Nova Extreme Endcaps etc.

Maybe this is why everybody prefers mh...

One of the two ballasts on my T5 Nova Extreme died recently. I had 10,000Ks running and the coral seemed to be adjusted temporarily. We had an electrician come over and install the Icecap 660 to run all 4 bulbs. It was up and running fine for an hour. Potentially due to the fact that my dad forgot to turn on the little built-in fan, the unit overhead, melting one of endcaps and severely warping the plastic shield covering the lights. The electrician came back and rewired the Icecap to run 2 bulbs temporarily (the actinics, which have turned bright white) while he looked for a replacement endcap. After a full day of scouring the Chicagoland area, none could be procured. Work has stopped until we determine an appropriate course of action.

Is it possible that running 4 bulbs on one ballast is a bad idea? That would not be a difficult problem to fix since the electrician could rewire the old working ballast to 2 of the bulbs. Does anyone know where we can find these particular endcaps? The more common ones are really bulky and won't fit in the fixture. Current's website was of little help in finding them.