Need Electrical Help...please

[AkaSlyGuy]

ok, I am replacing my 250w lumatek ballast with a new aqua medic reeflex 250w ballast. I am just going to use the lamp cord from the lumatek ballst, because I already have the end wired up connecting my lumenbrite fixture with quick disconnect plugs. I thought that I could just cut the plug off of the existing cord (that plugged into the cord going to the ballast) and wire the female adapter to it that I ordered from aqua cave:

http://www.aquacave.com/Quick-Disconnect-Male-Plug-P1892C208.aspx

I cut the plug off, wired the green wire to gound, the white wire to N and the Black wire to L. Plugged this into the adapter cord that comes with the ballast and turned on the ballast. The fan came on and the ballast started buzzing, but the bulb did not fire up (20k radium). I did not change anything on the other end of the cord (disconnects to the lumenbrite) but I checked the wiring of the sockets and the green is going to ground, white to the silver screw and black to the brass screw.

Does anyone see what I did wrong? I wonder if the N (white) and L (black) wires need to be switched on the male adapter I bought? I just don't want to blow anything up. The bulb was just working plugged into the lumatek ballast.....I turned it off to disconnect it from the lumatek ballast. Is there some reason this cord will not work with this magnetic ballast? Thanks for any help.

Joe

 

[AkaSlyGuy]

any ideas?

 

[AkaSlyGuy]

Nevermind.....I took a chance and reversed the black and white wires on the new plug I installed and it fired up instantly when I turned it on.

Thanks anyway.

Joe

 

[Ron Reefman]

Thanks for letting us know that switching the wires made a difference. I didn't think it would, it doesn't make any dfference to other lights. But with MH and a ballast, I just didn't know. BTW, I've had cheap MH bulbs that light up for a couple of minutes, then it goes out for 10+ minutes, then on for a couple then off, then... you get the idea. Put a more expensive bulb in and it works fine! Go figure. Buy cheap and get cheap. :headwally: