MikeRoOrganix
Member
ICmag -
I am getting sparks /shorts from an unknown source and it's scaring the crap out of me. I will try to describe all relevant equipment, wiring, etc that I think could have any possibility of being involved with this issue.
I know electrical problems can be hard to diagnose without seeing in person. With that said, I appreciate any advice, please keep it positive. I do some things DIY and I am aware some people dont approve of that, but please try and stay on topic about this particular problem.
A little background, I have been indoors for over a decade. I have always wired my own ballasts and lamps. I have always built my own hydro systems. But I'm not an electrician.
So anyways, here's my problem. My room is a small, cramped basement stairwell. It has concrete block walls and a concrete floor. I lined the walls with foam insulation that is reflective (and also conductive, ugg! Never been a problem before). To try and smell seal the room up, I used aluminum heater tape to tape all the seams as well as seal the walls to the floors.
Sigh, there are so many details. I wire my own ballasts, have for years, done it 20 times, never had a problem. I have always used heavy duty outdoor extension cords for this. In this case we are talking a 250mh and 600hps. Only other big power draw is a 400cfm can fan and a 4-outlet air pump.
One my my lights is a DIY cooltube, I am unsure it is grounded correctly. The ground can be attached directly to the mogul socket or to the hose clamp going around the tube that secures the bulb inside the cooltube. Right now it's on the hose clamp, not sure if that is correct, please advise. I always thought it was the reflector it should be grounded to, but this light is vertical and does not have a reflector.
On to power. This is my #1 suspicion. My house has a breaker box, I am using a 20amp service that runs to my garage. The house wires run through metal conduit along the ceiling of my small space. There is an access box where we tapped into these wires. We again used heavy duty outdoor extension cord to run the 20amp service main to be split to two GFCI outlets each with two plugs. All my power runs through here, although I had to string a couple power strips to make all the plugs reach. They are all GFCI as well.
I'm thinking maybe the heavy duty outdoor extension cords are not able to handle that much power coming through the outlets. It is warm, but not melted. Also, if an overload happened, wouldnt the GFCI's get tripped or else the breaker? I examined the wires we used to link the outlets to the house wires, they do not show any signs of melting or overheating.
Now my other suspicions involve the wires from the house power touching the insulated/reflective/conductive walls. I am thinking maybe the wires are shorting out somehow against the wall and then the power is coming down to the floor and the concrete/aluminum heater tape. All wire-to-wire connections are made with wire nuts.
I was filling up a res with water when a couple drops landed on the alum heater tape on the floor. I saw a bunch of sparks and low-level shock. My air pump was also resting on this alum heater tape. The pump has a metal base and rubber gaskets between the base and the pump to prevent vibration. The pump sparked quite brightly, then the rubber feet started on fire. I quickly blew it out and cut all power. Wiped up the water. Pump cord has a couple small bubbles on it and was warm to the touch.
This has been happening a few times lately and it's very frustrating. Yesterday a different air pump with rubber feet was on the concrete and the wire touched the reflective/conductive walls and i got sparks there too. If I am in my room when the 600w comes on, I can hear a small pop and smell ozone.
I would really love to tear all the reflective/conductive wall insulation as well as the alum tape on the floors/seams, but that would be a TON of work and I dont think that's really the problem. It seems like a wiring issue.
This stuff is embarrassing and very difficult to write about. I am trying to find someone locally who can come out and help, but it's not easy. I do have a smoke detector in the room and fire extinguisher outside the room.
I do not have anything that can automatically turn off all power if a critical temp is reached or current is detected. I would be interested in learning more about these devices, in laymans terms and as simply as possible. Also where to get it and how much if you dont mind.
Thanks if you're still reading and K+. I appreciate all the advice, and if needed I could maybe post a couple pics. I'm not into the whole room pics thing anymore, although I used to be back on OG.
MikeRoOrganix
I am getting sparks /shorts from an unknown source and it's scaring the crap out of me. I will try to describe all relevant equipment, wiring, etc that I think could have any possibility of being involved with this issue.
I know electrical problems can be hard to diagnose without seeing in person. With that said, I appreciate any advice, please keep it positive. I do some things DIY and I am aware some people dont approve of that, but please try and stay on topic about this particular problem.
A little background, I have been indoors for over a decade. I have always wired my own ballasts and lamps. I have always built my own hydro systems. But I'm not an electrician.
So anyways, here's my problem. My room is a small, cramped basement stairwell. It has concrete block walls and a concrete floor. I lined the walls with foam insulation that is reflective (and also conductive, ugg! Never been a problem before). To try and smell seal the room up, I used aluminum heater tape to tape all the seams as well as seal the walls to the floors.
Sigh, there are so many details. I wire my own ballasts, have for years, done it 20 times, never had a problem. I have always used heavy duty outdoor extension cords for this. In this case we are talking a 250mh and 600hps. Only other big power draw is a 400cfm can fan and a 4-outlet air pump.
One my my lights is a DIY cooltube, I am unsure it is grounded correctly. The ground can be attached directly to the mogul socket or to the hose clamp going around the tube that secures the bulb inside the cooltube. Right now it's on the hose clamp, not sure if that is correct, please advise. I always thought it was the reflector it should be grounded to, but this light is vertical and does not have a reflector.
On to power. This is my #1 suspicion. My house has a breaker box, I am using a 20amp service that runs to my garage. The house wires run through metal conduit along the ceiling of my small space. There is an access box where we tapped into these wires. We again used heavy duty outdoor extension cord to run the 20amp service main to be split to two GFCI outlets each with two plugs. All my power runs through here, although I had to string a couple power strips to make all the plugs reach. They are all GFCI as well.
I'm thinking maybe the heavy duty outdoor extension cords are not able to handle that much power coming through the outlets. It is warm, but not melted. Also, if an overload happened, wouldnt the GFCI's get tripped or else the breaker? I examined the wires we used to link the outlets to the house wires, they do not show any signs of melting or overheating.
Now my other suspicions involve the wires from the house power touching the insulated/reflective/conductive walls. I am thinking maybe the wires are shorting out somehow against the wall and then the power is coming down to the floor and the concrete/aluminum heater tape. All wire-to-wire connections are made with wire nuts.
I was filling up a res with water when a couple drops landed on the alum heater tape on the floor. I saw a bunch of sparks and low-level shock. My air pump was also resting on this alum heater tape. The pump has a metal base and rubber gaskets between the base and the pump to prevent vibration. The pump sparked quite brightly, then the rubber feet started on fire. I quickly blew it out and cut all power. Wiped up the water. Pump cord has a couple small bubbles on it and was warm to the touch.
This has been happening a few times lately and it's very frustrating. Yesterday a different air pump with rubber feet was on the concrete and the wire touched the reflective/conductive walls and i got sparks there too. If I am in my room when the 600w comes on, I can hear a small pop and smell ozone.
I would really love to tear all the reflective/conductive wall insulation as well as the alum tape on the floors/seams, but that would be a TON of work and I dont think that's really the problem. It seems like a wiring issue.
This stuff is embarrassing and very difficult to write about. I am trying to find someone locally who can come out and help, but it's not easy. I do have a smoke detector in the room and fire extinguisher outside the room.
I do not have anything that can automatically turn off all power if a critical temp is reached or current is detected. I would be interested in learning more about these devices, in laymans terms and as simply as possible. Also where to get it and how much if you dont mind.
Thanks if you're still reading and K+. I appreciate all the advice, and if needed I could maybe post a couple pics. I'm not into the whole room pics thing anymore, although I used to be back on OG.
MikeRoOrganix
