RSM250 Lighting Ballast Issues

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Hello! Well, I'm about to take off my RSM250 hood and disassemble it as I have two lights out, a third light that is dimmed, and one hood fan that I can see that is out (I'm not sure if other hood fans are out as I really can't see the other two clearly and the two is the back are working fine).

It has been decades since I changed out a ballast on a tank and frankly I don't remember it being particularly difficult, but I am feeling apprehensive about tearing apart the hood today.

I did some online searches for info and vids, not so helpful. I went to the Red Sea website download center looking for manuals/instructions and found a manual on changing hood fans, but not changing ballasts (yet). I'm looking for trouble shooting, decision tree, or steps in determining issues. I found a diagnostic chart. I think that is as close to trouble shooting as I can get. I'm pretty sure there is a ballast issue with the two bulbs b/c the same bulbs moved to other locations work and brand new bulbs in the location where the previous bulbs weren't working, aren't working there either. But, I'm not sure what is going on with the third dimmed bulb. And I don't know if there are any connections between the fans and the ballast.

I have bought one new ballast replacement and four fan replacements.

The diagrams in the manual are helpful, but still a little confused on how it is all connected. With transformers and fuses and other stuff, just want to make sure that since I have the hood off and open that I replace all that may need it.

Any idea about the third bulb dimming? Perhaps an indication a second ballast is on its way out? Anything else I should be looking for?

And are the fans and lights at all connected through a ballast or fuse or anything else?

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Thanks!!

@RedSeaKev
@Pat24601
@glennf
@DaveK
@nanoreefing4fun
 
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Pat24601

Well-Known Member
I've taken apart my hood and put it back together a number of times now. At least 4, maybe more. This is because I was switching my lights back and forth between fresh and saltwater. :)

It's really not bad at all...once you've done it a first time. :) That first time can be intimidating, though. But, it's one of those things that in hindsight was no big deal, but was immensely stressful the first time.

Taking apart the hood is really three main steps.
1) removing the screw caps.
2) removing the screws.
3) Separating the top and bottom half.

Steve's LEDs has some great GIFs on these three steps here.
http://stevesleds.info/downloads/red_sea_max_250_862018.pdf

It's steps 1,2, and 3 in their installation guide. The rest really wouldn't be relevant to you since you aren't installing LEDS.

My experience is that taking off the screw caps is NOT as easy as it sounds. It's tedious and it can be hard to get them out without doing damage, so note their tips about angling a screwdriver.

The screws are easy, just tedious. Also, the usual problem of what to do with a million screws you are taking out so you don't lose track of them. :)

Separating the top and bottom half is the part that is actually tricky. It's hard to describe, so I'd suggest you read the Steve's guide and look at their GIF to see someone doing it. It's really the one step in this entire process where it's possible to damage your hood if you try to force it rather than kind of jiggle it out. So, a little resistance is normal, but if you are encountering too much, don't just try to brute strength it out. I did that and I ripped my hood a touch. It's not noticeable, but I did. It's OK, though. No one can tell and I have two hoods anyway. :)

In particular, watch this GIF here. http://www.stevesleds.info/rsm250v5/step3_take_apart_hood.gif

After that, I think the electronics are super straightforward. I actually think it's a whole lot easier to get the hood open and look at it than it is to try to prepare and study it beforehand. I tried to study beforehand and I just confused myself. Once the hood is open it's pretty obvious where everything is and where it goes.

Changing the ballast is super easy. Once you see it, I don't think you will have a problem at all. It's just loosen a few screws, insert the new one, and tighten the screws again. Really obvious once you are looking at it.

As far as trouble shooting the lights, I have no idea. Obviously, I was just replacing mine with LEDs so I didn't do any troubleshooting.

I do agree, though, that it sounds to me like it's probably your ballast in both cases. Those are prone to failure. Personally, I'd just plan on swapping the two ballasts you are having trouble with while you are in there anyway and see if that fixes the issue. If not, I have no idea what else could be wrong. It's not a very complex system.

Let me know if I can help in any way...especially once you have it open. I'd be happy to help troubleshoot to the extent I can.
 
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Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
The gifs are great to see! Well, I will be diving in as soon as I clear off the dinning room table (i.e. work bench :D)
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
@Pat24601

Getting that hinge to loosen was hard. Had to clean off screw driver of petroleum and who knows what else before it went into tank. Hope no issues. Will place new carbon bag in tank.

Looks like salt has gotten into the area around ballast #3 (diagram above), the two bulbs associated w/it are the ones not working. Somewhere, something isn't sealing properly. Tried to wipe down w/slightly damp paper towel and dry it up, don't want water in the ballast area of the hood :confused:

Changed out all four fans (even though only one wasn't working), thought might as well. Will keep the other three on hand to use if needed. The two fans where the air is sucked in at where super dusty w/dust bunnies. Cleaned that up as much as I could. Considered using canned air to blow it, but not sure where it would be blown into (and I'm working on the dinning room table and don't want the dust all over the house.

Now I'm thinking that since the hood is off it would be a good time to switch out the two main pumps for clean ones and give the older ones a good vinegar soak. Should also take advantage and change protein skimmer pump and clean the optical sensor on the ATO while I'm at it.

I'm supposed to be placing salmon on the BBQ in a couple of hours, sure hope I can get it all done. Too ambitious? :dunno:
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
@Pat24601

Getting that hinge to loosen was hard. Had to clean off screw driver of petroleum and who knows what else before it went into tank. Hope no issues. Will place new carbon bag in tank.

Looks like salt has gotten into the area around ballast #3 (diagram above), the two bulbs associated w/it are the ones not working. Somewhere, something isn't sealing properly. Tried to wipe down w/slightly damp paper towel and dry it up, don't want water in the ballast area of the hood :confused:

Changed out all four fans (even though only one wasn't working), thought might as well. Will keep the other three on hand to use if needed. The two fans where the air is sucked in at where super dusty w/dust bunnies. Cleaned that up as much as I could. Considered using canned air to blow it, but not sure where it would be blown into (and I'm working on the dinning room table and don't want the dust all over the house.

Now I'm thinking that since the hood is off it would be a good time to switch out the two main pumps for clean ones and give the older ones a good vinegar soak. Should also take advantage and change protein skimmer pump and clean the optical sensor on the ATO while I'm at it.

I'm supposed to be placing salmon on the BBQ in a couple of hours, sure hope I can get it all done. Too ambitious? :dunno:

On the good side, sounds like everything is going very well!

I hadn't thought about the hinge being hard. Mine has always been pretty easy, but I take mine off pretty often so it probably had never had a chance to seal up on me.

You are like me. Once I'm in there, I just start fixing everything! Now that I think of it, the last time I changed my hood, I changed all of my pumps out too.

The fans do get super dusty! I think changing them out while you are in there anyway is a good idea.

Regardless, glad to here it is going so well! It definitely sounds like you are in there getting things done with no significant problems!
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Well, now the only two bulbs that are working are associated with the new ballast that I changed out. None of the others are working any longer :tantrum:

Based on the diagram they are all interconnected. How can the two that weren't working now be the two that are the only ones working :confuseded:
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Ut oh. Now it sounds like this could be trouble starting.

The truth is I'm not an expert on T5 lightning at all. So, all I know is what little has trickled on me. I suppose it could be a relay, but I'm kind of wondering if there is a loose wire somewhere from replacing the first ballast. I just haven't heard of the relay's going bad all that often (as opposed to ballast which go sideways all the time).

This is starting to sound like it's heading down a painful troubleshooting path. I was hoping you could just replace the ballast and be done.

Did you say the second set of lights was flaky anyway? I might replace the ballast on it just to see what happens.
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
I switched out pumps and now putting the top back together. I have four out of six bulbs working and not the same 4 as before. Instead of the back two not working, I have the middle two not working now. I ordered another ballast and relays. I took each wire out and replaced it on the ballast and checked the connections on the relays. I really don't know what it is.
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
After a week of inefficient light I lost an acro and some others aren't happy. I'm thinking of somehow rigging up my AI (from frag tank) on the front of the RSM250 in the evenings when I'm home to help give the corals a little more light while I wait for shipping to come in. And frankly I don't have time to open the hood back up until next weekend anyway.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Sounds like the best you can do. I’m glad you at least got a second set working!

Unfortunately, once something goes wrong with these lights, trouble shooting it can be very tough. I’ve spent hours replacing one thing or other.

I think you are on the right path!
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
@Pat24601 All the lights are working! :celebrate:

I hope that this doesn't mean that there is some short in there somewhere, since two bulbs weren't working earlier, but now they are. I'm not going to cancel my ballast or relay order, just in case. And it would be nice to have them on hand if the tanks acts up again.
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
@Pat24601 All the lights are working! :celebrate:

I hope that this doesn't mean that there is some short in there somewhere, since two bulbs weren't working earlier, but now they are. I'm not going to cancel my ballast or relay order, just in case. And it would be nice to have them on hand if the tanks acts up again.
Good news! [emoji41]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Danreef

Well-Known Member
Oxy

Last week happened the same to my hood, 2 bulbs stopped working. I took out the hood and hanged an ATI Sunpower dimmable 6x39 W.

Corals very happy and myself too.

Now I have to built a cover for the back section.










I am happy that you solved your issue!!!

Best
Daniel
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
Oxy

Last week happened the same to my hood, 2 bulbs stopped working. I took out the hood and hanged an ATI Sunpower dimmable 6x39 W.

Corals very happy and myself too.

Now I have to built a cover for the back section.










I am happy that you solved your issue!!!

Best
Daniel

Looking good!
 
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