finding the ballast / choke

[frankie310581]

Got to find a faulty ballast choke in a car spray oven is there a quicker way of locating the right one our is it the long way eg disconnect each light as they are a nightmare to dismantle and very time consuming

 

[Andy™]

depending on style, you can sometimes see burn marks around the faulty one without taking any covers off (mostly grid). otherwise take covers off and look at the choke. usually obvious if its burnt out or almost burnt out

failing that, split the circuit at the middle light and keep going til you find the faulty one

 

[Bacon]

Prob be quicker and less time consuming identify faultly light not working and change whole fitting if it's cheaper than buying seperate parts.

 

[Andy™]

Prob be quicker and less time consuming identify faultly light not working and change whole fitting if it's cheaper than buying seperate parts.

fault may trip the breaker / RCD as soon as lights switched on, so not always possible

depending on light, you can usually swap a choke for less than a new fitting

 

[batty]

Sometimes you can smell the burnt ones if you can get close enough.

 

[frankie310581]

Cheers lads will have a look they are built in with the oven so got to change choke and as ANDY said it trips out as soon as it is switched so it looks like the long way bets on it being the last one lol

 

[Bacon]

Got to find a faulty ballast choke in a car spray oven is there a quicker way of locating the right one our is it the long way eg disconnect each light as they are a nightmare to dismantle and very time consuming

Are they the ones with the tuffened glass screen over them and up high on the wall?

I did one a few weeks back and as you say a pain to take a part especially if they have the back reflector fitted to them.

 

[Sidewinder]

frankie,

These could be Ex fittings, are you covered on your insurance for work in explosive atmospheres?

Are you trained, qualified and competent to work on Ex equipment.

I'm not saying that you aren't, but, you could get in a whole heap of trouble, if you miss something and the whole thing goes up in a blast.

Unless the client only uses water based paints, i.e. no 2 pack AKA 2k, then the fittings must be explosion proof.

If they have no Ex "risk assessment" then they could be in big trouble too, and as a spark you should understand these requirements as they affect the electrical equipment, and if you do not then you should not be working on them.

Thus, you have a duty of care to advise them appropriately and a professional responsibility to walk away from the job if you are not covered to do it and competent to undertake the works.

 

[kerching]

Sorry for the hijack but it could be quite important.

years ago I used to do loads of Ex stuff, Petrol Stations, Paint booths etc. Anyway, long story short, the most common type of cabling is MICC. Short of glands/pots on a job. Went to CEF, paid through the nose [didn't expect that to happen!]...their MICC terminations were not Ex rated FFS. Do not know about the present day ones as I would not walk through the door unless as desperate as G. Michael in a Los Angeles Convenience......... :coat

 

[Evans Electric]

I think all the car spray paint is water based these days , what I was told anyway.

I think, if its the type of spray booth I'm thinking of, and its tripping right away, you can disconnect each side etc and narrow it down ............. as you say, the slow way.

If you had a panel full of chokes for remote tubes , say, its usually as simple , like Andy says, of look for the overheating signs or when they're all on find the one thats cold.

 

[Zeespark]

Due to 2 pack hardeners have so many poisons on them, they are being phased out apparently.

AndyGuinness

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Water based car paints are only the base colours. The lacquers are still 2K or other dodgy chemicals. If it was all water based it would wash off in the rain.

We maintain a couple of garages, one has a spray booth with the georgian wired glass covers over twin 5ft fittings. Each cover has a rope seal and about 30 ,M5 alan bolts holding the cover on. Its a 2 man job & half an hour to change a tube. The fittings are open to the outside, just sealed to the booth