Ballast Prob Or Bulbs?

[fluffycabbage]

I need help asap please!
I have a rio 180 which has become the bain of my life When i turn on the light unit the bulbs flicker a bit then go off after a few secs. Now n again they'll stay on up to 15 mins. Then it just goes off and wont come on for a long time.
Is this a ballast problem, a bulb problem, a starter problem?? any ideas? nobody replied to my last thread Ive lost half my plants already and dont wanna lose the rest! Or have a dark tank any more

 

[jacko32]

I need help asap please!
I have a rio 180 which has become the bain of my life When i turn on the light unit the bulbs flicker a bit then go off after a few secs. Now n again they'll stay on up to 15 mins. Then it just goes off and wont come on for a long time.
Is this a ballast problem, a bulb problem, a starter problem?? any ideas? nobody replied to my last thread Ive lost half my plants already and dont wanna lose the rest! Or have a dark tank any more

so have you tried changing the starter ?

 

[doresy]

When I had Juwel lighting go wrong I had similar symptoms as you. Sometimes the lights came on and sometime they didn't. Sometimes they would stay on for hours and sometime they would go off after a few minutes and so on.

I was advised that it was the ballast which I replaced and cataloged the events (see pinned at the head of this section)

If yours has a separate starter then thats the cheapest and easiest component to start with. If the tubes are not blackened at the ends and sometimes work then it's unlikely to be them. Obviously check out the wiring, end caps and switch for lose connections then all you have left is the ballast. Change that or spend £70 on a new light bar.

You could always contact Juwel direct (if you purchased the unit new) I have heard of many people that have successfully gained some kind of compensation.

 

[fluffycabbage]

thanks for the advice - i'll start with the starter then - is it a special one or can i get it from a hardware store?

 

[jacko32]

thanks for the advice - i'll start with the starter then - is it a special one or can i get it from a hardware store?

there just standard from any hardware store