How does a HPS light ballast work?
HPS lamps require ballasts to regulate the arc current flow and deliver the proper voltage to the arc. HPS lamps do not contain starting electrodes. Instead, an electronic starting circuit within the ballast generates a high-voltage pulse to the operating electrodes.
Can you run HPS without a ballast?
You can’t run an HPS bulb without a fitting ballast. At best you’re going to break the bulb, and in the worst case scenario you’re setting an explosion up. A ballast is what powers your HPS bulbs.
Why do grow lights need a ballast?
Why Do Other Lights Require Ballasts? Grow light ballasts are an electrical support system mainly for HID grow lights. It is more of a safety regulation to prevent overheating, which inherently can cause fire. A ballast controls how much electricity is passed to your light.
Do grow light ballast get hot?
When it’s plugged in, the ballast will send energy through those coils to give you the electricity your bulb needs. All of those components will heat up, and they need lots of constant cooling to keep your lights, plants, and grow room safe from heat and fire damage.
Does high pressure sodium ballast?
High Pressure Sodium Ballasts This lighting method provides a wide spectrum of color that other lighting options can seldom equal. Using compressed high-pressure sodium, these rugged ballasts give heated energy to lamp fixtures and control high-pressure sodium lighting.
Can you use a 250w HPS bulb with a 400w ballast?
Sure, you can do it… it might explode, but you can do it. Visit hahnmeister’s homepage! If it did light it would be dim. I accidently ran a 175watt bulb on a pulse start 400watt ballast for at least a month.
Is 600 watt HPS good for growing?
600-Watt HPS grow lights are the most efficient HPS grow lamp. 600W HPS grow lights produce more light output per Watt used than other wattages and cover around 36 square feet. 1000-Watt HPS grow lights are the most powerful and cover a wider area of around 49 square feet.
How can you tell when a ballast is going bad?
If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast:
- Flickering.
- Buzzing.
- Delayed start.
- Low output.
- Inconsistent lighting levels.
- Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp.
- Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.
Why is my HPS light not working?
If the MH lamp starts and a new HPS lamp does not start, the ignitor probably needs to be replaced. If a new bulb, ignitor, and/or capacitor do not make the fixture work, then the ballast is probably defective.
How much power does a ballast use?
Electronic Ballasts On a typical fixture with two 4 foot 40 watt T-12 fluorescent lamps, the ballast consumes about 13 to 16 watts of electricity. Thus the total consumption of the two lamps plus the ballast is about 93 to 96 watts. The most efficient ballasts are electronic, or high-frequency ballasts.
Why do I need a ballast for a HPS light?
High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), Metal Halide (MH), and Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) bulbs all need a ballast. When it comes to HID bulbs, you will need more power than what your outlet can provide. The ballast boosts power to give HID bulbs the necessary push to keep running.