Blown Ballast/bulb help

  • Thread starter wonderinalice
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wonderinalice

wonderinalice

378
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My bulb or ballast is out... It's a hydrofarm 1000 hps .. The ballast comes on strong for 2-3 seconds then i hear it "kick down" in power ....The bulb still comes on but doesn't get bright...Thinking it's the ballast... I would think a bulb would just go out?? Any sugg??

Thanks WIA:mysterymachine:
 
chrometrichs

chrometrichs

390
18
test another bulb, if you still have the problem, you probably have to buy a new ballast, fixing them is just as expensive as buying a new one these days..
 
wonderinalice

wonderinalice

378
18
is it possible that you have a MH/HPS ballast and have the wrong type of bulb/switch set incorrectly, several years ago i was given a hps/mh ballast and a MH conversion bulb, It was glowing blue so i was like the switch should be on MH, but it was a conversion bulb that ran on HPS switch postion, running in incorrectly it behaved exactly like you are saying your ballast/light is behaving, I ended up throwing out everything, and later realized my error. Doh!

No it's a straight up hps ....Been working for a couple go rounds .....Saw it start flickering one day...so i unplugged .. tried again the next day with no luck
 
~xO Kakalak Ox~

~xO Kakalak Ox~

Calyx Bros. Seed Co.
255
43
When bulbs go bad or get old they do this sometimes. When its the ballast thats broken usually it just will not work. If your bulb is over two years old I would buy a new one. If it's under one year and it has a warranty I would take it to who you bought it from and ask them to test it and demand they leave it in for as long as you think it will take for the bulb to go out. In my store when the bulb would come on periodically it was usually the bulb.
 
S

scrapiron

225
0
It is more than likely the starter inside your ballast. No big deal. Here is some information Texas Kid shared with me a few months ago.
"Another thing is that most mag ballast are not goin to fire that bulb to it's full capacity unless it is brand new or with brand new capacitors and ignitors. The cheap ones that come in the ballast are about the crappiest ones available to man. Alot of times when you are getting deminished results or you bulb just doesn't seem as bright, that is is the reason. The ballast manufacturers setup hydro stores with all these components because it is an easy field fix and you can charge a bit ot two for the service. Most mag ballast manufactures will tell you that to maintain the ideal/optimum output levels from the ballast those particular components should probably be replaced on a an annual basis. Why do you think there are whole sections of hydro catalogs with nothing but these components? gotta replace them as regular maintance"

Most Hydro stores have starters and capacitors. Since you are going to buy a starter, go ahead and get a capacitor. They are about 30.00 each. Hope this helps.
 

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