MH exploded last night

[ladyballplayer]

My son started yelling for me last night and said something exploded in my tank and there was glass everywhere. I went running, towels in hand thinking the tank crashed, but its was the 12K MH bulb. Im so bummed. I was only 3 months old.

I dont have anything between the water and the bulb so my guess it that there was a splash of cold water that hit it and the rest is history.

:x

Damn - now I need to find a bulb fast!

 

[Palmetto]

That stinks, but I am sure you will agree that you are getting off very light for a crash-and-sound-of-glass reef disaster!!!

 

[ladyballplayer]

Palmetto - you got that right. For a moment I was thinking, "So this is how it all ends....."

My luck has GOT to change soon. :?

 

[BradR]

I bought three 20K radiums at hellolights, ran them with glass shields for a month, and one exploded this weekend. My 2 remaining bulbs are pristine. They gave me 16 bucks credit for the bulb.
:evil:
They were pleasant enuf about refusing to anything more about it tho.

 

[ladyballplayer]

I bought the bulb on ebay - so I doubt they'd offer any help.

 

[dizzy]

Ladyballplayer,

Metal halide bulbs expoding are not all that uncommon. I had a 175 watt German 10,000 K explode, but luckily it was in a pendant with a plastic cover glass. It burnt pits in the plastic but was contained. I have 400 watt pendants that get too hot for covers, but so far I have been lucky. Did it hurt any corals and how do you get the pieces of glass out? I would also think there is some metal in the tank now.

 

[JeremyR]

I've never blown one up and I run all my fixtures open, but they are all at least 8" off the water. I wouldn't characterize it as a "common" occurance.

 

[dizzy]

I've never blown one up and I run all my fixtures open, but they are all at least 8" off the water. I wouldn't characterize it as a "common" occurance.

Jerermy,

I was talking with Steve Tyree a few years back when mine expoded and he said he had heard of quite a few instances where this had happened. With different bulb manufactures too. I didn't mean to suggest it was a common occurence, but only that it has happened quite a few times and not just because water was splashed on the bulb. Two other people in this post also had it happen. I would think an unprotected bulb could do a lot of damage to certain corals if it did happen, so just consider yourself forewarned.

 

[tazdevil]

One of the sponsors of reef org., I can't remember which, has in their lighting selection something about a daylight spectrum bulb having known problems with this, that they won't sell. I'll check thru them again, see if I can find the quote. I believe this was the 12K bulb 175watt.

 

[tazdevil]

I give up! Couldn't find it, However, I know I saw that on one of the sponsors about lighting.
Would definetly make a case for some sort of cover glass though! 8O

 

[AgentSPS]

Well it is sort of surprising that lower wattage bulbs seem to blow more than higher (250-400 watt bulbs). Any quick change in temperature to a small enough portion of the bulb will cool it down significantly enough to contract the glass and pull it away from the hotter surrounding glass. This weakness can be enough for the pressure difference to 'IMPLODE' the bulb. These bulbs implode rather than explode. Another cause for seemingly random blowouts can be the actual manufacturing of the bulb. The ideal bulb will have a uniform thickness throughout (ignoring the ends). Avoid wavy bulbs when possible. Thicker is not necessarily better....look for uniformity. The disappointing truth of all of this is that you and I will probably not be able to pick out an 'at risk' bulb from a perfect bulb but hopefully my few tips may help you shop better.

 

[BradR]

I think that hellolights.com charging me 70 bucks for a replacement 20K bulb after me hardly using it was a ripoff. To be honest, I wish I'd gone with marine depot over hellolights for my halides. They at least are reasonable. Oh well. Lesson learned.

:?

 

[Anonymous]

One of the sponsors of reef org., I can't remember which, has in their lighting selection something about a daylight spectrum bulb having known problems with this, that they won't sell. I'll check thru them again, see if I can find the quote. I believe this was the 12K bulb 175watt.

Chmp Lghtng, Sunburst.

 

[ladyballplayer]

Well I wrote to ALS yesterday and got a breif email back asking me if I had any of the bulb left. I just reposnded that yes, I have the half that is stuck in my socket! I have to figure out how to get it out... I will let you know what happens.

PS: mine was a 250 watt 12K sunburst

 

[dizzy]

I have to figure out how to get it out... I will let you know what happens.

Try a potato. Seriously. Let us know how you get the glass out of the tank.

 

[ladyballplayer]

I got a big piece out easily - it was laying on the rock work, but there are smaller pieces behing the rock, not too small, but I can't reach them. I am planning on re-scaping my rockwork anyway - so I will removed the last pieces then. GRRRR

 

[tazdevil]

One thing with the potato thing. BE SURE TO UNPLUG THE UNIT FIRST (in case no one ever told you, otherwise, hows the life insurance policy??). If you don't know the method, here's the steps.

1: UNPLUG THE UNIT

2: Take a raw potato, slice in half.

3: Stick sliced side of potato into socket with broken bulb.

4: Twist until broken bulb comes out.

5: Clean off any potato goo that might have gotten onto the socket or anywhere else.

7: Throw away the half of potato used in a place it won't get mixed up and possibly cooked for dinner (ouch!) 8O

8: Put new bulb into socket, plug unit back in, and light it up.

9: Kick back, relax, your done.

BTW here's the quote from Champion Lighting about the bulbs, it is specifying E-ballast as well.:

NOTE: We will not warranty any E-Ballast used with 12,000K Sunburst lamps. We don't not sell or recommend this lamp. We have tested this lamp and find it unstable. It will not light on a 400w or 250w E-Ballast. Our test have also shown this bulb to explode on a 175w E-Ballast. We have also had several customer complaints about this bulb.

 

[ladyballplayer]

Thanks for the info!
Bummer about the quote!