wiring a fan to a ballast?

[johnwestfall77]

i am currently looking to install a couple of fans in my enclosed hood. I was hoping i could go a cheap route and buy a couple 4" fans from radioshack.I currently have two icecap 440 ballasts running 4 72" vho bulbs and was hoping there was a way i could wire the fans to the same ballasts as the lights without affecting the performance of the lights. is there a chance it could fry the fans or lights or even worse the ballasts????? i would like to go directly to the ballast so when the timer to the ballasts turn on the fans will automatically run as well... is this is possibile???? and if so how????

[Reefland]

I would imagine that it would void the ballast warranty and therefore would not recommend it. I would wire the fans directly to their own cord and then plug the cord into the same timer as the ballasts.

[reddhaus]

I would imagine that it would void the ballast warranty and therefore would not recommend it. I would wire the fans directly to their own cord and then plug the cord into the same timer as the ballasts.

I agree that this would be your best option. This is the method that I used to run my fans with my MH ballasts. It does make for a couple more plugs but still worth it.

[johnwestfall77]

thanks again 4 the advise

[malawiMD]

You won't have a problem if you wire the fan with the same hot wire that you wired the ballast. If it is a remote ballast, DONT wire it after the ballast. A ballast is like a transformer. Anyway. I have two MH and two fans all running off of one power lead. Believe it or not, these lights don't realy draw that much power. Most homes have a 20 amp fuse. You wouldn't even be close to that.

[Pioneer]

You won't have a problem if you wire the fan with the same hot wire that you wired the ballast. If it is a remote ballast, DONT wire it after the ballast. A ballast is like a transformer. Anyway. I have two MH and two fans all running off of one power lead. Believe it or not, these lights don't realy draw that much power. Most homes have a 20 amp fuse. You wouldn't even be close to that.

Don't forget the radio shack fans are 12v,They should be wired to a 12v adapter.