Roma 240 Light Unit... Blown It Up!

[plectastic]

Soooo I may have overflowed my tank slightly when doing a WC!
 
Anyway, it was fine surprisingly and then it died the next day.
 
I've cleaned and dried it all out, cleaned up all the contacts etc but no joy.
 
I then bought 2 new specific starters online for it but still dead.
 
I don't know what to do now. I haven't bought new bulbs yet but am reluctant spending £30+ if the thing is dead. I can't find a Roma 240 light unit online yet either.
 
I wouldn't mind a new T5 luminaire but I don't want this tank open top so that's a no.
 
Help please?

 

[KirkyArcher]

I would assume you checked the fuse!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yup, would try change plug fuse first.

That's your most likely cause, if no joy after that, check bulbs next.

Hopefully will just be the fuse blown.

 

[KirkyArcher]

Roma lighting in the 200 and 240 litre models each tube are independent of each other having their own controls the common point of both failing is going to be supply (tubes will most likely be Ok especially if the end caps had been tightened sufficiently)

 

[Ch4rlie]

Ah, I have the Roma 90, if one tube blown neither tube will work, so i assumed the 240 ti be the same.

In that case, that's easier then!

Still reckon probably the fuse

 

[plectastic]

Haha sorry. Yep I'm not that stupid thankfully. Fuse changed! Will try new bulbs.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
If your hood has 2 tubes, 2 switches and uses starters then you will find that 2 magnetic ballasts are fitted.
You'll need to adopt a fault finding mindset... Do you have access to a multimeter? If you don't, then you can pick up a basic one from your local DIY shop for about a fiver. Any type will do (digital, with an LCD display or analogue, with a moving needle.) Even the basic ones will be able to support measuring resistance.
 
If you want to do this yourself, just post here and ask and I'll talk you through it.
 
If the electrics have become wet, it is possible that the ballasts have burnt out. It is also possible that the combination of water and electricity has caused corrosion on one or more connections (the actual starter connections are a favourite point of failure).
 
You'll need to prove each connection to eliminate each potential failure point until the actual fault is located. It's actually very easy to do...
 
Can you open the hood to access the ballasts and wiring?
 
Bodge99 

 

[CrimsonBoli]

I have the Roma 200 with two T8 tubes (guessing the same as yours) 

The ballast blew in the unit (they are poor in these sadly) so i replaced it with a higher power 'electronic' ballast (http/www.covershield.co.uk/ballast.htm) and now it runs more efficiently and the actual ballast does not give off as much heat. The only downside with the new ballast is if 1 bulb blows they both stop working until the blown one is replaced, cant remember what the original ballast does when one bulb blows
 
The panel on the top is glued down so just rip that off to access the unit's parts. Any electrician can come in and fit it (or take it somewhere)
 
Or you can do it yourself as the diagram is on the unit, (just remove the starters from the circuit if you do)

Hello,
 
If your hood has 2 tubes, 2 switches and uses starters then you will find that 2 magnetic ballasts are fitted.
You'll need to adopt a fault finding mindset... Do you have access to a multimeter? If you don't, then you can pick up a basic one from your local DIY shop for about a fiver. Any type will do (digital, with an LCD display or analogue, with a moving needle.) Even the basic ones will be able to support measuring resistance.
 
If you want to do this yourself, just post here and ask and I'll talk you through it.
 
If the electrics have become wet, it is possible that the ballasts have burnt out. It is also possible that the combination of water and electricity has caused corrosion on one or more connections (the actual starter connections are a favourite point of failure).
 
You'll need to prove each connection to eliminate each potential failure point until the actual fault is located. It's actually very easy to do...
 
Can you open the hood to access the ballasts and wiring?
 
Bodge99 

Its a single magnetic ballast with 2 starters, 1 switch

 

[plectastic]

Thanks for that mate.
 
Well I decided to get a hagen glo T8 twin ballast set and eneded up ripping out the original T8 fittings and all wiring. All was ok apart from it not fitting in the space very well but it has just stopped working. Pretty gutted.
 
I shall try replacing the whole thing with a slimmer T5 unit next month or so.

 

[CrimsonBoli]

Thanks for that mate.
 
Well I decided to get a hagen glo T8 twin ballast set and eneded up ripping out the original T8 fittings and all wiring. All was ok apart from it not fitting in the space very well but it has just stopped working. Pretty gutted.
 
I shall try replacing the whole thing with a slimmer T5 unit next month or so.

 
Nice idea! when you change to T5 could you take a few pics or do a little write up, want to change mine to T5 but the bulb fitments dont look like they will fit

 

[plectastic]

Yeah sure. 
 
I'll probably go for a medium budget T5 twin controller. Not a bloody Hagen Glo this time though.
 
If the ballast unit doesn't fit in the space I'll probably mount it on/in the back of the cabinet and run the wires up into the original bulb fittings (which I already ripped out)
 
Will then just buy 2 T5 bulbs of the same length as the T8's were.
 
Well, that's the plan.

 

[CrimsonBoli]

It should fit, there's quite a lot of length in that space (and ballasts are only long narrow things).
 
Just a side note, as there are no reflectors in the hood and its all just black plastic. Line the top above the bulbs with Aluminium tape to create a reflective surface, gives about 10% more light!

 

[plectastic]

I could fit reflectors quite easily tbh. The problem is the space is adequate length wise no doubt but it's fouls massively on the width!

 

[CrimsonBoli]

Yeh thats tru. I found this on ebay which i belive will fit our tanks if not http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluval-Vicenza-260-2-x-39w-T5-Light-Unit-/151165758107?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item23322e6a9b

 

[plectastic]

Does it? Where did you read that?