metal halide ballast help..isnt working

[Jaroby]

I purchased an AquaMedic Ocean light 150w HQI halide ballast for the AquaMedic Ocean light fixture I came across. Problem is the "new" ballast doesnt work. Whenever i plug it in it trips the GFI, on 3 different circuits. So i know it isnt my circuits but the ballast. Anyone familiar with halide ballasts to tell me what I should look for to get it working? I thought perhaps becasue it was so cold when it was shipped that condensation spread through it once it got into the heated/humid aquarium room. But i have let it sit for a week and it still does the same thing. Inside everything looks good clean and tidy. Any suggestions?

 

[serpentman]

I am assuming this is a magnetic ballast. When you say you tried it on 3 separate circuits, are each wired with a separate GFCI? Are those circuits empty when you tried it? How many bulbs is this ballast powering?

 

[Burgman]

Hi,

Send it back..................

Dave

 

[serpentman]

I agree with Dave. Once you eliminate the circuit as a potential cause, IMO its not worth trying to repair a new ballast when you can send it back.

 

[Jaroby]

I do not even have the fixture plugged into the ballast...but it is a single 150watt bulb that it is supposed to power. I have 3 different circuits in my house that have GFI sockets. None of these circuits are overloaded as we rewired the house over the summer to install new dedictaed circuit for my reef aquarium. All i Do uis take the ballast box....plug the power cord in (with power switch off and no fixture plugged into ballast yet) and it trips the GFI

 

[serpentman]

Definitely shouldn't be pulling that kind of juice in the off position. Something is going on inside with either the capacitor or the ground that I wouldn't want to mess with.

Definitely sounds like a bad ballast. Your best (and probably safest) bet is to send it back.