Could you take a look at this - End Caps

[grafxguy]

I posted in the main board. eric

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?postid=118422#post118422

[IceCap Service]

There are a couple possible causes for this happening. Moisture or salt spray getting in the end cap. It does not take a lot for this to cause problems. Another cause is not mounting the end caps and having a less than perfect connection between lamp pins and the end cap contacts. This will cause arcing inside the end cap.
This does not appear to be an IceCap end cap since IceCap end caps have a green rubber insert inside.
Follow the advise of a previous poster "Hughem". (from the main board post). He has some sound advice which I'm sure will help you out.

[grafxguy]

Thanks, no they are not IC end caps but I am using your bulbs. When I inspected the bulb one of the pins was very loose. The weird thing is the bulb kept working. Had I not changes my bulbs who knows what would have happened. For all I know that could have been like that for months. eric

[IceCap Service]

IceCap does not manufacturer or sell bulbs.

You may have just solved your problem. If the lamp had a loose pin, then it is impossible to get a tight fit (pin to end cap contact) in the end cap. Arcing most likely occurred inside the end cap in the area of the loose pin. Appears to be a defective lamp.

[Edited by IceCap Service on 03-02-2001 at 02:44 PM]

[grafxguy]

Geez I screwed this whole thing up didn't I? I don't know why I said bulbs. They were the URI brand bulbs. I was just so worked up last week when I found this end cap like this. I now know that the IC end caps are different from the German T12 end caps. I originally thought IC was the manufacturer of the T12 end caps because they seem to be a standard that Champion Lighting sends with the IC ballasts. Sorry for all of the confusion. eric