Any Ideas on T5 Problem?

[lizardarm]

Hey all,
I've got an Icecap T5 retrofit kit with the Icecap 660 ballast. As of yesterday the lamps wont light up. If I unplug it and plug it back in one lamp (the first one in line from the ballast) will come on for about one second then shut off. Tried swapping the lamps around to see if it changed anything- nada; wiggled the wires, reconnected the wiring harness- all to no avail.
Anyone ever seen this before? I really don't want to buy another ballast without being sure.
T.I.A.
Chris

 

[luke33]

I have been using them for a few yrs and sometimes when a bulb isn't just right the bulb's all turn on for a second and then turn off. I then have to find the bulb that isn't in quite right. Or a wire may not be connected right. It can be quite a headache. Only other thing it could be is a blown fuse.

 

[returnofsid]

I know of at least 2 instances, lately, of people who have purchased Icecap retro-kits for T5HO and got bad ballasts. You might call Icecap and see what they suggest, or at least ask them how to go about testing the ballast.

 

[lizardarm]

Thanks guys. I'll do a more thorough inspection of the lamps and wires then call them tomorrow.

 

[lizardarm]

hey Luke since you're here, vertical or horizontal for Sicce pumps on a skimmer? Any thoughts?

 

[luke33]

I've always had the best luck with them pointing down. Although i run my mini cone with the output pointed up and get 35scfh with a pw : ) I would say to run the sicce in 10" water as they do best in 10"

 

[lizardarm]

Thanks. Mine are pointed down, but my water isn't that deep. It's about eight inches.

 

[luke33]

Depending on the model. If you run the swc160 8" may work better but on the 200-300 10" is much better. You'll gain around 5scfh from 8-10"

 

[lizardarm]

It's the MSX cone with two pumps

 

[Myteemouse]

I had the same problem with my T-5 IC system
I had the wrong wire to the wrong end of the bulbs
Check your colors...

 

[luke33]

It's the MSX cone with two pumps

There's three of them. One with one pump (mini s) and then the larger cone has two sicce's and there's the askoll cone with one askoll pump.

 

[gotfish]

Depending on the model. If you run the swc160 8" may work better but on the 200-300 10" is much better. You'll gain around 5scfh from 8-10"

Reading over at RC in the MSX owners thread, they say the 200 should be in 8" of water. Originally, I had put it in 10" because that's what my baffles are at. A couple days ago I put a 1.5" stand under it cause that's about all the room I had. I don't notice any difference at all visually. They say put it in 8" because it creates less turbulence. Any credence to that or should I pull the stand back out?

 

[luke33]

Well, my air meter shows around 5scfh gained when i drop it down 2" from 8-10". Thats a pretty good gain.

 

[lizardarm]

I had the same problem with my T-5 IC system
I had the wrong wire to the wrong end of the bulbs
Check your colors...

That's not the problem; this setup has been working for several months now, then just failed to light one day. Nothing changed, nothing wiggled, just no light.

 

[lizardarm]

Are the askoll pumps better than the sicce pumps. I came home from work about an hour early last night to find my living room a bit smokey and the distinct smell of electrical fire in the air; it was one of my skimmer's sicce pumps. I'd had a problem with it about a week ago, just started making a bunch of noise. Took it apart and things looked normal, swapped out the mesh wheels for the pin wheels (did both pumps) and it still had problems but after a bit of tampering and "mechanical aggitation" it seemed to start working normally.
That's the second time that this hobby has nearly burned my house down. Might be time to move on.

 

[luke33]

I warn people all the time, if the sicce is to meshed out they will burn up. I've never ever heard of one leaking voltage or causing a fire or anything like that but the motor block basically dies and it takes an hour to get it started with a pinwheel after that. I've killed a few with mesh and never will again.

Yes, the askoll's are pimp. One will pull more than two sicce's and never startup issues or anything like that.

 

[lizardarm]

http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/c...Skimmer-Volute-and-Pinwheel/product_info.html
So is this the same pump that they sell with the MSX1A skimmer?
And if so, do you know if it is compatable with the Sicce pump'd skimmers (could I swap them out)?

 

[lizardarm]

I'm gonna pull that pump out in the morning and call the vendor to see about warranty. I've got to read the paperwork again and see if the mesh mod voids the deal. The pump only lasted two months.