T5 issues.

Scribe · Oct 11, 2013

So I've been running 2x39 watt T5's with Actinics along with my 2x250w MH. Back in August, I noticed they weren't coming on anymore, and I replaced the bulbs, thinking the obvious....bulbs died. So the other night I noticed the same thing halides went off for the night....and the T5s weren't on. They come on an hour before the halides, and stay on an hour after. I pulled my hood of to replace the fans yesterday, and tried to troubleshoot a bit. I did notice, that the one bulb comes on then right off....the other does nothing. I bought another bulb last night, haven't gotten a chance to put it in yet. Will try tonight. I know people have mentioned t5 end caps arcing. Just wondering what the signs of this are. Should I buy new endcaps and rewire everything if the bulb doesn't work?

Thoughts.

Kimberlee · Oct 11, 2013

5s suck for just this reason.....you have to turn them just right when you put the bulb in. Other wise it is not connecting right, so there's no power going to the bulb. Any way that would be myfirst guess. I also had this issue if the end caps got any moisture inside them.

Scribe · Oct 11, 2013

Yeah. I have a feeling it's something like moisture. Hoping to have LEDs replacing everything within the year. Just replaced my halide bulbs too, so I hate to throw all that money out right now.

Tab28 · Oct 11, 2013

I have had a few issues with mine. First i thought it was a ballast issue. So i unplugged and left it off for a day. It restarted the next day. When the issue happened again. The timer was the issue. I would turn the timer off and back on. The lights can on. The last issue was the end cap has a small plastic piece that separates the two metal electrodes on the bulb. This piece broke off and caused the bulb not to sit correctly in the socket.

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Kimberlee · Oct 11, 2013

Scribe said:
Yeah. I have a feeling it's something like moisture. Hoping to have LEDs replacing everything within the year. Just replaced my halide bulbs too, so I hate to throw all that money out right now.

I hear that. If you can go w/ LEDs do. Just not replacing the bulbs all the time makes it worth the large up front cost, and T5s are a pain.

Reefing Madness · Oct 11, 2013

Your ballasts are shot, not your bulbs.

Scribe · Oct 11, 2013

I don't think it is the ballast. If I turned it on with the one buld in one of the sockets, it turned on then right off. If I switched the bulbs nothing. That to me says its something wrong in the chain.

Tab28 · Oct 11, 2013

Is your light system a pre-fab or a diy?

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Rob&Gab · Oct 11, 2013

it could be your ballist cause that is what happend with mine till i changed it and now it works perfectly.

Reefing Madness · Oct 11, 2013

Ballasts that are bad will fire a bulb then shut down, then fire the bulb then shut down, never really getting it to fire up completely. Others just won't fire the lamp at all.

Scribe · Oct 11, 2013

Huh. I guess I just assumed, that because it would fire at all its got to be something with the wiring or end caps. Any way to know for sure with out buying a new ballast.

kacrocorals581 · Oct 11, 2013

Sounds like ballast to me had my vho do the same

impur · Oct 11, 2013

Scribe said:
Yeah. I have a feeling it's something like moisture. Hoping to have LEDs replacing everything within the year. Just replaced my halide bulbs too, so I hate to throw all that money out right now.

If moisture is getting into your fixture then any type of lighting is going to have problems.

Reefing Madness · Oct 11, 2013

You could test the output voltage on the good one versus the bad one, they should match relatively close, within a few volts.

Scribe · Oct 11, 2013

It's just one ballast powering the two bulbs. No I'm wondering if I get a new ballast for about $160 or deal with no t5s and just the 250 halides until I get LEDs. Always something with these money sucks. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Tab28 · Oct 12, 2013

Your setup sounds like mine (2)250 mh and (2) 39watt t5. The t5 for me are just for color. I have a 120 gallon and the mh are plenty of light. I have everything on timers and perfer my led strip of blue lights to my t5. Since i only have actinic bulbs in it.

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