HID Bulb Troubles

forgetfulpenguin · May 3, 2011

I need some help troubleshooting a problem I've been having with with my 400watt HID bulb/ballast. I have it setup on a 20/4 timer for some lowlife (sp?) great white shark and kush and I watched it to make sure it worked the first day. I get up today and go to check on the plants and the ******* light is not on. The timer is fine and the ballast was humming away but the bulb was totally dark. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it's working fine. The ballast is just a simple hydrofarm xtrasun (not switchable) and it's not getting unusually hot. This has only happened once so far. I've grown these strains before and I know they are hardy enough to survive the stress but I'm not sure I am (kinda freaking out here). After tomorrow I can just stay up and make sure that the bulb ignites but I'd really like to have a better idea of just how bad this problem could be. The ballast, reflector, socket, and bulb are all display models (needed a light to replace my fluorescent tubes and I got them all for less then the price of the ballast new) so it could just be age but I have no previous experience with HID lights. The biggest question I have is should I be seriously worried now or can I wait the ~60-70 days until I deal with whatever is causing this? Oh and if I have to replace it I'd like to get one that can handle 400 or 600 watt bulbs as well as MH or HPS bulbs. (I'm fairly sure I've seen ones that do that in the grow catalogs) All help and advice is greatly appreciated.

max316420 · May 3, 2011

your ignitor might be shot, should be able to go to an electric supply store and get one fairly cheap. But I would get a second opinion because in no way of any sorts am i an electrician

fabfun · May 3, 2011

could be any number of things
if it happens again then i would look at taking it to a electrician unless u know how to test and replace parts
if u still have fluor tubes use them as back up on separate timer

forgetfulpenguin said:
I need some help troubleshooting a problem I've been having with with my 400watt HID bulb/ballast. I have it setup on a 20/4 timer for some lowlife (sp?) great white shark and kush and I watched it to make sure it worked the first day. I get up today and go to check on the plants and the ******* light is not on. The timer is fine and the ballast was humming away but the bulb was totally dark. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and it's working fine. The ballast is just a simple hydrofarm xtrasun (not switchable) and it's not getting unusually hot. This has only happened once so far. I've grown these strains before and I know they are hardy enough to survive the stress but I'm not sure I am (kinda freaking out here). After tomorrow I can just stay up and make sure that the bulb ignites but I'd really like to have a better idea of just how bad this problem could be. The ballast, reflector, socket, and bulb are all display models (needed a light to replace my fluorescent tubes and I got them all for less then the price of the ballast new) so it could just be age but I have no previous experience with HID lights. The biggest question I have is should I be seriously worried now or can I wait the ~60-70 days until I deal with whatever is causing this? Oh and if I have to replace it I'd like to get one that can handle 400 or 600 watt bulbs as well as MH or HPS bulbs. (I'm fairly sure I've seen ones that do that in the grow catalogs) All help and advice is greatly appreciated.

forgetfulpenguin · May 3, 2011

Thanks everyone for the replies. If it happens again I'm probably going to take fabfun's advice and setup one of the fluorescent reflectors as a backup and get it replaced until I can troubleshoot it (I can at least test the capacitor) or I might just set-up the light for 24/0 since the transformer part of the ballast seems to be working fine aside from occasionally not igniting the bulb. I was hoping to get a digital ballast that can handle multiple wattages anyway so this will just step-up the timetable on getting that. Thanks again for all the replies.

fabfun · May 3, 2011

well good luck with grow bro and give me a shout if it happens again
and we can figure it out not much to them really

forgetfulpenguin said:
Thanks everyone for the replies. If it happens again I'm probably going to take fabfun's advice and setup one of the fluorescent reflectors as a backup and get it replaced until I can troubleshoot it (I can at least test the capacitor) or I might just set-up the light for 24/0 since the transformer part of the ballast seems to be working fine aside from occasionally not igniting the bulb. I was hoping to get a digital ballast that can handle multiple wattages anyway so this will just step-up the timetable on getting that. Thanks again for all the replies.

loveintheganja · May 3, 2011

ive had similar problems myself but were on different plugs here m8 in the uk and i use a contactor for my timers....the ballast humming normally tells you theres something wrong the 2 times it happened with my lighting was to do with the bulb the first time and the 2nd time it was a fuse in the plug of the contactor that i use.
both times funny enough was nothing to do with my ballast but the ballast hummed like mad

HID Bulb Troubles

forgetfulpenguin

Active Member

max316420

Well-Known Member

fabfun

New Member

forgetfulpenguin

Active Member

fabfun

New Member

loveintheganja

Active Member