it's been working fine with a hamilton ever since!

 

[jeffbrig]

Any chance to bulbs are too old and don't easily light?

Talk to someone at icecap. They'll probably ask you to send the ballast in, and they'll test it and figure out what's wrong. If it's the ballast, they'll fix/replace it.

 

[outta names]

Thanks jeff/ryan. I did post in the ice cap forum so hopefully I will here from them soon. The bulbs are brand new but the same kind I had in there from the beginning.