Bob, serious question here.. what does the electrical code say for wire between the ballast and the bulb of a 250 watt Pulse start MH.. inside a tank hood.. I know it has to be rated for 600volts but what is the smallest I can get away with assuming a 5 amp max current (in a short circut) but a normal current under 3 amps..

Steve

This was electronic wiring that I used, that had had the insulation issue, and although I don't recall the exact rating, it was (I'm pretty sure) over 100 deg C, which is why I thought it would be OK.

But maybe the issue wasn't heat, but UV exposure. I don't really know. What can we do to minimize these kind of issues, use some kind of conduit maybe (PVC conduit or maybe the rubber slip-on type of wiring caddy's?)

Delp,

For UV protection, I believe the wires that have darker insulation colour (say black) will stand up better than white - even if they are made from the same material (its a physics thing). There are cables that can withstand more UV than others and they are usually categorized for external or outside use. I believe hookup wire from from Radio Shack isn't design for outside use.

If you want good protection from UV, good protection from the elements and fair good temperature resistants, Cabtire is a good choice. Another method of protecting the wire is to use electrical conduit (one form of it is in Gray PVC in the electrical section). These conduits are usually used to protect wires from the elements and from external damage (like a crazy forklift driver). You can use the white PVC as a conduit, but it isn't quite up to code. Another cable that is good is TECK cable (but it is a little extreme).

Hope that helps.

- Victor.

Thanks Victor.

On a point of interest, the wiring I used had purple (almost "lavender") coloured insulation. It was just normal output, non-overdriven 40W fluorescent lighting.

One thought Tony is that you didnt have any Reflectors on that 50gish tank when you had the actinic on it. Correct?
Would this have anything to do with not focusing the light downward, away from the wire instead of all directions, so more toward the wire?

I am sure the code does not address that question directly, but I have a feeling you could get away with #18, But it is a guess. :?