do dimmable digital ballasts still pull thr full wattage running lower bulbs

[Jellybean]

title pretty much sums it up. im running a 400MH on 600W lumatek digi ballast on the dimmable setting at 400w - its all good. just wondering is this bitch still pulling 600 odd watts out the wall and de converting it, or is it pulling 400 w as it should imo. i sent lumatek a email but havent got a response yet.

:cool0019:

 

[treebark1950]

When I dim my ballast the amp draw drops at every click, so I would say that it is drawing 400w or so from the wall.

I have a bunch that I've played around with from super lumens, 1000w, 750w, and 600w.

 

[OGONLY]

If its set on 400 you are burning 400 give or take a few watts. I've heard the only issues occasionally occur when you have lets say a 1000 watt bulb burning at less than 100%. Basically the rule is (from what I've read at least) you should match the bulb wattage with the wattage your ballast is set to.

You shouldn't be wasing any electricity in your case if that's what you are worried about.

 

[Jellybean]

If its set on 400 you are burning 400 give or take a few watts. I've heard the only issues occasionally occur when you have lets say a 1000 watt bulb burning at less than 100%. Basically the rule is (from what I've read at least) you should match the bulb wattage with the wattage your ballast is set to.

You shouldn't be wasing any electricity in your case if that's what you are worried about.

that is exactly what i am worried about. im not even fucking with 1000w cause i got two folks in the house who rent and run 1000w FUCKING SPACE HEATERS ALL NIGHT! :mad0229: (they have been warned to keep that shit on thermo lol)

BUT thanks for the replies fellas, i started bad tripping when lumatek didnt holler back at me. this is some good re-assurance. def want to keep the elec down during the short veges i run.

:character0053:

 

[Jellybean]

When I dim my ballast the amp draw drops at every click, so I would say that it is drawing 400w or so from the wall.

I have a bunch that I've played around with from super lumens, 1000w, 750w, and 600w.

RIGHT ON ! looking for someone who actually did an amp check on the "click downs" :banana1sv6::banana1sv6::banana1sv6::banana1sv6: :banana1sv6:

edit - i also run super lumens on last weeks of 4 weeks of flower good to know there is an actual difference there as well, you can see it but i aint no electrician. :talking

 

[fishwhistle]

tre are you running the appropriate sized bulb when you tested?I.E. did you put in a 600w bulb when you clicked power down to 600 on the ballast?What kind of ballasts?Im curious because i have seen threads that say you can dim but you dont save any or much power.

 

[Jellybean]

tre are you running the appropriate sized bulb when you tested?I.E. did you put in a 600w bulb when you clicked power down to 600 on the ballast?What kind of ballasts?Im curious because i have seen threads that say you can dim but you dont save any or much power.

i dunno know if its the people i live with or what (they run 1000w space heaters like little bitches at nite), but im not seeing any difference in my KWH. either way i aint setting the ballast to 600 on a 400mh

btw me and wifey are charging them per hour on the space heater $$$ - comes out to like 90 a month for them - about 50 a month for one 600w, really hard to get all this str8

 

[TylerDurden119]

i'd bet he just used his 1k bulb.

your only using the power you have it set to. thats the short. not gona get into the long of it.

best way to think of it. a space heater, at max power it may use 1000w but at lower levels it uses less power. same thing, except replace the word heater with bulb.

 

[treebark1950]

Yes I was using 1k's turned down to each setting and then checking the amp draw.

I was using Lumatek 1000's and Hortilux Super HPS.

I was just doing it for a week turned down to 750 until I got my second A/C installed.

I could notice that the bulb wasn't the same color and I would only run a 1000 at a low setting if you had to in a pinch.

Cheers fellas.

 

[SweetTooth]

anyone tried to super drive a 600w bulb on a ballast turned down to 750?

 

[pRiMo303]

title pretty much sums it up. im running a 400MH on 600W lumatek digi ballast on the dimmable setting at 400w - its all good. just wondering is this bitch still pulling 600 odd watts out the wall and de converting it, or is it pulling 400 w as it should imo. i sent lumatek a email but havent got a response yet.

:cool0019:

Hey, homie. You may wanna do a little more research. All these ppl that are telling you a dimmed ballast only pulls what its dialed down to are misinforming you. Yes, if you ARE using a Quantum dimmable, you are only pulling what its dialed to..regardless of bulb. 1Quantum 1000 dialed to 50% is pulling 500. These other brands, ie Lumatek, Digital Greenhouse, etc, pull what the ballast is rated at, not what you have it dialed to. The people who said yes it draws what its dialed to are either using Quantums, misinformed themselves, or didnt see in your post that youre running a Lumatek. These other brands do not burn as bright when dimmed, but are still using their rated wattage. These were all considerations when buying my gear.

 

[treebark1950]

Hey, homie. You may wanna do a little more research. All these ppl that are telling you a dimmed ballast only pulls what its dialed down to are misinforming you. Yes, if you ARE using a Quantum dimmable, you are only pulling what its dialed to..regardless of bulb. 1Quantum 1000 dialed to 50% is pulling 500. These other brands, ie Lumatek, Digital Greenhouse, etc, pull what the ballast is rated at, not what you have it dialed to. The people who said yes it draws what its dialed to are either using Quantums, misinformed themselves, or didnt see in your post that youre running a Lumatek. These other brands do not burn as bright when dimmed, but are still using their rated wattage. These were all considerations when buying my gear.

So why would the amp draw on the lumatek dialed down to 750, 600 drop at each click? I checked it with an amp meter at my sub panel and a clamp on amp meter at my main?

What am i missing?

If the amp draw is dropping is it not drawing less, therefore running at a lower setting and pull less current?

 

[pRiMo303]

So why would the amp draw on the lumatek dialed down to 750, 600 drop at each click? I checked it with an amp meter at my sub panel and a clamp on amp meter at my main?

What am i missing?

If the amp draw is dropping is it not drawing less, therefore running at a lower setting and pull less current?

That is a good question. Im searching to try to find the report that I got that from when making my decision. I did check specs on greners real quick.. The Lumatek 1000 says in description that the BRIGHTNESS is dimmable but doesnt speak of power consumption. Though on the right side towards the bottom where questions are answred it says that it does draw less power. That answer was given by Greners, not Lumatek, mind you. On the Quantum page it specifically says in the notes by the manufacturer that the POWER is dimmable.
Soooo..I made my original statement based off things that I had read, wasnt just talking out my ass. I cant really argue w you, though. If youre saying its drawing less amps, it has to be drawing less power. I wonder if this is a change Lumatek recently made?

 

[treebark1950]

Its all good bro.

I have a bunch of lumateks running and I was playing with them because my AC was having issues and so I dimmed them all to 750 and the total amp draw dropped a total of like 6-8 amps total, and the heat out put dropped because I was able to maintain temps.

I'm only speaking from the experience I have had with them.

Now I got the other AC installed and I'm back to 1k setting.

I'm done with lumatek and any new ballast I buy will be a solistek...

Cheers

 

[TylerDurden119]

eeeeeeeeeeee my gawd....

math doesn't lie, and electricity is math. watts is equal to volts x amps. so if the amps are dropping on the ammeter, so are the watts.

i jus grabbed two solis tek btw, heard nothing but good things.

 

[Jellybean]

Hey, homie. You may wanna do a little more research. All these ppl that are telling you a dimmed ballast only pulls what its dialed down to are misinforming you. Yes, if you ARE using a Quantum dimmable, you are only pulling what its dialed to..regardless of bulb. 1Quantum 1000 dialed to 50% is pulling 500. These other brands, ie Lumatek, Digital Greenhouse, etc, pull what the ballast is rated at, not what you have it dialed to. The people who said yes it draws what its dialed to are either using Quantums, misinformed themselves, or didnt see in your post that youre running a Lumatek. These other brands do not burn as bright when dimmed, but are still using their rated wattage. These were all considerations when buying my gear.

damn glad i checked this thread. thx. looks like im copping a quantum on my next ballast purchase.

 

[TylerDurden119]

damn glad i checked this thread. thx. looks like im copping a quantum on my next ballast purchase.

ANY digital ballast thats dimmable will perform the exact same as a quantum. as far as using only 600 watts etc if dimmed.

maybe people should educate themselves before they start giving out wrong information.:fighting0085:

 

[hiboy]

ur lamp should match ur ballast. Never put in a lower wattage bulb in a higher rated ballast. when dimming a lamp u are cutting the cost of running it, only watts drawed is what ur paying for.
h

 

[Jellybean]

ur lamp should match ur ballast. Never put in a lower wattage bulb in a higher rated ballast.
h

but but but the guys at the hydro store said it was ok to put a 400mh in a 600 ballast.

 

[hiboy]

but but but the guys at the hydro store said it was ok to put a 400mh in a 600 ballast.

In commercial areas where i have used many h.i.d. lights, the smaller or larger lamp wont even work if its not in its correct ballast. Surprised it does with grow room lights. I know a little more about electricity being an electrician..... hopefully:talking
h