1000 watt HPS sometimes doesn't turn on

ThickSm0ke

ThickSm0ke

New Member
My 1000 watt grow light sometimes doesn't turn on.

I just had my 3 week old plants sleep for 12 hours I am worried they might flower early.

Also does anyone else have this issue with there light?

I have a fusion bright dimmable ballast. And HPS 1000 watt bulb
 
ThickSm0ke

ThickSm0ke

New Member
The ballast has power going to it but for example it took me all day trying to get it going just plugging it in and unplugging it.
I made sure to wait 10-20 min when I unplugged it before I tried again.
I practically gave up and tried just before dinner and it worked right away no warm up even..
 
ipeeinpools

ipeeinpools

Well-Known Member
and ballast is 1000W? does any other outlets trip when you try turning it on? is it all of a sudden not running? like no changes in your setup to cause it?
 
ThickSm0ke

ThickSm0ke

New Member
It was only plugged in 18 hours and it will stay on (If) it works until I unplug it.

The problem is when I go to try and turn it back on.
 
Swims_GD

Swims_GD

Well-Known Member
Are you using the over ride on the timer to turn it on? Also... what type of timer do you have? I'm not an electrician but I had that problem with my ballasts. Poor contactors on the timer..
 
ThickSm0ke

ThickSm0ke

New Member
ipeeinpools said:
Make sure everything is rated for your amperage pull. Extension cord, sure protector, timer....All have to be rated to handle the pull of your ballast. Is your breaker or any GFI tripping?
Click to expand...

Everything used is the correct amperage.
I am confused but happy that the past two times I have turned it on it has worked for me, Knock on wood.

I think it may have had to do with me turning on my ballast when it was dimmed to 50% and then didn't realize it was not on 100% when I tried to turn it back on.
 
Underground Scientist

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
I had this same issue with a 600 Watt ballast. Once in a while I would go in the grow room and the ballast fan would be on but the bulb off. I would have to plug, unplug, wait...didn't make sense. I switched it for my 1000 Watt dimmed to 750 and had no issues since. I thought either a ballast malfunction or maybe some issue with the bulb.
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
Most ballast will flash you back an error code through the dimmer/power led, If it randomly fixed itself then its most likely to happen again.


A few common problems...

-loose or bad hood cable

-extension cords/and or timers that dont have enough headroom for the ballast draw

-ballast ventilation obstruction

-bad/failing bulb
 
Underground Scientist

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Most ballast will flash you back an error code through the dimmer/power led, If it randomly fixed itself then its most likely to happen again.


A few common problems...

-loose or bad hood cable

-extension cords/and or timers that dont have enough headroom for the ballast draw

-ballast ventilation obstruction

-bad/failing bulb
Click to expand...
Couldn't have been the hood cable, other ballast has worked great. That ballast had less draw than what I'm using now, plus I have 200 watts of led added to that same timer now. No ballast vent obstructions. I'm guessing it was a bulb issue for me.
 
SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
Underground Scientist said:
Couldn't have been the hood cable, other ballast has worked great. That ballast had less draw than what I'm using now, plus I have 200 watts of led added to that same timer now. No ballast vent obstructions. I'm guessing it was a bulb issue for me.
Click to expand...
Possible...when you power up a ballast (a digital one anyway) it looks for a certain range of resistance,shorts or opens before striking the bulb and there are alot of simple things that will cause it to fail.

(Example, a while back i had this sunmaster bulb that had a 3mm longer E-socket & when i swapped them out for hortilux bulbs i could only get them to fire up 2/3 times before throwing me a bad cable/bad bulb error). i took a DMM and traced it back to a flushed copper tab in the hood socket, it wasnt making good contact with the bulb because the old bulbs pressed them in too far.

Gotta watch out for simple shit like that sometimes because it does happen.
 
Underground Scientist

Underground Scientist

Well-Known Member
SPLFreak808 said:
Possible...when you power up a ballast (a digital one anyway) it looks for a certain range of resistance,shorts or opens before striking the bulb and there are alot of simple things that will cause it to fail.

(Example, a while back i had this sunmaster bulb that had a 3mm longer E-socket & when i swapped them out for hortilux bulbs i could only get them to fire up 2/3 times before throwing me a bad cable/bad bulb error). i took a DMM and traced it back to a flushed copper tab in the hood socket, it wasnt making good contact with the bulb because the old bulbs pressed them in too far.

Gotta watch out for simple shit like that sometimes because it does happen.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but that 600w ballast and hood were new, using same brand bulbs. Vivosun. Now a 1000 Watt vivosun ballast and bulb, no issues. I was having 5-6 days between misfires.
 
Crash_420

Crash_420

Active Member
I recently had an issue with my 400w, the excess wiring was wrapped up next to the fan. The bulb would strike partly but not hold the energy, i turned off the fan and it struck wo an issue. So i moved my cord to the othe side of the closet and no more issue. I believe the fan was causing interference with the coiled wire. Sort how you can make a magent with coils of powered wire. Wasnt much but kept my bulb from lighting. Quantum digital, eye hortilux mh, air cooled sun system hood.
 
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