Canopy Wiring Help

[fishfreak1242]

I just got my new lights today and I am so stoked!!!!

The only thing is that I have no idea how to wire everything. So let me give you the run down on everything:
-I have a 55 gal tank building a canopy
-Want to start a reef tank so here I am
I bought:
-T-5HO retrofit
-Dual metal halide retro fit
-fan
-Timers
Does anyone have any experience with wiring all of this stuff together? The ballast for the halides has three separate wires for each cord, but there are only 2 wires on the halide module. There was also these wire to wire them together, and they only have 2 wires. So how do you wire these????

 

[fishfreak1242]

Bump Anyone out there

 

[fishfreak1242]

Nighttime bump

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by fishfreak1242
http:///forum/post/2630865
Does anyone have any experience with wiring all of this stuff together?
a little..
The ballast for the halides has three separate wires for each cord, but there are only 2 wires on the halide module.
When you say "module" do you mean the socket?
If there are 3 wires in the cord, they are probably either black and white or brown and blue, and a green wire.
The socket will likely have a black and white cloth covered wire. Connect the black to black or brown, the white to white or blue, and the green, affix to one of the mounting screws for the reflector (this is a ground).
There was also these wire to wire them together, and they only have 2 wires. So how do you wire these????

I don't understand what you mean here.
Take some pics! You know what they say about a thousand words...

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2631130
a little..
When you say "module" do you mean the socket?
If there are 3 wires in the cord, they are probably either black and white or brown and blue, and a green wire.
The socket will likely have a black and white cloth covered wire. Connect the black to black or brown, the white to white or blue, and the green, affix to one of the mounting screws for the reflector (this is a ground).
I don't understand what you mean here.
Take some pics! You know what they say about a thousand words...
Ok so let me clear some stuff up and I will try to get some pics up tommorow. What I mean by module, is the thing that the bulb is screwed into. The wire that I was talking about, is just wire that come with it extra, which I suspect connects the socket to the ballast, like an extension. I don't really understand what to do with the green wire though. But everything else I understand.

 

[scsinet]

Yes, pictures would help me understand exactly what you've got. If you can lay all the parts out on a table and take some pics, that would help tremendously.

 

[mckaax]

The third wire is Green and for ground. The others are white and black I am guessing. There should be a white and black wire on your mogul and you can just hook them up white to white and black to black.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Ok, so I tried to take some pics this morning but my camera had just died. I connected the black to black on the white to white from the ballast to the socket, but I still don't know what to do with the green wire on the ballast. I know that it is the ground, so do I just leave it there or connect it to something? It didn't come with any directions and there weren't any on the ballast.

 

[scsinet]

Is your ballast a "bare" ballast or is it in a metal enclosure?
If it's a bare ballast, then you want to affix both the green wire coming from the lamp and the green wire coming from the wall cord to the frame of the ballast. You can do this by passing a bolt through one of the holes or using one of the existing mounting bolts.
The "right" way to do it would be to use crimp ring terminals (see pic). But if you don't have a crimper or don't want to do that, wrapping the wire securely around the head of the bolt and tightening it down will do the job.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2631536
Is your ballast a "bare" ballast or is it in a metal enclosure?
If it's a bare ballast, then you want to affix both the green wire coming from the lamp and the green wire coming from the wall cord to the frame of the ballast. You can do this by passing a bolt through one of the holes or using one of the existing mounting bolts.
The "right" way to do it would be to use crimp ring terminals (see pic). But if you don't have a crimper or don't want to do that, wrapping the wire securely around the head of the bolt and tightening it down will do the job.
It is a metal enclosure. But the other ballast which is for my T-5s is bare and it has those crimp ring terminals that you were talking about.

 

[scsinet]

So are you all set then?

 

[fishfreak1242]

I still dont know what to do with the green wire. Do i just leave it there, or does it serve some perpose and has to be wired.

 

[mckaax]

The green wire will not cause the ballast to not work but you really need to be grounded. At least hook it up to the ground coming out of the wall, and if you can,

[hr]
it to any metal you can find

 

[fishfreak1242]

FINALLY!!!!!!! I got both of them running. The metal halides were alot hotter than I thought they were. Its a good thing that I bought that fan. They were also, REALLY bright. Also, alot brighter than I thought. These lights are going to look sooo awesome once they are on my tank. I will definitely take some pics of them when it is all completed. Thankyou soo much everyone!!

 

[scsinet]

The ballast case should be grounded, as well as the reflector and socket mounting bracket.
It will work without it, but you are skipping an important safety step, so it should not be skipped.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2632378
The ballast case should be grounded, as well as the reflector and socket mounting bracket.
It will work without it, but you are skipping an important safety step, so it should not be skipped.
So then how do I ground it??

 

[scsinet]

By affixing the green grounding wire to the ballast case.

 

[wattsupdoc]

The ballast casing is most likely already bonded. Does the ballast have a prewired cord to plug into the wall? The wire leaving the ballast (going to the bulb)is one cable that comes out of the ballast, then the three wires come out of that, correct? If so, this green is intended for bonding the reflector, or any other metal that is connected to the "bulb end" of the ballast. IT NEEDS TO BE BONDED! If you havent bonded the reflector and anything metal on that end of the fixture, do so immediatly. The voltages on the bulb end are substantially greater, thus posing greater possible harm, OR DEATH! Ground it immedieatly.

 

[reefforbrains]

naw. its only about a 660 volt jump to fire them.
Think they REALLY need it?
IM KIDDING!!!!!! GROUND THOSE THINGS BEFORE YOU PLAY WITH THEM ANY FURTHER, very dangerous

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by wattsupdoc
http:///forum/post/2632576
The ballast casing is most likely already bonded. Does the ballast have a prewired cord to plug into the wall? The wire leaving the ballast (going to the bulb)is one cable that comes out of the ballast, then the three wires come out of that, correct? If so, this green is intended for bonding the reflector, or any other metal that is connected to the "bulb end" of the ballast. IT NEEDS TO BE BONDED! If you havent bonded the reflector and anything metal on that end of the fixture, do so immediatly. The voltages on the bulb end are substantially greater, thus posing greater possible harm, OR DEATH! Ground it immedieatly.
The ballast does have a prewired cord to plug into the wall. Can I just wire the green wire to one of the white or black wires? Can you make a picture of what you are talking about?