KMatysek
Member
I'm installing new T5's from ReefGeek and the ballast they come with is a very slim (low profile) Vossloh Schwabe ballast. I don't want to put the ballast in the canopy as it's not that large. I'm trying to decide where to best mount it.
One, I'm concerned about dissipating heat. The VS specs (as best I can find by searching on the web - I wish ReefGeek had sent it with specs/installation guidelines) say it should be a minimum of 4" from walls, etc. It also says it should be mounted to the fixture housing (which I assume is presumed to be metal for heat dissipation). If I were to mount it to the outside of the tank stand or inside under the tank, would it get to hot for the wood? And will it allow it to cool sufficiently? Or is a fan on it sufficient?
My other concern is safety. On the ballast it says it should be contained within an 'Electrical Enclosure' whatever that is. Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me since the wires are more exposed than my current ballast which uses plugs (this ballast has holes that each of the wires is inserted into). With water/salt in the vicinity, some sort of cover seems like a good idea, but that would defeat any ventilation options. Also, what type of casing would make sense and where does one find such materials?
That said, I love the light I'm getting now!
One, I'm concerned about dissipating heat. The VS specs (as best I can find by searching on the web - I wish ReefGeek had sent it with specs/installation guidelines) say it should be a minimum of 4" from walls, etc. It also says it should be mounted to the fixture housing (which I assume is presumed to be metal for heat dissipation). If I were to mount it to the outside of the tank stand or inside under the tank, would it get to hot for the wood? And will it allow it to cool sufficiently? Or is a fan on it sufficient?
My other concern is safety. On the ballast it says it should be contained within an 'Electrical Enclosure' whatever that is. Doesn't seem like a bad idea to me since the wires are more exposed than my current ballast which uses plugs (this ballast has holes that each of the wires is inserted into). With water/salt in the vicinity, some sort of cover seems like a good idea, but that would defeat any ventilation options. Also, what type of casing would make sense and where does one find such materials?
That said, I love the light I'm getting now!