What do you mount ballast kits in?

[SmokinErb]

I've been trying to google the answer to this, but I'm not having any luck. All I can find is how to wire them up, ect.

But what the hell do you guys mount these things in/on? When you order a pre-assembled ballast, it comes in a metal housing of some sort. I've tried finding them, but haven't had any luck with that.

Do you guys just like, screw the kits down to some plywood or something?

I'm ordering some ballasts today, and I'm considering going with a kit instead so I can use the money elsewhere. But I gotta know how to mount 'em. Does the method really matter, much?

 

[Squire5683]

A lot of people use plywood. Mount piece to wall, then screw on your transformer, capacitor, etc... Keeps them out in the open for better cooling too. The sealed ones usually have a small fan to cool them.

 

[horticultureftw]

Google project box. They come in all sorts of sizes and materials, normally used for electronics projects.

 

[Pseudo]

go to a sign company that does neon and get a transformer box, it has the punchouts, holds up to 2 ballasts and should run around $10

 

[SmokinErb]

Now that's what I'm talking about. Kits it is. Project box or transformer box. Gotcha. Thanks guys.

I did try to contact HTG supply. I inquired about the possibility of him selling the HTG ballast separately from the grow light kit it comes with. They have 400w ballasts, but not the cheapo HTG ones.

If he'll do that, and has a decent price, I'll probably just order some of those.

 

[supermanlives]

cheap metal toolboxes work great. like 6 dollars at walmart

 

[dtfsux]

the htg kits come with metal brackets that attach to the transformer, making it easy to mount. The cap and ignitor are so light, they can be ziptied to the board.

I have mounted them to a plywood board as well as sitting them on a shelf made from 2x4's.

Its no biggie, just wire them up and sit them up somewhere. If really concerned about heat, sit the transformer on a brick, or use some washers to space it off the plywood backing

 

[arrg]

the metal tool box sounds like a good cheap idea. I have several 400 watters mounted 2 ballasts each in ammo boxes with intake air hole and a little fan. I have about 30 high bays i want to change over the tool boxes are going to get priced out monday. I was about to order boxes form the electrical supply house next week but may just get some stack ons.

I have done a lot of ballast change outs for factories and warehouses and would be terrified if I saw those parts just sitting on some wood. Be safe don't be a news story

 

[darthvapor]

if your going to mount them to plywood first put down a piece of sheetrock thats fire rated. Just to be safe. dont fool around with electrical, take all the precautions you can. one less thing to worry about

 

[bigcat39]

Mine are mounted in a $12 metal mailbox from Lowes. I used 2 pieces of aluminum bracket angle that runs the length of the box with the ballasts mounted on their brackets across them. Then I mounted a 4 1/2" fan on the end. Now the ballasts can be slid out if they need service. One power cord going in, two lamp cords come out. Slick and clean. Quiet, too!

 

[Babbabud]

how would an old amo box from war surplus work ?

 

[arrg]

how would an old amo box from war surplus work ?

That is what I have used for 400 watters for a while but I just looked at pricing and found them to be 15 bucks not 5-6 like they used to be. I put 2 ballasts in each box with a fan near the top and intake hole near the bottom.

 

[Medium Pimpin']

i've just screwed the ballast kit to a piece of MDF b4.
reg pressboard makes me a tad nervous.
but aslong as the x-former itself is on its brackets, the x-former wont physically touch the wood. ala less heat.
i'd screw 2 ballast kits on a 16" x 36" cut of mdf.
then just screw it to a couple studs on the wall.
for easy removal if need be.

 

[Rysam]

the metal tool box sounds like a good cheap idea. I have several 400 watters mounted 2 ballasts each in ammo boxes with intake air hole and a little fan. I would be terrified if I saw those parts just sitting on some wood. Be safe don't be a news story

 

[arrg]

I've just screwed the ballast kit to a piece of MDF before.
reg pressboard makes me a tad nervous.
but as long as the x-former itself is on its brackets, the x-former won't physically touch the wood. ala less heat.
I'd screw 2 ballast kits on a 16" x 36" cut of mdf.
then just screw it to a couple studs on the wall.
for easy removal if need be.

I would be sitting there with a fire extinguisher.

I have changed out a tone of old burned out ballasts and have seen the coils expand and burn, caps eplode all the time Mdf burns plenty good. I like metal box mounting and unless the wall is concrete I use unistrut to mount the box to space it away a couple inches. Fire rated drywall just buys you some time but making it so it can explode in flames then not travel to anything else makes it so I could leave the house and sleep at night.


please don't just buy a ballast kit and wire it up then leave it laying there or mount it to stuff that can burn. Is it worth your life or freedom? If you are not going to box it up well just get one in a nice box and heat sink the few bucks more might keep your house from burning down and the cops from getting you. Don't become a news story.

 

[dtfsux]

I ran 9 1000 watt ballasts mounted on plywood for 2 years. When I pulled them down, there was some heat marks, but not much. Nothing that shocked me.

BTW, you will want to mount the wood first, then mount the kits.

I dont see the point in buying a kit, then going through the hassle of trying to find a box for it and installing it. You might as well buy a ready to go ballast.

 

[corradogang*]

I ran 9 1000 watt ballasts mounted on plywood for 2 years. When I pulled them down, there was some heat marks, but not much. Nothing that shocked me.

BTW, you will want to mount the wood first, then mount the kits.

I dont see the point in buying a kit, then going through the hassle of trying to find a box for it and installing it. You might as well buy a ready to go ballast.

BUT. when they sometimes fail they get seriously hot, not always, but sometimes

 

[Scrogerman]

Has any body mentioned 'Heat-Sinks', I use a metal Cake-Tray, the ones with Mini-Cup Cake imbossed/moulds. Seems to work well at drawing heat away from the Ballest casing. I dont Fancy using any Wooden type mount, it's just another fire hazzard to worrie about imo! I like the Cooled Metal Housing idea using Mail Box's, Ammo Box's etc-Cool. I always try to use a heatsink of some sort + fans, does the trick!
G'Luck......'Peace.....Scroger!

 

[SmokinErb]

In regards to finding a pre-assembled ballast -

400w ballast kit + CMH bulb = $130 shipped.

400w ballast + CMH bulb = 135 shipped (ballast) + $65 shipped (CMH) = $200 shipped.

For $70 bucks I can get another 400w ballast and a transformer box big enough for 2 ballast.

 

[GrnMtnGrwr]

I do mine just like this...

Thank you, sir! lol...Poor folks got poor ways!



There really isn't much to it. I was looking for my stock pot to make some soup and saw the loaf pans at the back of the cabinet and had a light bulb moment (lol...ironic, huh?).

I set the ballast as high on the mounting brackets as it would go for easier air flow under the ballast itself. Positioned it as far to one side and the end of the pan as I could to leave as much room as possible for the power cords, ignitor and capacitor. Dry fitted the ballast, igniter and capacitor brackets and made my marks for the bolts. Free handed the air holes and cord access and used a half-moon file to file to my hearts content . Your file is your friend! Just as an fyi...Because of the slope of the pans I had to mount the capacitor sideways and it made it a lot easier to cut off the last inch or so of the ballast mounting brackets.

The top was dry fitted with the pc fan and marked. A 1/2" hole, aviator snips, the file, some silicone caulking and bolt holes in the handles was all the top pan needed. Added some quick connects to the fan wires and adapter and...voila!

(The pic's are a mish-mash of the two I put together.)

Like I said, "weren't much to it."

Namaste, mess