When do you replace your hps bulb?

guy incognito

guy incognito

Well-Known Member
When do you replace your 1000 watt hps bulbs? What brand do you purchase? Where do you purchase them? Online or in the store? How much do you pay per bulb?

The bulbs im running now came as part of a combo package with the ballast/etc. One has been running about 12 months, the other has been a total of about 6 months. I don't remember which is which. I have not noticed any declines in quality or quantity from harvests yet, but it doesn't seem worth the price of a couple bulbs to risk having sub par medicine.
 
guy incognito

guy incognito

Well-Known Member
lostNug said:
The package of the bulb should say how many hours it last. Do the math.
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I think the issue is losing certain frequencies as the bulb ages. The bulb will lose effectiveness and shift its spectrum, becoming useless for growing while still having plenty of life before it actually dies. Or so i've read. I wanted to collect more opinions from everybody, as well as places/prices for bulbs.
 
smokinrav

smokinrav

Well-Known Member
guy incognito said:
I think the issue is losing certain frequencies as the bulb ages. The bulb will lose effectiveness and shift its spectrum, becoming useless for growing while still having plenty of life before it actually dies. Or so i've read. I wanted to collect more opinions from everybody, as well as places/prices for bulbs.
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Yeah, I agree to a point. The bulbs wont become useless for growing, just less effective. My 400 HPS bulbs have a rated life of 24000 hours, but I replace it every two years with around 8000 hours on it. They're just not that expensive...
 
guy incognito

guy incognito

Well-Known Member
Maybe not totally useless, but if I have 16 ounces come down every 5 weeks from my set up, is it worth not buying a couple $40 bulbs?

A lot of shit on this site, and from growers in general, is total bullshit. Someone makes something up and everyone just passes it around without any real evidence. I don't know if I can chaulk up the loss in effectiveness of hps bulbs to myth or not. They seem to be going fine, but like I said an entire tent being subpar (16 ounces) would suck ass. I would really be angry with myself for letting $3,000+ worth of meds being not what they could be because I didn't want to spring $40 for a new light after 12 months.
 
SFguy

SFguy

Well-Known Member
some say per year, some say per grow, some say dont... lol i guess its a personal prefernce of the grower, do you factor that into your overhead or?... just say fuckit and let your exuipment get boosie, i saw a eiko bulb from a buddy next to a hortilux hps and there is a ASTRONOMICAL DIFFRENCE!! IN BUDS GROWN IN THE SAME ROOM UNDER A DIFFRENT LIGHT. as the light overlaps you can gradually see the change from one side of the room to the other... i will stick with my hortilux and digital ballast thank you:eyesmoke:
 
Total Head

Total Head

Well-Known Member
my bulbs are expensive ($95 for a 400w :shock:) so i have a vested interest in getting the absolute most use out of it. i've been using this bulb on a continuous 12/12 cycle for about a year and a half. while i can promise the intensity hasn't changed hardly at all(light meter) i have no way to measure the production since i run mostly different strains. however, the one strain that is constant has not changed in quality or yield at all.

also i run a lumatek digital ballast and an eye hortilux super hps bulb (not designed for digi ballasts) and they seem to like each other just fine. i don't fuck with the super lumens switch, though.
 
smokinrav

smokinrav

Well-Known Member
guy incognito said:
Maybe not totally useless, but if I have 16 ounces come down every 5 weeks from my set up, is it worth not buying a couple $40 bulbs?

A lot of shit on this site, and from growers in general, is total bullshit. Someone makes something up and everyone just passes it around without any real evidence. I don't know if I can chaulk up the loss in effectiveness of hps bulbs to myth or not. They seem to be going fine, but like I said an entire tent being subpar (16 ounces) would suck ass. I would really be angry with myself for letting $3,000+ worth of meds being not what they could be because I didn't want to spring $40 for a new light after 12 months.
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With that much on the line, it's not a lot to replace the bulbs for every harvest if you want. I've been using a 400 HPS for almost a decade now, averaging roughly .75 gpw with average yielding strains like Sweet Cindy and SC99 and I haven't noticed a loss of effectivness in new bulbs during that two year span. I don't go beyond that because, like you, I've harvested 8-10 lbs with it and I may as well get another one.

I use the cheapo $20 Phillips bulb from Home Depot because I don't buy expensive shit for the hype. I know what works and that's enough.
 
degausspress

degausspress

Active Member
After comparing brand new bulbs with much older ones, using a lux meter for the lumens and my eyesight for the shade of spectrum, I personally believe that tossing the bulbs all the time is a complete waste. You should try for at least 2 years with the same bulb.

Digital ballasts help older bulbs maintain their lumens supposedly.

Its not all hype- agricultural bulbs do have a spectrum closer to natural light and therefore make better meds.
 
SimonD

SimonD

Well-Known Member
Until this season I ran $35 Sylvanias in my 1Ks. I'm currently testing some Digilux lamps; so far they're working out extremely well. Just pulled a personal best. I changed the Sylvanias once a year. They saw ~5% loss on a light meter over that period and I saw no real difference in yield. Don't know how long the Didilux lamps will last.

Simon
 
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