NEED HELP

[pagano24]

My light fixture is 2 metal halides and leds made by current, I think its the orbit model. Anyways one of my metal halides will flicker for 20 seconds then turn off and then turn back on and will keep repeating this. I dont know whats wrong with it but my corals dont look healthy anymore. Anybody know how to fix it or a web site or a company to call that can fix it? Thank you.

 

[2quills]

Sounds like it's time for bulb replacement. They will do that when they come to the end of their lifespan. How old are the bulbs?

 

[btldreef]

Have you swapped the bulbs to rule out a bad ballast?

 

[tangs rule]

Since u have dual bulbs - swap them and see if the problem moves to the other side or stays....if the problem stays on same side after swapping - there is a ballast problem. if the problem swaps to the other side - it;s the bulb....HQI bulbs will usually last 12-18 months, but that TOTALLY depends on the legnth of the daily cycle, and how high quality the bulbs were in the beginning.....some cheep cheep 15k & 20k bulbs sold on ebay are total crap from day one and are a waste of $$. Most german bulbs are pretty good. I use them and XM bulbs for my 250&400 watt units.
Remember to use clean gloves or handle the bulbs with a paper towel - do not touch with bare fingers - this can cause the bulb to burst.

 

[saltfan]

Usually with the flickering going on, its the ballast going bad.

 

[pagano24]

yes i swapped the bulbs and still the same problem on the same side so im guessing it the ballast. My light is the 48 inch current sunpod. Any suggestions on how to fix it myself? I cant seem to find a website that i can send it in and get it fixed, so if you know any sites, please list some.

 

[btldreef]

Replacing the ballasts are easy. I upgraded my Coralife ballasts to IceCaps, might want to look into that.

 

[pagano24]

where can i go to replace a ballast. should i take my light apart and just start messing with it. Im prety good when it comes to fixing things, but i have never even seen the inside of one of these lights.

 

[btldreef]

If you want to replace with the stock ballast, you might have to call the company. There are numerous online stores that sell ballasts/kits. Once you take the light apart, it's really easy to see where the new ballast has to go. We used icecap ballasts because they were really easy to install, it's almost plug and play with them.