anyone ever wired an Icecap MH ballast?

[Meloco14]

I'm trying to decide whether to get a standard plug and play type ballast with a regular power cord and lamp cord or to upgrade to an Ice Cap electronic ballast. The only thing with the IC's is they need to be hard wired and don't have a standard lamp cord. Are they pretty easy to wire? I'm no electrician, but im not a complete newbie at wiring either, I've wired PC bulbs and ballasts, and done a lot of wiring in guitars and pedals and stuff. Just never hard wired anything before. Anyone have any experience with this? Could I just wire the Ice Cap to a standard three prong power cord and use an outlet? TIA

 

[Anonymous]

Where did you heard that IC ballast can't be wired to plugged into an outlet? :?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, the Icecap ballasts have three wires for hooking up to the power source, a hot, a neutral, and a ground. It is a snap to connect these wires to a plug that you can buy from any hardware store. These types of plugs typically separate into two pieces, the inner piece having screw connections around which you wrap the wires. It really is a no brainer (but remember that the green wire is the ground).

 

[Anonymous]

You could use wire nuts or butt splices to connect the wires to a power cord. Not a big deal really. I would wrap them spices with several layers of black electrical tape, then cover the whole thing with a type of flexible platic tubing that is sliced down the center. This flexible covering will protect the wires, spices, and is also available at Home Depot.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

You could use wire nuts or butt splices to connect the wires to a power cord. Not a big deal really. I would wrap them spices with several layers of black electrical tape, then cover the whole thing with a type of flexible platic tubing that is sliced down the center. This flexible covering will protect the wires, spices, and is also available at Home Depot.

Louey

If he is going to do this, then I would use a longer power cord and make the splice near the Icecap ballast - less chance of the wire nut connection coming undone or getting wet.

 

[Anonymous]

Agreed. It all depends on where the ballast is mounted in relation to the hood and the power outlet.

The flexible tube is to protect the ballast wires and splices, not the cord.

Louey

 

[Meloco14]

Thanks guys, is there a difference in performance based on where I place the ballast? I read somewhere that they should be above the tank water level. Is this true? Or is this just a safety issure so they dont get wet? I am running pendants, and plan on putting the ballasts under the tank, but not on the ground, probably elevated on some bricks to act as a heat sink and allow for a drip loop. Does this sound ok? Thanks for the help so far.

 

[Anonymous]

The ballast does not know where is the water level, so you can mount it anywhere you think is safe.

 

[Anonymous]

Yup, what dupaboy said.

The only limitation would be voltage drop. But you would have to move it quite a ways before that would have an effect. Locating the ballast anywhere in the room would be fine.

Louey

 

[Meloco14]

Thats what I would have thought, thanks guys