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Damn - small fire ! Good luck or Bad?

Apon

Apon

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Ok 3 days ago I smelled something lightly burning. I looked all around the tank and couldn't tell where it was coming from, but I thought it was the light fixture. The next day the smell was gone. Tonight I was watching TV and the light smell was back. Still couldn't find it....until a few hours later while I was watching TV, I hear a ZZZZT from the ballast. I see the middle plug spark and start up a little fame. I watch it for like 3 seconds, then I figure out its not going to out by itself. I quickly turn off the power and blow out the flame.

I should be pissed! but I think I am more gratefully that it happened when I was home. Good luck or bad luck? maybe I like to see the silver lining in things.....oh well.

Here are some shots as attachments sorry. An Electricians out there let me know if you have any theories on what caused it? The light fixture has been used for more than 3 years, but it was bought used. Also does anyone think I can still use the fixture with different ballast? the ballast is still running 1 of the MH and the T5's.




Attached files /attachments/sites/default/files/ballast_0.JPG /attachments/sites/default/files/plug_0.JPG
 
As a fellow "burned" reefer, feel lucky :)
damage.jpg


Just imagine the many ways it could have been much much worse...very lucky :)
 
Well it looks like a plug was the cause of the fire, this happens all the time when you run high voltage over a very "loose" connection like this. All you need is a little bit of moisture to prevent the metal from touching and you can get arcing, even though power is still flowing this arcing causes a lot of heat, this heat causes the melting/fire.
 
WOW !

You are one lucky person, now; was it an Odyssea ballast? 'cause a lot of people say they start fires but of those don't know if any one had even seen one happen
Just kidding on the Odyssea thing.
I wish I had been home when the big power outages beginning last year, that could have prevented my system of some disastrous loses of life and equipment.
 
Makes me nervous now. Reefing is not a hobby but a dangerous sport.

Tony, is that your new vortech you just got? What is the story on that?
 
The vortech fire was not the fault of the vortech :) It was from a ATO gone rogue, leaking onto the power supply. It was the vortech that I got a few months ago. That photo happened while I was away on vacation.
 
when I upgrade my electrical (soon I hope ) I will be installing an arc fault breaker on the fish tank circuit . All my stuff is on a GFI now but I know it wont prevent fires like that . The arc fault wont be 100% protection but it will help .

DAMN ! That's the kinda stuff that makes me more paranoid then I already am !!!!!!
 
hooked said:
when I upgrade my electrical (soon I hope ) I will be installing an arc fault breaker on the fish tank circuit . All my stuff is on a GFI now but I know it wont prevent fires like that . The arc fault wont be 100% protection but it will help .

DAMN ! That's the kinda stuff that makes me more paranoid then I already am !!!!!!
Click to expand...

Was just going to ask if a GFCI would have prevented this or if you had one installed. I might have to look into one of thos Arc Fault things...

Glad everything is ok, take it as a blessing that you were home.
 
hooked said:
DAMN ! That's the kinda stuff that makes me more paranoid then I already am !!!!!!
Click to expand...
Tell me about it when I got back from 10 days in Hawaii, having asked my parents to do things like top offs, I was upstairs and I smelled that "expensive electrical smell" found one of my power strips melted to a crisp, and was just lucky nothing caught on fire other than a few wires.
 
Arnold, you actually paused to watch it to see if it would burn out?! You were much calmer than I would have been. :O

I am glad you were able to catch it, thus avoiding any major disaster! :) Phew!
 
Wow. Seems like there is a lot of bad things happening to all of us this year. Good thing is generally there is a plus side (silver lining). Before my tank crash early this year I was unable to have clams due to pyramid snails, but they all died in the crash and I now have four clams. I'm glad you were home to take care of it, but sad that it happened in the first place. Hopefully, the summer will be kind to us.
 
Thanks guys-

yep, it was only a small 1-2 inch flame. I actually was watching the lights to see if they would blink or anything, but they ran fine with the little fire.

Mike I don't recall seeing/remembering any moisture on the plug..but something caused the arc.

Dudley or anyone else, I think the fixture and ballast is still good...do you think its ok to rewiring another plug and continue to use it? I will probably contact Aquamedic and ask them as well.
 
Doesn't necessarily have to involve water on the plugs either.

Common way for this type of fire to start is with corrosion on the conductors and/or slightly loose contact between the plug and socket.

This creates resistance and heat which can further reduce the spring force on the contacts.

With the lights switching on and off, you can get arcing over the bad contacts. Which makes the connection get worse over time.

The prong that is the most melted is where you had bad contact and the most resistance and heat.

It's a good idea to do regular safety inspection of your equipment for this type of thing.
 
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