Dan said:
I was thinking about buying an HID lighting ballast which consists of a
transformer and a couple caps and putting it in its own metal box with
cooling vents, plug with strain relief and a handle and then reselling it on
ebay for a profit. The only problem is its not UL approved. How long could I
do this before getting into trouble?
http://www.1000bulbs.com/category.php?category=122
We have sold stuff into the US without UL certification. If a customer
wants UL, then we have to go through the process.
Whatever you do, the wiring, temperature rise, insulation quality, vent
size, wire anchors, plugs etc must be such that
1. The unit will stand wear and tear.
2. There is low fire risk, even if shorts occur.
3. Temperature rise of transformer windings is known under worst case
conditions.
4. Vent openings allow entry of only very small diameter item - much smaller
than a finger.
5. Live points are not close to vents.
6. Leads can't push into the unit.
7. High voltage insulation test is performed between mains and ground.
8. Ground wire to case goes to a dedicated screw, not a screw used for any
other purpose.
UL is low risk of fire and electric shock. If you are not sure of how to do
high quality wiring & constuction, then get advice or skip the project.
All advice is not equal - I saw a death trap product designed with the help
of an expensive consultant who was an expert on wiring & construction
safety - it was capable of melting the earth wire out of power points,
causing vehicle fires and would smoke its own transformer in hot weather.
Using UL certified parts is a good idea - look for UL mark on switches,
wires, transformers.
Roger
