Big question!!! Can i use a 400w hps bulb where a 600w is being used??

irish519

irish519

Well-Known Member
I bought a reflector and ballast over ebay ( Pretty cheap a very old version i must add!!)

The guy gave me two 600w hps bulbs with it so presumably its a 600w ballast right???

Can i use a 400w brand new hps bulb in it?? OR would i blow the bulb an shower the plants in glass:neutral: Anyone done this before?
 
c.h.u.d.

c.h.u.d.

Active Member
irish519 said:
I bought a reflector and ballast over ebay ( Pretty cheap a very old version i must add!!)

The guy gave me two 600w hps bulbs with it so presumably its a 600w ballast right???

Can i use a 400w brand new hps bulb in it?? OR would i blow the bulb an shower the plants in glass:neutral: Anyone done this before?
Click to expand...

You can use it but the lights will be off a little. How is it that you dont know what kind of ballast you have? Google is your friend

See this thread
 
irish519

irish519

Well-Known Member
c.h.u.d. said:
You can use it but the lights will be off a little. How is it that you dont know what kind of ballast you have? Google is your friend

See this thread
Click to expand...
Their is no marking's on it for me to google unfortunately. The ballast is just extremely heavy with air vents coming out the top and sides. The owner didnt give me any details and wouldnt reply.
 
kingofqueen

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
Wow . Sounds like your describing a ballast inside of an vented enclosure . You will have to open it up and there should be a nameplate on the ballast itself .Yes a 600 will run a 400 w lamp .For how long ? At optimal brightness? who knows . If its a 400 watt ballast I,d sell the 600w lamps off to somebody and buy a 400w lamp , there around 30 dollars at home depot.If it's a 400w ballast and 600w bulb it simply won't light up .

Your questions are kinda confusing as to how you worded it .Did the seller say it was 400w ballast or what?
 
kingofqueen

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
bigv1976 said:
I am not sure how violent the reaction would be but it would be bad.
Click to expand...
Funny how ppl give out advice on something they have not experianced . If you had said yeah I tryed that ,and it blew all to hell , now that would be advice from experiance otherwise your just collecting posts to level up .
 
NBKA

NBKA

Active Member
kingofqueen said:
Funny how ppl give out advice on something they have not experianced . If you had said yeah I tryed that ,and it blew all to hell , now that would be advice from experiance otherwise your just collecting posts to level up .
Click to expand...
Kinda like your post huh, pointless........
 
DST

DST

Well-Known Member
I would investigate it further before doing anything over my plants with it, or in my house....does it even work? There has got to be some sort of electrical info on it somewhere, amp, volts, etc....I have never come across anything electrical that doesn't have a plate or something attached giving these details....so yeh, like kingofqueen said, open up the box and investigate, make sure it's not plugged in though eh!

Good luck, DST
 
iampolluted

iampolluted

Well-Known Member
pull the top off the ballast compartment, the wattage of the transformer should be written on it. buy a bulb that FITS the ballast, they aren't made to be swapped out.
 
irish519

irish519

Well-Known Member
kingofqueen said:
Wow . Sounds like your describing a ballast inside of an vented enclosure . You will have to open it up and there should be a nameplate on the ballast itself .Yes a 600 will run a 400 w lamp .For how long ? At optimal brightness? who knows . If its a 400 watt ballast I,d sell the 600w lamps off to somebody and buy a 400w lamp , there around 30 dollars at home depot.If it's a 400w ballast and 600w bulb it simply won't light up .

Your questions are kinda confusing as to how you worded it .Did the seller say it was 400w ballast or what?
Click to expand...
Yes he said it was a 600w ballast and it must be as i have had it on for over 15 weeks but the bulbs starting to make the odd funny noise recently and sounds like it needs replaced. Just a bit short of cash and i have a brand new 400w hps bulb.
 
irish519

irish519

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all in the input everyone, i.ve decided to just buy a new 600w bulb i was just curious if this could be done as im short of cash and have a new 400w bulb lyeing about!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top