Black Boxes - Fire Hazard?

[Dana Riddle]

This was discussed briefly in another thread but I think it requires further attention. There is recurring mention of LED fixtures from China being a fire hazard. Does anyone have first-hand experience with this really happening?
My brother is a Fire Marshal and investigated a fire determined to have been started by an aquarium light. A UL-listed fluorescent light. So things like this do happen but I'd like to hear from anyone with direct experience with black box fire issues. Photos would be great.

 

[piranhaman00]

What I recall hearing is that there was a rumor of them being a fire hazard that spread around (like fire?) but was never actually proven. I even believe a popular reefing channel mentioned it without any proof. Someone correct me

 

[JCrowe86]

Every time I've seen it brought up, it's always been "I heard about..." Never "My black box caught fire"

 

[Silent]

There were a few from many years ago with the Odessa lights. I do remember some black boxes smoking pretty bad but unsure about actual fire.
I don't have links to threads but I think they were on RC.

 

[Foothill Corals]

This was discussed briefly in another thread but I think it requires further attention. There is recurring mention of LED fixtures from China being a fire hazard. Does anyone have first-hand experience with this really happening?
My brother is a Fire Marshal and investigated a fire determined to have been started by an aquarium light. A UL-listed fluorescent light. So things like this do happen but I'd like to hear from anyone with direct experience with black box fire issues. Photos would be great.

I have nothing for you on the Black Boxes.

I was wondering about the light your brother told you about. Do you know if it had a metal or plastic body?

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I think @gcarroll is the user that brought a thread on it up a while back, maybe he will have some input.

 

[alton]

Everyone needs to be careful on seeing the UL label on a product. Many times its just the power supply that was sent to UL for testing , not the whole fixture. Also look closely at the UL label, I have seen Christmas lights that had the UL label, but the word listed was no where to be found. If the word listed is not written on the UL label, it has not been tested. I ran into that issue with a city inspector once on romex/cable connectors. They where listed for romex, but not for cable even though it was written on the box. I had to change about five hundred of them out to make everyone happy.

 

[fermentedhiker]

Everyone needs to be careful on seeing the UL label on a product. Many times its just the power supply that was sent to UL for testing , not the whole fixture. Also look closely at the UL label, I have seen Christmas lights that had the UL label, but the word listed was no where to be found. If the word listed is not written on the UL label, it has not been tested. I ran into that issue with a city inspector once on romex/cable connectors. They where listed for romex, but not for cable even though it was written on the box. I had to change about five hundred of them out to make everyone happy.

I'm curious what you are calling "cable" in this instance?

 

[andrewkw]

I remember the odyssea fire threads on RC as well. When I think fire / aquarium lights they are the first thing that comes to mind, not black boxes. I think they were compact florescent fixtures but may have been T5.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I have nothing for you on the Black Boxes.

I was wondering about the light your brother told you about. Do you know if it had a metal or plastic body?

I'll ask him next time I talk to him.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I too have only heard of second hand reports of black boxes causing fires. I remember all those threads on Odyssea lights melting, smoking or causing a fire. That was a real thing, happened to power compact, metal halide and T5 fixtures. I had 3 different Odyssea T5 lights and all had issues that are fire hazards. All 3 melted the plastic caps/plugs for the ends of the bulbs, 1 had melted and burnt crispy wiring and another had a ballast case get so hot it deformed.

 

[New Jersey REEF]

This was discussed briefly in another thread but I think it requires further attention. There is recurring mention of LED fixtures from China being a fire hazard. Does anyone have first-hand experience with this really happening?
My brother is a Fire Marshal and investigated a fire determined to have been started by an aquarium light. A UL-listed fluorescent light. So things like this do happen but I'd like to hear from anyone with direct experience with black box fire issues. Photos would be great.

I had a short in one couple years ago and I could smell burning plastic coming fro
It. I haven’t used it since that happened.
I believe there is something to it, if you are using one. I’d definitely put it on some sort of watch list with amp monitor etc...

 

[Reef AquaCult]

The aquarium LED black boxes are pretty similar to the grow lights sold on Amazon. And based on the popularity of the marijuana industry I’m sure there are 10s or 100s of thousands if not more of those lights out there in daily use. If just one caused a fire it would likely go viral in today’s world. So, IMO I doubt it’s a major concern.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

Definitely following as I've seen it brought up numerous times in different posts/forums and is sourced from "my neighbor's, mother in law's distant cousin once told me...." and not a personal account.

Heck, even BRS gave a nod to it without much, if any, actual source to back it up.... Video is a bit dated now, but I would guess people still see it and take it as gospel.

 

[Amado]

Chinese black boxes will grow coral 100%.
I am sure if you check most of your iPhone/Samsung chargers They are not UL certified and people use them all the time.
This rumor was spread because these back boxes are selling and becoming a problem for high end light manufactures.
The same way people are try to convince people that Tesla’s are not safe and will light on fire. This is an old way to use fear to get people not to buy black boxes.
When I was growing up people use to say Honda cars will light on fire on the highway.

It’s human nature to “fear what they can’t conquer”

 

[Greg P]

When I was growing up people use to say Honda cars will light on fire on the highway.

Ford Pintos WOULD explode upon rear impact ... just sayin' things DO happen

As others have written, check your equipment for UL labels.
And don't splash your stuff, as much of the vented equipment we use is not meant to get wet and I suspect wouldn't pass testing in a wet environment.

 

[alton]

I'm curious what you are calling "cable" in this instance?

SJ 12/3

 

[Dana Riddle]

I too have only heard of second hand reports of black boxes causing fires. I remember all those threads on Odyssea lights melting, smoking or causing a fire. That was a real thing, happened to power compact, metal halide and T5 fixtures. I had 3 different Odyssea T5 lights and all had issues that are fire hazards. All 3 melted the plastic caps/plugs for the ends of the bulbs, 1 had melted and burnt crispy wiring and another had a ballast case get so hot it deformed.

Interesting. I wasn't familiar with Odyssea products but a quick search found products with that brand being sold on Amazon.

 

[shred5]

Everyone needs to be careful on seeing the UL label on a product. Many times its just the power supply that was sent to UL for testing , not the whole fixture. Also look closely at the UL label, I have seen Christmas lights that had the UL label, but the word listed was no where to be found. If the word listed is not written on the UL label, it has not been tested. I ran into that issue with a city inspector once on romex/cable connectors. They where listed for romex, but not for cable even though it was written on the box. I had to change about five hundred of them out to make everyone happy.

Not to mention in China they print out fake UL labels all the time.

 

[shred5]

Interesting. I wasn't familiar with Odyssea products but a quick search found products with that brand being sold on Amazon.

Yea I had one of their ballast start to heat up and smoke. I had bought a few of them a long time ago because they were cheap and I was using them for my breeding tanks. There are lots of threads on them starting on fire and a long one on RC.


For the black boxes what some people may be seeing is not actual fire it is the cheap Chinese electronic components burning up like a resistor smoking. Chinese electronic can be very cheap especially capacitors.