Fireproof fluorescent tube ballast

[Rogue5861]

I have 2 loose fit fluro ballasts and ends that i wish to install into a melamine enclosure.

How would i go about stopping them from burning the enclosure? Was thinking a small cement board or similar to protect the melamine but couldnt track down anything in small sizes.

Has anyone gone about the same thing and found something that will suit how im installing them.


Rick

 

[fourexes]

not sure exactly of your intentions or equipment but fibre board (for lack of a better name) is a good insulator (the replacement for the old fibro) and can be obtained from suppliers for free if you ask for their packing sheets, most bundles come with a sacrificial top sheet, which can also be layered for a substantial amount of insulation.

 

[Rogue5861]

This is my fluro- ballast, tube end connectors, starter and tube. (Not the heat lamp).

I wish to install it into the enclosure on the ceiling. (Can see 1 clip for the tube in photo).

Rick

 

[fourexes]

ah so it's just a fluro without a batten? I would recommend running the ballast & starter outside the enclosure to reduce the effect of humidity & you will still need a cage for the bulb. The bulbs don't run that hot but the holders are live so more of an electrocution issue than a burn issue I believe.

 

[Rogue5861]

This is for some monitors so i wont need a cage on it, the bugs get into batten ones so i managed to score a few of these ones free .

If i was to run the ballasts externally how would i stop them from possible causing a fire? I checked bunnings but they didnt have any metal enclosed boxes, dont want dust catching on fire on them or anything.


Rick

 

[bigjoediver]

Go on the Jaycar website and get some plastic or metal cases.

 

[andynic07]

This is for some monitors so i wont need a cage on it, the bugs get into batten ones so i managed to score a few of these ones free .

If i was to run the ballasts externally how would i stop them from possible causing a fire? I checked bunnings but they didnt have any metal enclosed boxes, dont want dust catching on fire on them or anything.


Rick

I would not think that a ballast would get hot enough to cause a fire but as Bigjoediver said Jcar would be a good place to look for a suitable box. Maybe run your setup for a few hours and measure to temperature of the ballast with a IR gun out of interest for us to see what temperature is does reach and then we could possibly work out if it would or not catch fire.

 

[Rogue5861]

I think it was 140c, ill double check tho. What would be a safe temp to mount it against melamine?


Rick

 

[Snowman]

Just go to a light wholesaler and get a better fluoro fitting. By law the exposed terminals in the ballast have to be covered with a cover that requires the use of a tool to remove. They really aren't that expensive.

 

[Rogue5861]

Got nothing to do with price at all, the reason i choose theses fittings is that they wont allow feeder insects to hide in them.

They were previously installed in a display cabinet with the ballast screwed into the timber, i just dont want a fire hazard at all. Their was no cover over them or any heatshield.

Maybe i just install them as they are and not worry. All wiring will be installed by a sparky once i have it all ready to go.


Rick

 

[andynic07]

Melting point is 345degrees and autoignition point is 500 degrees but Snowman makes a good point about the accesability of the terminals. Putting the ballast in a box that requires a screwdriver or socket should cover that though.

 

[Snowman]

Got nothing to do with price at all, the reason i choose theses fittings is that they wont allow feeder insects to hide in them.

They were previously installed in a display cabinet with the ballast screwed into the timber, i just dont want a fire hazard at all. Their was no cover over them or any heatshield.

Maybe i just install them as they are and not worry. All wiring will be installed by a sparky once i have it all ready to go.


Rick

Melting point is 345degrees and autoignition point is 500 degrees but Snowman makes a good point about the accesability of the terminals. Putting the ballast in a box that requires a screwdriver or socket should cover that though.

Sounds like he doesn't have a clue about wiring to me. An exposed ballast is illegal. And further more it needs to be earthed, which they usually are via the metal fitting that the ballast is attached too. With this cheap fitting that doesnt seem to meet Australian Standards there isn't an earth wire or lug in sight....
Good luck with it... I'm off to buy some marshmallows for the fire.
A standard battern fitting with a diffuser would stop feeder insects hiding IMO.

May as well shred my Victorian and West Australian Electricians licenses.... Non-sparkies know it all...

 

[Rogue5861]

Melting point is 345degrees and autoignition point is 500 degrees but Snowman makes a good point about the accesability of the terminals. Putting the ballast in a box that requires a screwdriver or socket should cover that though.

Thanks mate, that is awesome. I was planning to put them into a metal enclosured box but wasnt sure if it being it there would cause too much heat build up.

I will go to jaycar an find a suitable metal enclosure for them.


Rick

 

[Rogue5861]

Sounds like he doesn't have a clue about wiring to me. An exposed ballast is illegal. And further more it needs to be earthed, which they usually are via the metal fitting that the ballast is attached too. With this cheap fitting that doesnt seem to meet Australian Standards there isn't an earth wire or lug in sight....
Good luck with it... I'm off to buy some marshmallows for the fire.
A standard battern fitting with a diffuser would stop feeder insects hiding IMO.

May as well shred my Victorian and West Australian Electricians licenses.... Non-sparkies know it all...

Thanks mate. Never said i knew everything and this is why i asked. Would i be able to put them in a metal enclosured box?


Rick

 

[Snowman]

Thanks mate. Never said i knew everything and this is why i asked. Would i be able to put them in a metal enclosured box?


Rick

The problem is (and why I am being so harsh), that when you get things like this wrong. You could kill yourself or someone else. Perhaps even your pets?
The metal ballast needs to be earthed with the appropriate lug and earth cable. To do this you need a basic understanding of electricity and how earthing metal objects works.
Yes you could put it in a metal box. But then the box and the ballast needs to be earthed.
You could use a pvc box and the ballast still needs to be earthed, but the plastic may melt too.

This is why I said discard the fitting. Unless you are an electrician, it is very hard to make that kind of fitting conform to Australian Standards. A lot of these fittings come out of asia and though they have Australian plugs. They need to be installed correctly to conform to AU standards.

Electricity is often taken for granted. People are VERY complacent about it.... When you work with it however, you see things that are a constant reminder of what happens when things go wrong. I do not want you to be on the recieving end of when things go wrong.

 

[andynic07]

Sounds like he doesn't have a clue about wiring to me. An exposed ballast is illegal. And further more it needs to be earthed, which they usually are via the metal fitting that the ballast is attached too. With this cheap fitting that doesnt seem to meet Australian Standards there isn't an earth wire or lug in sight....
Good luck with it... I'm off to buy some marshmallows for the fire.
A standard battern fitting with a diffuser would stop feeder insects hiding IMO.

May as well shred my Victorian and West Australian Electricians licenses.... Non-sparkies know it all...

I did not venture into the way it would be wired or earthed as he did state that he would get a licensed electrician to do the wiring. You are dead right in what you say about the wiring and what can happen but I gave the poster the benefit of the doubt. I bet you are not looking forward if and when they unify the states electrical license, you will then need to go overseas to say you have two different electrical licences.

 

[Snowman]

I did not venture into the way it would be wired or earthed as he did state that he would get a licensed electrician to do the wiring. You are dead right in what you say about the wiring and what can happen but I gave the poster the benefit of the doubt. I bet you are not looking forward if and when they unify the states electrical license, you will then need to go overseas to say you have two different electrical licences.

Less fees sounds good to me. Now can we get a national reptile license too?

 

[andynic07]

Less fees sounds good to me. Now can we get a national reptile license too?

Try to amalgamate all the states different rules for reptile keeping , I think no chance until the rules are a lot more uniform.

 

[Rogue5861]

Thanks guys. I know exactly where you are coming from and i just want to get it right before a sparky comes around and i waste his time and my money.

I do my own 12v wiring but 240v is in a totally different league, i dont ever wire up 240v as the damage that can be cause isnt something i wish to experience. I will look over my batten fix setups and see if i can find a soloution.

So i need 3 core wire and it must be earthed to the enclosure i choose using a lug.

All connections in wires must be covered as far as in away, are the little 40a connectors fine if in a junction box?

**** This is not diy wiring, no power will be installed by me****


Rick

 

[andynic07]

You do not necessarily want to bond it to your enclosure. Earth bonding is designed to limit the voltage of any accessible electrically conductive parts in order to reduce the risk of electric shock. Your ballast will have 240 volts connected to it and has a metal conductive case, in the event of an internal fault which may cause 240 volts to contact the metal casing the earth bond is there to limit the rise in voltage and reduce the risk that you may receive an electric shock. There are many rules around how this is done and what size conductor to use , all of this should be know by the electrical contractor you engage to wire this light up.