1 MH bulb out of 3 very dull? - Aquarium Advice

SkinnyPete · 04-15-2008, 09:22 PM

I bought a used (very used) 3x175 mh unit off a local reefer. Looks like this was a retro kit in a Hamilton canopy. So, the guy had one bulb only when I bought it and showed me that it worked in all 3 sockets. He was practically giving this thing away after trying to sell on the board for months without any interest.

Anyway, I got 3 new Hamilton bulbs from hellolights and eagerly fired them up just now. The first 2 burn nice and bright, but the 3rd is very, very dull. I switched around the bulbs and fired it up again - same results in the same socket with a different bulb. It seems as though the first two are burning just fine, but the 3rd socket just stays dull, even after leaving it on for 10 minutes.

I am a MH newbie, admittedly. Any ideas what could be going on here? Is this maybe a faulty socket (seems unlikely) or a ballast thing?

Any help would be appreciated. Although this unit was very cheap - I hope I didn't waste my money.

Thanks.

**melosu58** · 04-15-2008, 10:18 PM

I`m wondering if anything is wrong with the ballast?

warped1 · 04-15-2008, 11:03 PM

I nearly electrocuted myself hooking up my DVD player - won't be much help. The fact that the one bulb he had worked the same when he attached it to each outlet individually has me thinking ballast though

FishEggs · 04-15-2008, 11:15 PM

Is it a separate ballast for each bulb or 1 for all 3? Does the ballast have info on it like how many bulbs it fires?
maybe it was only meant for 2 bulbs.

**ccCapt** · 04-15-2008, 11:18 PM

I think Hamilton's use a magnetic ballast. You probably have 2 ballasts. One to fire 1 bulb, 1 to fire 2. IF it's a magnetic ballast it has a capacitor. A dim bulb usually means the capacitor is going bad. It can be replaced.

SkinnyPete · 04-15-2008, 11:22 PM

Well, it is 1 box which (being a complete MH dope) I have no idea how to open - so, I don't know at this time how many ballasts are housed. But, the ballast is actually a Energy Saver Unlimited Inc. ballast, as it turns out.

I posted a question on RC as well and someone also suggested the capacitor is gone. Maybe I can get someone from my local reefer club to take a look at it for me and lend me a hand for beer or something.

**ccCapt** · 04-15-2008, 11:56 PM

ESU is Coralife. So you have 1 remote ballast that runs 3 bulbs? Never saw that before.

SkinnyPete · 04-16-2008, 08:21 AM

Well, it's 1 box. Within that box may be 3 (or 2) separate ballasts just in one housing, but dont know how to crack this thing open.

Maybe I can give Coralife a call and ask a few questions. Not sure how helpful they would be.

**Ziggy953** · 04-17-2008, 01:14 PM

I agree with the capacitor being gone. Does the ballast have 3 connections/plugs coming from it or just 2? I have a dual 175 (PFO) that is all in one box but has 2 power cords and 2 plugs for the sockets. If there are 3 ballasts there should also be 3 power cords.

SkinnyPete · 04-18-2008, 01:50 PM

No. One power chord. It says on the back of the ballast 3x175. I'll post a photo of the box itself later tonight.