HQI pendant issues

Winters · #1 04-06-2006, 06:57 PM

Hi everyone!
Well, for some reason my AB 250W 10K HQI pendant's UV glass shield shattered into a million pieces on to my live rock below the other night. It had been on for several hours and was about 10 minutes away for turning off. I've now gotten most of the glass out of the tank but can not start using the light again until I have a replacement UV shield. Where does one get a replacement? Would some glass dealers have this or do I have to contact the manufacturer?

What can one do to stop this shattering? My pendants are fairly close to the water. (It's attached to the canopy rather than suspended using cables) I'm assuming the shattering was due to water splashing up from a fish. Also a bit concerned that perhaps this inside-canopy installation of the pendants may not be very safe or may even be a fire hazard? (It was a recommendation from my LFS) Any ideas?

Also, recently one of my two pendants stopped working. It just wouldn't turn on. The ballast was making a slight humming noise but there was no light. I swapped the bulb to the other pendant (and vice-versa) and then the bulb started to light again but every now and then the pendant (that the original bulb that was not lighting was moved to) stops lighting or flickers. Any ideas? Do I simply need to replace the bulbs? Or is there an issue somehow with the ignitor in the ballast?

Thank you!

mr_alberta · #2 04-06-2006, 07:04 PM

Imran,

I beleive that you can pretty much get any glass and it should block out UV. Also, check for loose or damaged wiring in your AB pendants as there are a lot of reports about that

StirCrazy · #3 04-06-2006, 11:01 PM

any glass will filter out the UV, just get the same thickness.. what you could also do is order two and send one out to be tempered, this will increase the strength of the glass a lot.

Steve

midgetwaiter · #4 04-06-2006, 11:36 PM

Just to back up what Stir Crazy said, your average plate glass blocks 100% UVC and 95% UVB. I can't remeber the UVA block rate but it is high enough for it to be safe.

The bulbs refusing to start could also be a heat issue, the bulbs won't fire if they are too hot. Do you have any fans in your hood?

kari · #5 04-06-2006, 11:43 PM

I believe the glass in my Sunlight Supply RO pendant has 3/16" tempered "low-E" glass. That would be more expensive though to get cut from the glass shop.

StirCrazy · #6 04-07-2006, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kari

I believe the glass in my Sunlight Supply RO pendant has 3/16" tempered "low-E" glass. That would be more expensive though to get cut from the glass shop.

Low-e would suprise me, isn't that refuring to the gass they put between panes of glass in energy efficient windows?

Steve

kari · #7 04-08-2006, 06:05 PM

Here's a photo of the corner of the glass used in my fixture. Some of the writing has worn off.

kari · #8 04-08-2006, 06:22 PM

Steve, I think the gas in thermopane units you are thinking of is argon. The low-e stuff is a coating on the glass and I have no idea if it beneficial or not.

StirCrazy · #9 04-08-2006, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kari

Steve, I think the gas in thermopane units you are thinking of is argon. The low-e stuff is a coating on the glass and I have no idea if it beneficial or not.

actualy your right, I checked to see what the windows I was looking at are, it is a chemical coating that reflects light energy and only alows aproximatly 75% of light to pass through... hmmm sounds like something I wouldn't want on my tank.

Just get tempered glass and raise up your lights to about 6" over the water if you can.

Steve