Basement on FIRE ;(

[griMReefer]

That's scary stuff. Hope the damage isn't too bad and you're ok. Glad you were home. Hopefully you will get more than your money back from this. Have you called the mfg?

actually i was waiting to see what the ebay seller said. well his reply email simply says:

"
Y0U CAN RETURN THE ITEM TO

WEX XXXX
2XXX XXXXX AVE #XX
XXXXXXX CA 94545 "

that's all. the unit is the Jebo Odyssea dual 36" HO T5 Flourescent Light. i didn't even check for a UL sticker or anything, i just assumed if they're a reseller here in the USA it has it. anyway i was trying to cut corners since i am a poor reefer.

does anyone have info on Jebo Odyssea and where this manufacturer is and their contact info? i didn't know there was a epidemic of their units catching fire but apparently, first hand, so.

:scratchch

 

[FRY]

do you have a smoke detector in the basement and other areas ????

i didnt read that you heard it go off

 

[griMReefer]

do you have a smoke detector in the basement and other areas ????

i didnt read that you heard it go off

it didnt go off. the co det didnt go off either. i am wondering whats up with that too -- melting/burning plastic is like different from other material (paper, wood, etc) burning???

 

[masterswimmer]

it didnt go off. the co det didnt go off either. i am wondering whats up with that too -- melting/burning plastic is like different from other material (paper, wood, etc) burning???

You definitely need to check your smoke detectors. CO might not be produced from burning plastic/insulation. CO actually protects you from burned but not exhausted fossil fuels.

Good opportunity here for a little loinin'.....I be da teach.

We build our homes extremely energy efficient nowadays. We try to seal off as much outside air as possible. CO is most likely going to cause some tragic deaths in the winter. Why? Because in the summer we keep our windows and doors open more and we don't burn the boiler/furnace as much (still used for hot water, but not heat).

In the winter, the boiler turns on, heats the system and shuts off. Not all the burned fossil fuel is exhausted out the chimney (hence creosote build up in fireplaces). When somebody in the airtight house opens a door it causes a backdraft. In order for that door to open it has to draw air from somewhere. That somewhere is more likely to be an unobstructed chimney or flue (remember, it's winter and the windows are shut). When the backdraft of air comes down the chimney, it brings with it the burned, but not completely exhausted, fossil fuel back in with it. This burned fossil fuel is carbon monoxide (CO).

That's a reason it might not have gone off when your fixture burned. Hope this helped.

Russ

 

[alrha]

good to know. :skull:

 

[Josh]

Crystal clear. :givebeer:

 

[elosusa]

Hot diggity damn,

Im glad nothing major happened, just another reason to high end from the beginning ,

But seriously, there must a MR guardian angel because although things have been hittin the fan for me (my bubble counter broke on my solenoid like 5 min ago), in retrospect anything could be much worse.

How about a nice class action lawsuit? makes me all fuzzy inside

I just came home to find 2 of my tanks gfi's kicked and 1 was fried. Not really fried but the thing was broken and the white wire was discolored. No idea why. It almost seems like it was not related to my tanks because they are on two different circuits. I am completely paranoid about fires. Speaking of high end. You would think that paying a premium for equipment would come with a little piece of mind. Any of you checked to see if your lighting is UL listed? I was shocked to see how many lights are not listed. I have read so many threads like this and it amazes me that the lawsuit think hasn't happened yet. Someone asked me why I am going through the UL listing and wasting so much money? I have a lawyer as a sister and I don't want any part of those leaches:lol2: Oh and I don't want to burn someones house down.

 

[FRY]

when a wire is discolored its because the wire connection is loose, it was never install properly

 

[griMReefer]

great advice, tanks teecha! :kiss:

my assumption really was these lights have to pass electrical underwriting to be retailed as they are so popularly nowadays. aquaria must be household use because its like the #1 hobby, no?

i've had bad luck when it comes to electricity, including burns, shortages and these types of burnouts. at my old place i learned just how much electrical resistance is lurking behind the wall plug most of you guys with dozens of stuff plugged into power strips. just put your hand on the drywall and if its any bit warm around the plate just imagine how hot it is where the outlet internally connects.

time to upgrade the smoke detectors. my previous pad had the cool ones with the built in wiring. (not so cool during a power outage though) the one downstairs probably didn't go off because i was too concerned about it not showing -- like when do you ever see a smoke alarm on the home improvement shows. maybe re-subscribe to adt with smoke/fire monitoring.
thats the thing about aquaria -- everything is about electrical life support. all my other hobbies/pets -- gardening, the pond, the birds, the dogs, are all electricity-free.

yeah its a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher at arms reach of your reef tank. don't forget to check the wall outlets all your apparatus plug into.

i can only imagine what would have transpired if i did not catch these burning wires and had just left for the day and come back to a nightmare ......

overall, don't mean to sound dramatic, but im disgusted these particular lights ought to recalled but no one's doing anything (prolly because maybe no significant damage or loss of life has happened yet).

(would the Vendor also be at fault if it turns out he is selling stuff that is not UL listed?)

 

[Deanos]

(would the Vendor also be at fault if it turns out he is selling stuff that is not UL listed?)

What is UL listing?

 

[elosusa]

fry, thanks. I had an electrican put that gfi in because I was so paranoid. It was a little loose when I put the new one on. Do you think that would kich the gfi on another circuit?

grimreefer, from my understanding you don't need to be UL listed to sell these things but it seems crazy not to. Sometimes we are talking about some serious wattage over a pool of water I assumed the UL thing was standard, as well. I think most people do. Good thing you were there but now you have to think about this everytime you leave. I hate that kind of sh#$!

 

[elosusa]

Uh, what he said. Deanos, easy on the "cool link". I'm over here huntin' and peckin':biggrin: So yeah it isn't needed to sell but if it is UL listed you will see the UL label near where the plug is connected somewhere.

 

[ECFENCING]

What would be best practices then for preventing anything like this from happening?

Is there anything in the market that would detect a possible electrical fire and shut everything off?

I guess it always makes sense to leave your lights off when you are not home and only have them on when you are home.

 

[griMReefer]

What is UL listing?

hmmm, that's scary, electrical consumer products don't need to pass any standard or inspection for retail in the usa...

but in the real usa world, if the manufacturers product does (allegedly) cause a fire, if the consumer product is UL listed/approved, it serves as a defense item against liability? i mean UL listing is the bare minimum. if they don't have that it would look bad. if the company is not a US company though, i guess it could care less though...
lol maybe i shoulda stuck to perfecto and all glass NOFLO lighting :teeth:


an interesting old recall of Hagen Powerheads:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml89/89078.html

 

[griMReefer]

:shocked:

What would be best practices then for preventing anything like this from happening?

Is there anything in the market that would detect a possible electrical fire and shut everything off?

I guess it always makes sense to leave your lights off when you are not home and only have them on when you are home.

does anyone do that with a reef tank? i wish it could be like that with the oldschool aquariums- only turn the lights on when company's over lol

we're all with the timers and x10s these days...