Outer Orbit 250w w/4x24w T5HO problems

[SpiritRift]

Hello,

I bought a "24IN OUTER ORBIT 1X250W 10K HQI-MH W/ 4X24W T5 HO & 12 LUNAR LIGHTS" from MarineDepot in mid-November last year. I turned it on a couple of times to test it and it was in storage until today. It tested fine but today when I am all set to put it on my tank, I ran into a problem with the T5HO setup.

Initially, two of the tubes, their location on the fixture being on the end opposite to the where the powercords come out, did not turn on. So I took it off the tank and did some testing. It turns out that the tube closest to the center of the fixture was not turning on. There appears to be a problem with either the socket or the ballast, I am not sure.

Could you please suggest how I can fix this? I just bought a pack of prime corals and it would be a shame to lose them on this light related problem. Thanks in advance.

 

[SpiritRift]

Please disregard above message. I'll contact Current USA directly. Thanks.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi SpiritRift,

Thanks for your posts, was Current able to assist you? I can send you replacement parts at no cost if the fixture is still under warranty. Please let me know If I can be any assistance to you.

Walter F
Marine Depot Customer Services
www.Marinedepot.com
714.385.0080 Phone
714.385.0180 Fax

 

[SpiritRift]

Hi, I called them but I guess I tried to reach them after office hours. I left a message and I will check on tuesday if they can help me out. The fixture is still under warranty, I think, as I bought it on November 13, 2007.
Thanks a lot for your message and offer, I will surely contact you after I speak to Current.

 

[SpiritRift]

I think I have pinpointed the problem but I am not sure what the cause is. I will call Current if I don't hear from them but in the meantime I would be grateful for any pointers on the cause and if there are any fixes possible (without getting into any warranty issues of course)

So instead of hotlinking an image of the fixture, I will post a schematic below. Here the schematic is of the fixture turned up such that the power cords are closest to the observer:

T51------------------------
T52------------------------
MH ******
T53------------------------
T54------------------------
00 <- power cords


So the problem is with T5 tubes 1 and 2. When I plug the power cord for the T5 bulbs in (the fixture has 1 cord for all 4 bulbs and the fan). The fan and bulbs 3 and 4 turn on. Bulb 2 sometimes flicks on for a second and then turns off. Bulb 1 also turns off after that.

So I pulled out all the bulbs and then used one test bulb and plugged the power cord into a GFCI. Sockets 1 3 and 4 seem ok and the bulb always lights on when placed in these sockets. But when the bulb is plugged into socket 2 the GFCI always trips. I am thinking that there is a short in the circuit that connects to socket 2. Am I right in my thinking?

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, yes that seems correct in your thinking. I would definitely look to see if a wire came loose or is bare at either end and is making contact with something it shouldn't be.

You may need to get replacement T5 sockets for for your fixture to replace, I'd be more than happy to place the order with Current Usa for that part and have them shipped to you directly.

Your fixture has a 1yr manufacturer warranty

Hopefully this helps,

Walter F
Marine Depot Customer Services
www.Marinedepot.com
714.385.0080 Phone
714.385.0180 Fax

 

[SpiritRift]

Hi Walter,
thanks for your reply. I will speak to Current tomorrow evening and update you. I am wary of opening the fixture to look for or fix the problem myself in case that voids the warranty, that's why I am holding off until I speak to them first. Right now the fixture is in use but that socket is open (there's no tube in it), I couldn't continue not using the light and risking my corals.
Best regards,

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, please do let me know what they say. I can be reached at 714.385.0080, in many cases it's just a simple fix.

Walter F
Marine Depot Customer Services
www.Marinedepot.com
714.385.0080 Phone
714.385.0180 Fax

 

[SpiritRift]

Hi Walter, I spoke to their customer support and have sent you a PM regarding the issue. Thanks.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi,

I got your PM, I'll be more than happy to order the parts for you. There is some info I need before I can proceed any further. I need to know where to ship too. Please reply to my PM with that information as soon as you can.

Thanks for letting me help you!

Walter F
Marine Depot Customer Services
www.Marinedepot.com
714.385.0080 Phone
714.385.0180 Fax