Fixing Juwel Light Bar.

[bodge99]

Hello,

Modern electronic ballasts will normally shut down under fault conditions. You next have to determine that your tubes are actually O.K.

Tubes can fail in **really** weird ways.. but you'll normally only see weird visual effects with traditional magnetic ballasts.

Have a look at your tubes... Do the ends of the tubes look slightly blackened on the glass.. ?
It is possible that the tubes are at the end of their useful life. A problem with your old ballast could have accelerated their demise.

Check your wiring connections... tug the wires at the ballast connections gently.. A sound connection will not disconnect easily.

Double check and check again that each wire from the tubes goes to the correct connection on the ballast. As said above, connection No. 3 goes to the common connection to both tubes.
If you think that the wiring might be incorrect then just ask and I'll talk you through testing and proving the wiring.

How much wire insulation did you strip off before you made the connections?

Assuming that your ballast wiring is O.K. now have a look at the pins on the end of the tubes.. these should have no trace of corrosion on them.. if they do, then it is possible that you have a poor connection in one or more of the lamp sockets.

I assume that you have checked the obvious... poor connections in the mains plug? also check that the fuse is secure in the plug.

Do you have access to any other tubes to test in your sockets?.. or any other lighting which takes the same size tube as the tank?

How did you diagnose the original problem with the old ballast and how did the fault first show up?
The more information the better...

Bodge99.

 

[deeko]

This is my old ballast at the bottom and the new one on the the top my old one has 8 wires but the new one has 4 connection see picture please help.

Sorry I this is the picture

 

[bodge99]

Hello,

EDIT: Don't know what's going on with the forum... All formatting has been lost!
Trying again!

Your old ballast is a "hot cathode" type. Each tube is connected to the ballast by 4 wires (2 pairs, one wire per tube pin.) 8 wires in total.

Your new ballast is basically a slight variation on a "cold cathode" type.
A cold cathode ballast is of a different design to your old one which normally only requires 2 wires per tube (1 wire per tube end). These ballasts are also known as "quick start" or "fast start" etc. However some manufacturers also refer to some designs of hot cathode types as "fast start" etc in their promotional material.. confusing at times..

O.K. How does this affect you?

You have no problem whatsoever... In this case all you have to do is connect the two wires from each tube socket together (apart from one pair)..

Do this:

Lie your lights on the floor with the tubes horizontal to you.
You now have the tube sockets thus:

Upper tube: top left, top right.
Lower tube: bottom left, bottom right.

Top right socket. Connect the two wires to 21 and 22. It doesn't matter which way round.
Top left and bottom left: Connect these (4 wires) together in an insulated connector block. Run a (solid core) wire from this block to 23.

Bottom right: Connect these together and connect to 24.

**PLEASE** don't just wrap the wires together and just use insulating tape.. The tape will slide off in time.. a good way to go BANG!
Keep the wires from each socket the same length (as a pair). Yes, there is a reason for this!
It would appear that this particular ballast design may be using one of the heaters (tube filaments) for monitoring purposes... by this I mean that it is monitoring the physical running conditions of the tube. In this case, I would strongly recommend that you replace both tubes at the same time to maximise tube life.

Keep the tube wiring away from the incoming mains cable (as far as possible) and away from the ballast housing (again, as far as possible).

Your lights should now be ready for testing (I'm assuming that the ballast is in its final position).
Plug in and turn on... watch for 10 minutes or so to check for any initial problems..
Now leave for an hour or so...After this time, turn off and unplug. Check the ballast for temperature.. Assume that it is red hot.. It's better to assume that something is hot when it isn't then get burnt by something you think is cool.

If everything is O.K. then reassemble your lights and refit to the tank. Good job!

Any questions or problems, then just ask.

Bodge99.

 

[Alkers]

Hello,

Modern electronic ballasts will normally shut down under fault conditions. You next have to determine that your tubes are actually O.K.

Tubes can fail in **really** weird ways.. but you'll normally only see weird visual effects with traditional magnetic ballasts.

Have a look at your tubes... Do the ends of the tubes look slightly blackened on the glass.. ?
It is possible that the tubes are at the end of their useful life. A problem with your old ballast could have accelerated their demise.

Check your wiring connections... tug the wires at the ballast connections gently.. A sound connection will not disconnect easily.

Double check and check again that each wire from the tubes goes to the correct connection on the ballast. As said above, connection No. 3 goes to the common connection to both tubes.
If you think that the wiring might be incorrect then just ask and I'll talk you through testing and proving the wiring.

How much wire insulation did you strip off before you made the connections?

Assuming that your ballast wiring is O.K. now have a look at the pins on the end of the tubes.. these should have no trace of corrosion on them.. if they do, then it is possible that you have a poor connection in one or more of the lamp sockets.

I assume that you have checked the obvious... poor connections in the mains plug? also check that the fuse is secure in the plug.

Do you have access to any other tubes to test in your sockets?.. or any other lighting which takes the same size tube as the tank?

How did you diagnose the original problem with the old ballast and how did the fault first show up?
The more information the better...

Bodge99.

Thanks for the long reply!
I've checked the plug and everything is fine there. One of my bulbs does have black staining on the ends of it, I'll try get to a LFS and have them try my bulbs in one of their units.
I'll also check the connections at the end of the bulbs. I think the connections at the ballast are correct but I'll check them again anyway.
I was under the impression that if the light came on at all that it wasn't the bulbs that were at fault? This is what lead me to replace the ballast in the first place, maybe it was just the bulbs all along?

 

[bodge99]

Hello,

It sounds like the ballast electronics are detecting a problem with one of your tubes..

**HERE BE DRAGONS**

From Vossloh Schwabe documentation:

Shutdown of defective lamps
During starting operation, the electronic ballast will detect whether a lamp is connected. If no lamp is present, the ballast will cancel the starting operation.
Deactivated lamps or interrupted electrodes are detected and lead to the high-frequency supply being switched off after an unsuccessful ignition attempt.
Changing a lamp during operation will lead to the high-frequency supply being switched off.

EOL Effect Up to now, it has not been possible to conclusively reproduce the end-of-life effect
under laboratory conditions. However, it can be qualitatively described for fluorescent lamps as follows: when the emitter material of the cathode (i.e. the filament in conventional bi-pin lamps) has been fully consumed or has otherwise lost its emitting power, the emission of electrons is hampered, which leads to a voltage drop at the cathode. Frequent cold starts accelerate active emitter loss.
Operating a lamp with a constant current (an electronic ballasts (EB) provides a near-constant current) results in high dissipation losses that also cause the lamp base and lampholder to heat up and can even cause damage to both. This is often referred to as the EOL effect; from an electrical point of view, this is manifested in the so-called "partial rectifier effect".
The EOL cut-out ensures that a ballast is safely switched off and the lamp base does not overheat at the end of a lamp's service life.
EN 61347-2-3 (A1:2004) describes three possible tests.
The first are now in widespread use and are described in more detail here.
The third test is not conducted at VS.
1. EOL Test 1 (61347-2-3:2000 + A1:2004 + A2:2006 17.2)
Asymmetric pulse test
2. EOL Test 2 (61347-2-3:2000 + A1:2004 + A2:2006 17.3)
Asymmetric power test
3. EOL Test 3 (61347-2-3:2000 + A1:2004 + A2:2006 17.4)
Exposed filament test
The first two tests attempt to simulate the rectifier effect:
Test 1 pulse switching of rectifing effect
Test 2 by applying a DC voltage that is constantly higher than required by the lamp.
VS EBs are capable of suitably assessing the altered voltage signal in comparison to normal operation so as to meet EOL requirements.

End of extract.

This is actually a good thing.. A failing tube can overheat.. so much so that the glass can actually be melted. I've seen this once with a magnetic ballast. The visual effects were really quite pretty as the melting glass allowed the external air in..
It was a tube at work... so 30 or so engineers spent their lunch hour watching the pyrotechnics as the light self-destructed. All in the name of science of course!

Bodge99.

 

[R7UST]

Hi Doresy.
I Have Just Signed Up To This Forum. But Would Like To Say You Have Done A Great Job With The Lighting Unit.
I Have An Aqua One 1500R. I Think The Unit Is The Same As The Juwel.
My Problem Is That The Unit Will Light Up For 45 Mins Then Switch Off. I Have Tried Diffrent T5 Tubes With The Same Result 45 Mins Then Off It Goes Again. Why 45 Mins I Do Not Know.
I Am Sure The Only Thing It Can Be Is The Ballast. So Your Post Will Help Me Out In A Big Way As I Have Not Came Across Another Post Like Yours Anywhere.
So Time To Buy A Dremel & See What Ballast I Need To Purchase.
Rust.
 

 

 

[philglasgow]

Hi Folks
 
I dont mean to hijack the thread but wasnt sure if i should start new topic for the same thing sort of.
 
I have a juwel trigon on its 3rd ballast  it went again and i followed the how to here, however im stuck with the wiring  my original unit was  first pic below my new ballast is also pictured i tired the wires in all sorts of configs but no joy  if i meter the outputs  most i get is 70 volts but i know its more involved .Can anyone advise please?
 
I cant seem to get the new ballast pic to upload i will try again in a reply .
 
thanks  Phil


new ballast pic  sorry for faffin about any advice on were the 3 wires go or where to try as im suspecting a faulty ballast.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
I need to know how many wires are available from the lights? i.e. how many wires appear at the ballast? (ignoring the mains connections).
 
The picture indicates that this ballast is a cold cathode type... This one is nominally one wire per tube end. Yours actually has two connections commoned.
 
Assumptions: You have two tubes with no starter...
 
You have one of the following
 
2 wires: Very rare to see this with two tubes.. This would entail a rewire.
 
3 wires: This indicates that a cold cathode ballast was originally fitted.
 
4 wires: Probably a cold cathode ballast...
 
5 or 6 wires: Probably a hot cathode ballast...
 
7 or 8 wires: Some sort of hybrid ballast..
 
Now you are OK with this ballast with any of these configurations except the 2 wire one.. You now need to work out which wire is which.
 
If you could post with some more information then I'll walk you through finding out which wire is which.
 
I really just need to know the number of wires present.
 
Bodge99.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
Philglasgow:
 
I've just reread your original post... Measuring the output voltage from the ballast with no tubes connected is relatively meaningless with an electronic ballast. The monitoring electronics present in the ballast will immediately cut the tube supply current as it "sees" what it considers to be one or more faulty tubes. The initial high voltage pulse (if not prevented by the monitoring electronics) can easily damage you or your meter.. be careful here!!
 
How old are your tubes? Most electronic ballasts will shut down and refuse to work if the tubes are deemed to be failing..
How did the earlier ballasts fail??
 
More later..
 
Bodge99.

 

[dannyboi91]

Hi evreryone have just opened up my Jewel Rio 240's light unit as it failed. And I have found water inside.
The unit has been on my tank for a while without bulbs in it. Is it possible that the water crept through the holes where the bulbs would have been? Or has it just got a hole somewhere?

Also can anyone help me with which ballast to get. It has Live and neutral on one side and 8 wires to the bulbs on the other.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
Can you confirm the ratings of the tubes fitted... also, could you supply a picture of the current ballast.You may find that it has a circuit schematic printed on the case. This would help in identifying exactly what was fitted originally..
 
I'm guessing that you have a hot cathode type ballast. It is important to connect up a replacement correctly... It's very easy to do but different ballasts may have slightly different wiring connections/requirements.
 
If you decide to remove the existing ballast, then mark each wire that you remove. This makes it easier to connect up the replacement!
 
I'll talk you through wiring up the replacement if you wish.. again a picture of the new unit and/or model numbers would help.
 
If you need to dry out the housing, then a directed hairdryer (on cold) is useful.
 
Water ingress could be due to splashs running into an opening in the top... accidential submersion of the top when cleaning or water from humid air condensing inside the top over a period of time.
It might be an idea to check for gaps in the top (if applicable, look around the tube sockets.). I normally seal these up with aquarium grade silicone sealant (ebay or your local glaziers for the cheapest...)
 
Any questions, then just post here.
 
Bodge99.

 

[dannyboi91]

http/s1101.photobucket.com/user/chives1231/media/SAM_0176.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http/s1101.photobucket.com/user/chives1231/media/SAM_0175.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
http/s1101.photobucket.com/user/chives1231/media/SAM_0173.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
http/s1101.photobucket.com/user/chives1231/media/SAM_0171.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3
 
I took pictures of most of the writing I hope this helps a little more.
 
the bulbs are  54W each 1047mm T5 

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
Many thanks for the pics... this really does help a lot.
 
You have a hot cathode ballast which has 8 connections (ignoring the mains connections for now). This means that you can use any type of electronic ballast (both hot or cold cathode types) with trivial changes to the actual connections.
 
If you are going to purchase one from an electrical wholesalers etc. then don't be surprised if they give you a blank stare when you mention hot or cold ballast types! (BTW, if you are interested, a hot cathode ballast preheats the tube filaments/heaters before thermionic emission begins.. a cold cathode type forces electron emission by the use of a high(er) voltage pulse... ).
 
Anyway, you require an electronic ballast rated for 2x54W T5. It is important to get a ballast specifically rated for T5 tubes as the electrical characteristics of T5 tubes differ from other diameter tubes (T8, T12 etc. Diameters are given in 1/8ths of an inch.. T5 = 5/8" diameter, T8 = 8/8 = 1" etc.) 
 
A quick look at Ebay gives the following (the 2 cheapest non-dimmable first, followed by a dimmable one.)
 
http/www.ebay.co.u...=item3380eebd2a £13.45 + £3.45 p+p 7 wire connection.
 
http/www.ebay.co.u...=item3a800117b8 £14.95 + £3.45 p+p 6 wire connection.
 
http/www.ebay.co.u...=item19d6ede2cf £17.50  £2.20 p+p This one is dimmable (just needs a momentary push to make switch to use this functionality... just ask me if you want more info on how to use this one.) this appears to be either a 7 or 8 wire connection (no schematic shown.)
 
These are all hot cathode types... the first one uses 7 connections.. this just means that two of the wires are joined together and then connected to one terminal on the ballast.
 
The second one uses 6 connections. This particular one has two of the tube wires connected together, with no further ballast connection for these specific wires.
 
If you need me to, I'll talk you through exactly how to connect your new ballast up.. I'll just need a picture of the ballast showing the schematic (if printed on the case) and/or the ballast model number.
 
Before you buy a new ballast, check the dimensions (normally given.. or can be found from the ballast make and model number) to ensure that the replacement will fit into your hood...
 
Any questions... just post here.
 
Bodge99.
 

 

[dannyboi91]

thanks so much for that these were in fact th ballasts I was looking at to begin with, so at least i was on the right track I just didnt like the idea of the new ballast having less connections than the old and not knowing how to wire them.
So I am thinking I will go for the first one (cheapest) 
 
how would i need to wire this up? which two wires would need to be connected and then put into the terminal?
 
Thanks again its very much appreciated.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 


 
The above image shows the schematics of the proposed new ballast and your existing ballast on the right hand side.
 
The commoned connection (on the new ballast) is No. 4.
 
The easiest way to connect this one up is this
 
 
Old Ballast        New Ballast
     1                         1
     2                         2
     3                         3
     4                        *4
     5                        *4
     6                         5
     7                         6
     8                         7
 
* Connect 4 and 5 (old ballast) to 4 on the new one. You may be able to connect both wires to the same terminal... if not, use a connector block and a short length of solid core wire.
An alternative is to solder the 3 wires (4 and 5 plus the short length) and use 2 layers of heat shrink..
 
**PLEASE** don't just twist the wires together and use electricians tape...
Any questions... just post here..
 
Bodge99.