Lighting system

[FINFISH]

I bought a PFO mini pendant HQI 250watt fixture, Ushio 10K lamp, and Icecap e-ballast- to the tune of ~350$ and after 40days of use on my custom tank the lamp failed to start- upon closer examination it was apparent that corrosion had taken place at the bulb/contact junction- apparently ruining the bulb, the sockets, and possibly the ballast (I have no extra bulb/fixture to test the ballast) Do I have any recourse through Marine Depot? (or PFO?)

The fixture is ~9" from water surface. No splashing has occurred. No trace of corrosion anywhere else on fixture.

The set-up was literally used for the last 40days- everything looks in new condition (except the bulb contacts and fixture sockets)

Help! I've got one Crocea and four on the way this Friday!

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi Finfish,

Thanks for your post.

I just go off the phone with both PFO and IceCap and none of us had heard of such a problem with these double-ended pendants/bulbs. Would you be able to post a few pictures of the pendant/bulb (especially the sockets) and describe the setup further? A picture of the wiring and attachments would also be helpful. We have been selling these pendants and bulbs for a few years now and have never come across an issue with the bulb "corroding".

Please post the pictures and description of the set up as soon as you can. We will check with PFO and IceCap once the pictures/info are available and find out what's causing the problem.

In the mean time, it is not a bad idea to postpone the shipment of the new crocea clams just to be on the safe side.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Joseph
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.marinedepot.com
714-385-0080

 

[FINFISH]

Will do. You can expect pics to be posted later tonight when I get home from work.

That said, do to the time sensitive nature of this emergency- I've ordered replacement socket and bulb from ReefGeek (Your store doesn't list a socket).
This way I'll be able to test the ballast and bulb to see if they are still functional- and I'll be able to provide the correct light for my Croceas.

If the ballast also turns out to be bad- I'm going to order a replacement regardless of whether or not this situation is determined to be caused by some manufacturer defect.

Thanks for the timely response.

 

[FINFISH]

Pictures

Pictures

Tank side view - three sides are viewable - PFO not in place - T5's only

Canopy with PFO fixture in place - note canopy cooling slots at left top edge - powered by twin fans at opposite side end.

Canopy top with PFO removed

Ballast with PFO plug adapter

One socket (more severely damaged than the other side)

Ushio 10K 250watt HQI - 40days of proper firing - other electrode nearly as bad
The equipment is in otherwise new condition and I have original boxes and associated paperwork. Purchase was made some time ago- installed when the tank/stand where completed earlier this summer. Let me know if I can provide any more pics.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi Finfish,

Thanks for posting the pictures. I have forwarded them to both PFO and IceCap. Hopefully, we can find out what happened. Personally, I have always used single-ended bulbs and do not work too much with DE bulbs. As I have not seen this type of damage before I am not sure what may have happened.

I'll let you know as soon as I hear back from PFO and IceCap.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Sincerely,
Joseph
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.marinedepot.com
714-385-0080

 

[FINFISH]

I think we definitely need to figure out why this happened. And I think that in the least- a replacement bulb and socket (and ballast, if non-functional) should be provided free of charge. Whether that is from manufacturer(s) or MD.

I've done quite a bit of business (both privately and with the company I work for) with Marine Depot- and I've never been disappointed with the service.

I should also note that ASH from Icecap has offered to replace the ballast if it is found to be non-functional- *very* respectable.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi Finfish,

It looks like the damage was indeed caused by arcing: as per your suspesions on the IceCap thread. PFO was able to confirm this. As this type of damage is caused by the bulb not being seated properly (indicated by the 'corrosion' starting from the bottom corner); neither the socket nor bulb would be covered by warranty. However, we will be more than happy to work out a VERY good discount for you on a replacement bulb ( and replacement sockets if you decide not to keep the ones from ReefGeek).

Please email me your account information at joseph@marinedepot.com and I will be happy to check what we can do for you.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Sincerely,
Joseph
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.marinedepot.com
714-385-0080

 

[FINFISH]

That offer is acceptable only because I have no other choice. The fact of the matter is that the bulb *was* seated properly (note: you can't see the socket to bulb connections with the bulb inserted fully, and how is one to know if it isn't seated properly if it fires OK for week on end?)- The only possibility that seems likely at this point is a defective socket- probably having developed a lack of contact due to corrosion or weak socket blade.

I'll send you an email to hear what kind of offer you can make me on bulb/socket replacement.

 

[Chris@IceCap]

Finfish:

Are you using the glass shield on your PFO pendant?

The corrosion looks like it's from salt, are the metal contacts on the bulb and sockets turning green?

Chris
IceCap Inc.

 

[FINFISH]

Finfish:

Are you using the glass shield on your PFO pendant?

The corrosion looks like it's from salt, are the metal contacts on the bulb and sockets turning green?

Chris
IceCap Inc.

Yes, I've always used the shield. I agree that corrosion caused the problem- I'm just not sure how 40days of operation caused such severe symptoms.