Does a 250w HPS need a ballast?

Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights require a remote ballast to work. When building your own plant grow light, it’s important to match the ballast with the wattage of the bulb you will be using. A Metal Halide bulb must be used with MH ballasts (or convertible ballasts) of the same wattage.

How long does a HPS ballast last?

For optimum efficiency, you should replace your magnetic ballast every 2-3 years. Digital ballasts last much longer, and have a consistent output over their life.

When should HPS ballast be replaced?

HPS bulbs should last four to six years, depending on the number of on/off cycles and hours of use. The second most common failure is the capacitor. If screwing in a new bulb does not solve the problem, the lamp must be taken down and disassembled. If the capacitor is enlarged, it has failed and needs replacement.

Can I use HPS without 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 HPS lights need a ballast?

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.

Do sodium bulbs require ballast?

Incandescent light bulbs — including halogen lamps — do NOT require ballasts. This leaves us with gas discharge lamps, including fluorescent, metal halide, high pressure sodium, low pressure sodium, and mercury vapor lamps. All of these require lighting ballasts.

What causes a ballast to fail?

Causes of Ballast Failure Premature ballast failure is often caused by the surrounding environment. When it’s too hot or too cold, the ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps at all. Heat combined with prolonged condensation inside an electronic ballast can cause corrosion.

How can you tell if a high pressure sodium bulb is bad?

When the bulb produces no light, you know it is bad. The less sarcastic answer is to look at the small tube inside the bulb. If the tube has a dark or even a black color to it, that means it is dead and will not work.

Do high pressure sodium bulbs get hot?

High Pressure Sodium Also, this arc tube gets hot. Really hot. We’re talking about temperatures around 1,300 degrees Celsius. HPS bulbs are typically found in street lights and highway lights, and their yellow light serves a very distinct purpose: to attract fewer bugs.

What is a major problem in producing a high pressure sodium lamp?

Although the sodium light requires less energy that other types of light and is more efficient, there are drawbacks to the use of these light sources. Metallic sodium reacts with the moisture in the air and can explode if the bulb is broken.

Where can I buy high pressure sodium ballasts?

Our high pressure sodium ballasts are available in a variety of voltage and wattage combinations for your commercial or industrial requirements. Reduce installation costs by purchasing a high pressure sodium ballast kit that comes complete with the prewired capacitor and ignitor you need.

What kind of light bulb is 250 watts?

Spare Bulb Brand HTGSupply Wattage 250 Watt Voltage 120 Volt HID Type HPS Configuration Remote Ballast

What kind of ballasts do I need for my Lamp?

Whether you’re lighting a parking lot or a construction site, our HPS ballasts will keep your lamps lit so you can be confident your outdoor areas are safe. We even have 4-tap and 5-tap ballasts for maximum flexibility.

How many lumens does a 250 Watt sodium bulb have?

Brand New HIGH OUTPUT 250 watt High Pressure Sodium bulb is rated at 33,000 lumens! Standard 250 HPS bulbs only emit 27,500 lumens.