High Voltage Wire Nuts?

Well you only need high voltage wire after the balast. Why would you need wire nuts after the balast? Don't the wires go directly into the socket for the lamps?

- Mike

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Aw nuts! - every time I tried posting, it failed with an error message. By the time I'd checked all the settings it was like the busses - none for ages then 3 come at once!

The ballast and lamp assembly were purchased separately. The wires are needed to connect them.

Don't they have any kind of splash protected terminal assembly? - Why do you need to use wire nuts, these give next to no splash protection!

Good point. The splices wont be near the water but to be extra safe I think I am goint to solder the connections and use some Scotch 23 rubber splicing tape to seal them up.

I would use ovesize wire nuts to get the extra plastic thickness, solder the wires before putting them into the wire nuts, and seal with silicon rubber. I would also stay away from the unit when it was plugged in if there is any moisture where I was standing. Seems like a somewhat risky thing to do around highly conductive substances.

H. R. Hofmann

I wouldn't get HV near water myself..

- Mike

Metal Halide lighting is actually quite common in the Saltwater Reef hobby. Thanks for all the advice. I think I have decided to go with a different fixture that has power cords supplied as part of the kit.

Well if you don't buy that other one I recommend soldering the connections wrapping them with electrical tape and heat shrink it. That should be more than sufficinet insualtion as long as it isnt in contact with water. Vynal electrical tape insulates 500v per wrap.

- Mike

My answer would be don't use wire nuts - they are the spawn of the devil and the cause of many a fire in the US. They were banned in the UK many years ago. Use screw terminal connectors.

Why all the fuss? The sockets probably aren't sealed anyhow. What is suggested above would be fine. Or even better, solder the wires and cover with 2 or 3 layers of heatshrink tubing.

This isn't a true high voltage installation.

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You can get heatshrink sleeve with pre-applied adhesive lining that is supposed to set to a splash proof seal provided it's shrunk size is a good fit to the wire - I usually just buy the regular heatshrink and melt some hot-melt glue onto the solder joint, it takes a bit of practice to heat the shrink sleeve from the middle outwards and get it hot enough to squeeze the hot glue as it shrinks - without splitting! But once you get the hang of it you can make pretty good waterproof joins.

Thanks again for all the advice! You guys gave me exactly what I needed to know. Ryan

I would recommend heatshrink butt splices, or you could go with soldered joints and heatshrink tubing, ideally several layers.

Realistically the HV is only needed for the starting pulse, the actual run voltage of the lamps is closer to 100V depending on wattage.

Reef lighting, streetlighting, outdoor flood and landscape lighting, MH and other HID lamps are used all over the place near water.