Filter for ballasts ?

Anyone know if I can/should run a filter on an external ballast ? I have a Vivosun 1000hps external ballast mounted on my wall in the garage and it seems to be getting pretty dusty.

Thanks !

Does it have a fan?

When the fan fails, the ballast is not far behind. I despise ballasts that require a fan (weak link due to moving parts.) just to save on some aluminum in the heatsink or better quality internals that aren't being pushed to their limits. So some sort of filter may help but it could also restrict the air flow. Using a can of compressed air to blast the fan clean is good but if you just blast the dust into the housing it will cover the hot components making them hotter so it's best to open the case if you can and clean the fan and even blast out the inside with compressed air. Periodic service between runs will prolong the life of the ballast.

It has a can yes. And it’s sucking in a bunch of crap. Should I put it in the tent maybe ? I’m going into some pretty cold temps now surrounding the tent so it might not heat it up too much.

And thanks for the tip about he compressed air.

i would not try to modify a digital ballast. i certainly would not cover any vents with filters. maybe hang it up higher on a wall. i would rather have some dust (which i do) in my ballast than a diy modified digital ballast. just to let you know, my digital ballast is very cheap (1000 watt, dimmable thunder) and it has collected a lot of dust over the years and runs great. i do have a backup ballast ready, but i wouldnt worry about a little dust....thats pretty ununavoidable. even the expensive ballast will suck in dust so, theres that. renfro knows his shit, but i am disagreeing here, bc people spend to much on equipment, including myself. if you buy a new ballast, your going to see dust buildup within a month

Thing is most of the ballasts I have had fail were ones with fans. The old Quantums that were orange were bad about it. I have some lumateks that are over 10 years old (no fan) and they still work. If you get a ballast with a fan you should clean the fan regularly. No modification, just a cleaning. If it's in warranty then leave it alone but as soon as thats up, clean it inside out.

Just tape a good air filter to the back of a box fan and let it scrub the air.