Ballast fell in water, will it work?

[scott711]

Well, I was changing my lights in my tank and my VHO ICECAP ballast was on top of my hood(not secured) and it fell in the water. Fortunately, the GFCI tripped and the lights went out. I dried off everything and plugged the ballast back in. No luck, the wire connecting the ballast to the light shorted out.

 

I know I have to replace the harness, but does the ballast need to be replaced too (since I can't test it)?

[lanman]

Well, I was changing my lights in my tank and my VHO ICECAP ballast was on top of my hood(not secured) and it fell in the water. Fortunately, the GFCI tripped and the lights went out. I dried off everything and plugged the ballast back in. No luck, the wire connecting the ballast to the light shorted out.

 

I know I have to replace the harness, but does the ballast need to be replaced too (since I can't test it)?

 

I have had very poor luck with electronics that have touched salt water. Best thing would be to immediately take it apart, blow the water out with an air hose. But I would suggest replacing it.

 

bob

[phisigs79]

99% chance its fried. You need to clean the ballast with alcohol to get the salt off all the parts inside the ballast and dry it really good to test. Try to see if someone has a harness for you to try it.

[scott711]

I have had very poor luck with electronics that have touched salt water. Best thing would be to immediately take it apart, blow the water out with an air hose. But I would suggest replacing it.

 

bob

 

I did have a fan on it to dry it out.

[jamesbuf]

Open it up, clean it out really well, and send it back to icepcap and they'll replace it won't they? Someone told me that icecap will replace the ballast for $25 or so if you send it back to them. I believe it was dandy7200 who told me this. You might want to drop him a line to get any details.

[Black Mammoth]

Probably a little too late, but never mount anything like that inside your tank. I've seen several people mount ballast inside their hood. The moisture will kill it and it is very hazardous. My buddy mounted a ballast inside his hood and I ended up buying it off of him. He didn't look at it since he installed it and when he pulled it off, it was pretty nasty within a year. That's when he realized he wasn't going to mount anything inside his hood

[davelin315]

I wouldn't use it again. If it's dipped in salt water and you don't get it all out, you've got a substance in there that is an excellent conductor as far as contaminants go in a fish tank. All it takes is a little bit of arcing and your whole system is gone. A GFCI won't catch the arc for you, either.

[scott711]

I wouldn't use it again. If it's dipped in salt water and you don't get it all out, you've got a substance in there that is an excellent conductor as far as contaminants go in a fish tank. All it takes is a little bit of arcing and your whole system is gone. A GFCI won't catch the arc for you, either.

 

that is very true. I guess I am ordering a new ballast and wiring harness.

[jamesbuf]

Scott, talk to Dan. He said something to me about a lifetime replacement on icecap ballasts.