Euroquatics E5 LED T5 bulbs Started my light fixture on FIRE!!!

[MadCityReefer]

This is a very important announcement!! I've been using two Euroquatics E5 LED T5 bulbs 48" blue pop bulbs in my ATI LED power Module for the past 4yrs or so. One bulb burned out about two months ago didn't think anything of it. Yesterday the other bulb caught on fire and if it wasn't for my father in law being at my house there is a good chance my house would have burned down. If your currently using these bulbs I would highly consider remove them ASAP!! Got lucky twice last night. My father and law had to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. Some of the powder got into my reef tank along with some burning plastic but luckily it wasn't the super bad combination of chemicals in this particular fire extinguisher and so far all my fish and corals seem to be okay. I did replaced my carbon and 80% water change. I'll probably do another big water change and purchase some poly filters to make sure. Crossing my fingers!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Holy mackerel! Wow! So glad you guys caught it in time! Big hugs from Reef2reef! That had to be scary!

Water changes, GAC and like you said possible Polyfilter ASAP!

Do you have a backup for a light or will the ATI fixture still work?

Edit: probably not a good idea to use the light.

#reefsquad

#MODS

 

[nereefpat]

Were they running off the ballast at high voltage, or did you rewire the fixture and run at 120v?

 

[MadCityReefer]

Holy mackerel! Wow! So glad you guys caught it in time! Big hugs from Reef2reef! That had to be scary!

Water changes, GAC and like you said possible Polyfilter ASAP!

Do you have a backup for a light or will the ATI fixture still work?

Edit: probably not a good idea to use the light.

#reefsquad

#MODS

I believe (I hope) $2100 light fixture can be fixed. Luckily I have a 48" none led power module ATI t5 light fixture as back up. Technically its supposed to go on my future grow out system.

 

[MadCityReefer]

Were they running off the ballast at high voltage, or did you rewire the fixture and run at 120v?

running off the ballast for over 5yrs with no issues till now

 

[nereefpat]

running off the ballast for over 5yrs with no issues till now

Okay, I wondered how you were supposed to install them.

I've replaced t8 bulbs at the office with LED retrofits to save on the electric bill, and you have to bypass the ballast.

 

[fishguy242]

just a thought,dry salt creep is a conductor,have had two small fires because of in last 30 yrs ,never in a light though,glad you caught in time,hope tank has no problems

 

[Awesome Dennis]

Okay, I wondered how you were supposed to install them.

I've replaced t8 bulbs at the office with LED retrofits to save on the electric bill, and you have to bypass the ballast.

Some LED bulbs are “ballast bypass” or you remove the ballast and directly wire the sockets and some require the use of a listed qualified ballast.

 

[Tl02022020]

Scary!! Glad the fire was caught early!

 

[tehmadreefer]

Welp, that’s what happens when you use cheap and/or no name brand stuff.
Use ATI or Geismann and you won’t have that problem.

 

[MadCityReefer]

Welp, that’s what happens when you use cheap and/or no name brand stuff.
Use ATI or Geismann and you won’t have that problem.

lol...far from cheap these were expensive and after 5 yrs with no problems I'm surprised it even happened. Till this point they worked perfectly fine. These lights were made by EuroAquatics not from a no name brand. I also purchased them from a reputable company Aquarium Specialty.

 

[MadCityReefer]

Some LED bulbs are “ballast bypass” or you remove the ballast and directly wire the sockets and some require the use of a listed qualified ballast.

yes I heard this but these were developed to work in any t5 high out put or not without having to bypass ballast. However long term use I believe is a different story.

 

[TheHarold]

lol...far from cheap these were expensive and after 5 yrs with no problems I'm surprised it even happened. Till this point they worked perfectly fine. These lights were made by EuroAquatics not from a no name brand. I also purchased them from a reputable company Aquarium Specialty.

For me, those Euroaquatics bulbs were so poorly made/flimsy that they would sag against the acrylic guard of an ATI fixture once things were warm in there.

Also had an issue with them falling out, if used in a fixture that didnt have an acrylic cover to prevent that.

 

[MadCityReefer]

Welp, that’s what happens when you use cheap and/or no name brand stuff.
Use ATI or Geismann and you won’t have that problem.

Aquarium T5 Lamps | Aquarium Specialty

T5 and VHO Lamps from ATI, Giesemann, UV Lighting, Korallen Zucht, GE and Zoo Med. Best shipping and packaging with great prices.

www.aquariumspecialty.com

 

[nereefpat]

Are they discontinued?

 

[MadCityReefer]

Are they discontinued?

Yes I heard people had probloms with the bulbs saooks like the company eventually went under.

Are they discontinued?

yes they were discontinued I believe because the bulbs had a sagging issue which I had a acrylic shield so that didn't bother me but it does look like the company is no longer in business. Bummer! no one to sue because if my father in law wasn't at my home at the time it could have been much much worse.

 

[tehmadreefer]

lol...far from cheap these were expensive and after 5 yrs with no problems I'm surprised it even happened. Till this point they worked perfectly fine. These lights were made by EuroAquatics not from a no name brand. I also purchased them from a reputable company Aquarium Specialty.

If they aren’t Geismann or ATI, then yes they are cheap no name, branded t5 bulbs.
They may be expensive but they surely are not good, as you found out! And euro who? Lol

 

[tehmadreefer]

Yes I heard people had probloms with the bulbs saooks like the company eventually went under.


yes they were discontinued I believe because the bulbs had a sagging issue which I had a acrylic shield so that didn't bother me but it does look like the company is no longer in business. Bummer! no one to sue because if my father in law wasn't at my home at the time it could have been much much worse.

Lol exactly!