Lighting Emergency - Need Help

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Ellie

Active Member
About one month ago I bought a light with the ballast pre-wired. I rand it with a metal hallide bulb (250W) and it ran fine for a few weeks. I changed the bulb to a HPS bulb (recommended for flowering) and everything was fine.

When I put the hallide bulb back in - it just didnt work. It is guaranteed for a year. The company sent me a replacement. I put it in, it works once but goes out. Now when I try to turn the lights on using that bulb it only blinks off and one - never kicks into life. Meanwhile the the sodium bulb starts and works just fine.

Is this a case of the first bulb was faulty and the replacent bulb was faulty (proved because the sodium runs fine) or - could it be to do with the way the lights turn on and that ballast is unable to service the metal hallide bulb?

I can't keep sending bulbs back for testing and I really need to fix the problem. What the hell is going on???? Please help
 
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Ellie

Active Member
These come packed in a huge box - loads of bubble wrap - they seem fine. First one ran for a while till I chose to change it. They are long life bulbs - replacment bulb ran for like a few hours then - nothing. The circuit breaker in the house tripped yesterday - it might have been related to the bulb/ballast. The ballast is running fine today with the sodium - really confused.
 
cheese

cheese

Well-Known Member
hmm sounds dodgey! well the ballast limits the amount of electrical current passing through an electrical circuit, so it might be that you have a too bigger bulb for the ballast that why it runs for a bit then turns off
 
cloudflyer

cloudflyer

Well-Known Member
Ellie said:
About one month ago I bought a light with the ballast pre-wired. I ran it with a metal hallide bulb (250W) and it ran fine for a few weeks. I changed the bulb to a HPS bulb (recommended for flowering) and everything was fine.

When I put the hallide bulb back in - it just didnt work. It is guaranteed for a year. The company sent me a replacement. I put it in, it works once but goes out. Now when I try to turn the lights on using that bulb it only blinks off and one - never kicks into life. Meanwhile the the sodium bulb starts and works just fine.

Is this a case of the first bulb was faulty and the replacent bulb was faulty (proved because the sodium runs fine) or - could it be to do with the way the lights turn on and that ballast is unable to service the metal hallide bulb?

I can't keep sending bulbs back as faulty I really need to fix the problem or everything is going to die. What the hell is going on???? Please help
Click to expand...
With one exception, MH and HPS ballast are not interchangeable.
 
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Tokecrazy

Well-Known Member
what kind of ballast do you have?and is anything else on that ciruit with the ballast?Home depot sells MH bulbs you might try and get one from them.A 250 watt bulb,like cheese said you might have a bulb to big that the ballast will not light.and you could have a bad ballast too.If the bulb MH works in another ballast its the ballast if not its the bulb.PEACE
 
JohnnyPotSeed1969

JohnnyPotSeed1969

Well-Known Member
do you have a digital ballast? if not then that is why your MH bulbs are burning. Metal Hallide and HPS require different ballasts in order to run properly. sounds to me like you have a HPS ballast, not a switchable, which is why it won't run your MH bulbs properly.
 
VictorVIcious

VictorVIcious

Well-Known Member
if they sent a new bulb it should be a switchable ballast. Did you have to flick a switch when you changed to the hps? Try switching it back to mh setting.VV
 
yoman

yoman

Active Member
if you have the S5x ballast you can use HPS and the MH conversion bulb which is probably what you use. I have the S51. the bulbs they send you might be cheap as mine were and they burnt quickly. i bought a higher quality name brand bulb from a bulb supplier and never had problems. if one of the bulbs is at least working I really doubt it has anything to do with your ballast. there shouldnt be a switch to flick
 
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Ellie

Active Member
The ballast came ready wired to the light. It was part of a "set up" which included both types of bulb. Initially it ran fine and then I switched to a different kind of bulb......also ran fine. Then I was advised that I should have more light ......so changed back to the original bulb and POOF......it went. Replacement bulb also.
 
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Ellie

Active Member
OK - there is no switch to flick and it is a conversion bulb. I will take your advice and get a better bulb. Thanks.
 
E

Ellie

Active Member
I apologise for putting it in two place - total panic set in and needed help! SORRY.


I have upgraded the bulb and, since the whole lighting set up is very new, I have spoken to the supplier and they say that if the new bulb doesn't work, we will change the ballast and start again.

Many thanks to everyone who helped.
 
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