Need help exchanging ballast

[Awibrandy]

Hi guys, I purchased a used light fixture that has a bad ballast. I thought it would simply mean that I would just plug in my ballast, found out it is not that simple.
Can someone help me out with the exchange Please

?

The original ballast on the fixture is a coralife 2-lamp vho electronic ballast kit Model AF907, I want to replace it with my old Icecap 660. I am not electronically gifted. When I purchased my Ice cap the person that sold it to me wired it for me. The Ice cap is currently wired for 4-48" bulbs, the coralife is wired for 2-72" bulbs.

 

[Pedro]

here you go.

http://www.icecapinc.com/660-2.htm

And just in case you want to do other configurations, they are on their site.

 

[fritz]

It's actually not that bad to do. I know nothing about electricty and I wired it wrong probably 4 times before I got it right. The icecap ballast comes with built in circuitry that won't fire if you wire it wrong so it keeps you from blowing anything up.

 

[Awibrandy]

Thank you guys! The first thing I have to figure out is how to open the fixture so I can disconnect the old Coralife wires, and replace them with the Ice cap wires. If I can do that then I think I can do the wiring as per the site Pedro gave me.
Question, Do I have to replace the endcaps as well? As you can see, it is not just wiring the Ice cap that I am talking about.
How do I take apart the light fixture? Do I gut the whole thing out, and then replace everything?

 

[fritz]

I would leave the existing wiring and endcaps and start from the ballast. Open it up carefully and find the ballast. Cut the wires near the ballast and replace the ballast with the icecap. A bit of warning here, the icecap ballast will most likely be too large to fit inside the fixture. You may need to figure out another way to do this.

 

[Awibrandy]

I would leave the existing wiring and endcaps and start from the ballast. Open it up carefully and find the ballast. Cut the wires near the ballast and replace the ballast with the icecap. A bit of warning here, the icecap ballast will most likely be too large to fit inside the fixture. You may need to figure out another way to do this.

Thanks Fritz,
Can I really just cut the wires to the coralife ballast, and splize the icecap wires to it? Is it really that simple? Ballast to this fixture is on the outside so no need to worry about fitting the icecap ballast into the fixture. Hope I don't end up blowing up the house here.

 

[FRY]

most of your ballast has 2 yellow wires going to one end of each lamp and 2 blues going to other end and 2 reds going to other lamp,with ice cap you have 2 yellow going one lamp and 2 orange going to other lamp ,if this is the case then you have to disconect the 2 yellow so that you can connect the orange wires

 

[Awibrandy]

most of your ballast has 2 yellow wires going to one end of each lamp and 2 blues going to other end and 2 reds going to other lamp,with ice cap you have 2 yellow going one lamp and 2 orange going to other lamp ,if this is the case then you have to disconect the 2 yellow so that you can connect the orange wires

Thanks for the detailed info Fry, I'll let you guys know what happened later on in the day. I think I will tackle it sometime this afternoon. Pray for me.:lol:

 

[Spracklcat]

Best of luck--I just redid my wiring too, going from VHO's to T5's, but using the same ballasts. Nothing has blown up yet

Be brave!

 

[FRY]

if you any help let me know you can call me

frank

 

[Pedro]

Hey, as detailed as that diagram is, if you blow this up, you are forever banned from touching anything electrical. Seriously. LOL. Just match what the diagram says. Rip out the old wires, then run the icecap colors to the corresponding sockets. Done!

 

[Awibrandy]

if you any help let me know you can call me

frank

Hi Frank, I can't call you, I don't have your number.:lol:
I'm going to attemp this later this afternoon. I didn't have a chance yesterday.

Hey, as detailed as that diagram is, if you blow this up, you are forever banned from touching anything electrical. Seriously. LOL. Just match what the diagram says. Rip out the old wires, then run the icecap colors to the corresponding sockets. Done!

Pedro, I'll try to remember this.

Be blessed all,
Awilda

 

[FRY]

you got mail

 

[Awibrandy]

:spin: :flower: Yay, it's done... No more fretting. Thank you all for helping me build my confidence back up. Ever since the chemo I get so lost in the smallest things.
So you see you not only helped me with the wiring. I could never thank you guys enough.
Frank, thank you so very much for talking to me it really helped.
Spraklecat, thank you for the vote of confidence, and encouragement.

I didn't blow anything up Pedro. :tongue1: So I guess I am still allow to work on electrical stuff.:lol:

 

[FRY]

your welcome dont be afraid to ask for held were allways here,
very nice DIY job done

 

[Spracklcat]

My favorite quote, from my brother, the engineer while working on reef wiring:

"Wow, that didn't shock me as much this time."

...this time?!?!

 

[Awibrandy]

My favorite quote, from my brother, the engineer while working on reef wiring:

"Wow, that didn't shock me as much this time."

...this time?!?!

LMAO!!

 

[Awibrandy]

I rewired the light fixture. I tested it, and it ran fine, both bulbs lit up and stayed on. I taped up all the wires so that I wouldn't see all the diff. colored wires (wrapping them up nice and neat.) finished painting the fixture. Put the darn thing on top of the tank plugged it in, and the lights came on for a second and went off:irked:. I tried a few more times including plugging straight into the wall outlet, and the same thing. The ballast smelled burnt so I oppened it looked inside, what I saw is 1 of the leads to the fuse is burned, but the fuse is fine. Also, there are 2 flat round parts 1 of the casing is split, the other looks singed. I called Icecap, the man told me it is an easy fix, that what propably happened is one of the bulbs got loose, or there is a loose wire somewhere causing the ballast to malfunction. Any ideas? I'm going to unwrap the wires, and see what I can see. Don't really know what I am looking for. I am about to purchase another ballast, but I don't want the same thing to happen again. :frown:

 

[FRY]

let me see what i can do were do you live when are you going to get the new ballast,maybe can i can repair the old ballast so you can keep it as a spare allso

frank

 

[Awibrandy]

let me see what i can do were do you live when are you going to get the new ballast

Good Morning Frank, I fixed it, one of the wires had gotten loose. Thank you for the offer. I know who to call next time. . By the way, are you an electrician by trade? Reason I am asking is that this house is going to be needing an upgrade soon. I live in Far Rockaway.

Be blessed,
Awilda