Hps Questions

Got a few questions about a 250watt Hps I may be getting. I read another user's topic about his Hps malfunctioning and making a noise similar to what it normally does. Since the ballast and bulb would be near my room, should I expect anything loud (annoying buzzing etc.) during normal use? Also, what heat should I expect with a 250watt? What should I expect it to cost on the electric bill? Thanks in advance

magnetic ballasts are known to buzz and click when they start up.
digital ballasts operate without the buzz, but still make noise when they start up.

My new 400W switchable makes a slight hum. I don't even hear it anymore, my wife says it bugs her, So I guess it's up to each person.

Thanks guys, the noise was the only thing that slightly worried me.

it will sound like a street light or a light in a parking lot if you have ever heard one of those before it will be a slight buzzing nothing big or noticable

i have a 1000w dual-spectrum magnetic ballast. I would tell you how noisy it is but i can't hear anything over the fan noise.

i have two 400w magnetic ballasts and i can't hear it at all when my quiet fan is going.. a slight buzzing is there when the fan and heater are turned off but nothing very noticeable.

CannaManna said:

i have two 400w magnetic ballasts and i can't hear it at all when my quiet fan is going.. a slight buzzing is there when the fan and heater are turned off but nothing very noticeable.

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should have got the quiet ones - mine sound like a damn jet engine or wind tunnel.

EpiDemiK said:

Got a few questions about a 250watt Hps I may be getting. I read another user's topic about his Hps malfunctioning and making a noise similar to what it normally does. Since the ballast and bulb would be near my room, should I expect anything loud (annoying buzzing etc.) during normal use? Also, what heat should I expect with a 250watt? What should I expect it to cost on the electric bill? Thanks in advance

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One 250w shouldn't add much to the electric bill, my two 400's add about $15 a month which can easily be countered which energy smart choices around the house.

here is the formula i gave on another post ....
To calculate cost: multiply bulb wattage (WT) times hours of operation (HRS) and divide by 1000. This equals the number of kilowatt hours of electricity consumed.

Example: a 400 watt bulb running 18 hours will consume 7.2 kilowatt hours (400 X 18 / 1000)

check your power bill for the cost of each kilowatt hour. You can then multiply the number of kilowatt hours by the cost of a kilowatt hour to determine the cost per month.

Some examples (assuming a price of .04 per kilowatt hour):
A 400 watt light fixture running 6 hours a day:
6 HRS X 400 WATTS \ 1000 X .04 X 30 (days) = $3.31 per month

A 1000 watt light fixture running 24 hours a day:
24 HRS x 1000 WATTS \ 1000 X .04 X 30 (days) = $28.80 per month

The formula is:
Bulb Wattage = WATT
Hours of operation = HRS
Cost per Kilowatt hour (should be represented in cents like .04 or .06)= .KH
the 1000 is part of the formula
and the 30 represents days in a month

FORMULA:
WATT X HRS \ 1000 X .KH X 30 = cost per month

So you would read that as Watts times hours divided by 1000 times cost of kilowatt hour times 30 days equals cost per month

i have a 400 watt. and i dont hear it, the airstone is louder.