Light Won't Stay On - Help

[Eli Bloom]

Starting on Monday night my lights will turn on, stay on for maybe 10 minutes and then shut off.

Most of the time when it is on it will be in a light blue spectrum instead of the full red HPS.

This is just one of my lights, a 600 HPS. Bought the digital ballast, hood, and bulb in January.

I tried putting it on a different circuit and that didn't help.

Any thoughts on whether the issue is with the bulb, assembly, or ballast?

Thanks!

 

[DemonTrich]

Swap out the bulb, ballast, bulb, and socket/circuit with a known working one. Eliminate all possibilities.

 

[Eli Bloom]

Swap out the bulb, ballast, bulb, and socket/circuit with a known working one. Eliminate all possibilities.

Thanks that's a good approach!

 

[stonestacker]

Well what happened?

 

[hiboy]

The bulb is the easiest thing to change obviously but it is possible you can fry a good working bulb in a ballast that is screwed up at least in my trade that happens
Normally though it is a ballast issue not the bulb and if it's a color difference in bulbs it just has not heated up yet
Hb

 

[Eli Bloom]

I just got home a few hours ago.

Was traveling for work.

It's the bulb, which is bullshit because I bought it in January.

Threw a T5 up for tonight and I'll get a new bulb tomorrow.

 

[Eli Bloom]

The bulb is the easiest thing to change obviously but it is possible you can fry a good working bulb in a ballast that is screwed up at least in my trade that happens
Normally though it is a ballast issue not the bulb and if it's a color difference in bulbs it just has not heated up yet
Hb

Thanks for this reply. I was wondering if the ballast could be root cause.

The bulb stays blue for a while and never goes red and then just shuts off.

Maybe I'll bring the ballast and ask them to take a look at it at the hydro store. It's definitely under warranty.

 

[GT21]

Thanks for this reply. I was wondering if the ballast could be root cause.

The bulb stays blue for a while and never goes red and then just shuts off.

Maybe I'll bring the ballast and ask them to take a look at it at the hydro store. It's definitely under warranty.

Is it a magnetic or digital ballast?

 

[Eli Bloom]

Is it a magnetic or digital ballast?

It's digital. I've never used digital ballasts before.

 

[GT21]

It's digital. I've never used digital ballasts before.

Return it. Igniters go out in magnetic ballasts which is a cheap and easy fix but dont mess with digitals.

 

[Eli Bloom]

Return it. Igniters go out in magnetic ballasts which is a cheap and easy fix but dont mess with digitals.

you think the issue is with the ballast?

 

[mandalaman]

you think the issue is with the ballast?

If you can return it for another one, why not eliminate a possibility. You'll be there anyways.

 

[stonestacker]

Let them fire the bulb and ballast. Fry their new bulb swapping parts. Or they will give you both new and send you on your way.

 

[Eli Bloom]

alright just got home from the hydro store.

dude was convinced it was the bulb. i brought the bulb and ballast. he said that since it doesn't kick over to the red spectrum it's likely that something was broken and gas was being released. apparently the newer digital ballasts sense that and automatically shut off as a safety feature.

luckily the bulb was under warranty so he just swapped it out for a new one.

if this happens again and it turns out it was the ballast then i'll go back. the ballast is still under warranty as well.

SO RELIEVED to have this resolved!

thanks for the input guys.