400 bulbs in 600 ballasts?

hi there. can i run 400 watt hps bulbs in my 600 watt rated ballasts without problem?

ive heard that its possible but not recommended but i have NOT tried it myself

walkers22 said:

hi there. can i run 400 watt hps bulbs in my 600 watt rated ballasts without problem?

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Apparently, you're not supposed to do it for safety reasons, but I've never actually seen it being done.

Do it and report back with the results so I know for sure.

Thanks in advance.

It works, you just can't put a higher watt bulb in there.

Same principal as fuses.

It will work, but you could be asking for trouble. If you are growing MJ dont risk it. Everything would probably be fine but there is a risk there.

DownOnWax said:

It works, you just can't put a higher watt bulb in there.

Same principal as fuses.

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alot of hps/mh bulbs are specific to their ballasts... like 400watt hps bulb must go with a 400watt hps ballast.... less its digital then u can put both mh/hps in it. ive heard you're not supposed to do it... even says on the products//sites. but then again they cud be just saying that so u buy more from them.

imo. dont do it.

DownOnWax said:

It works, you just can't put a higher watt bulb in there.

Same principal as fuses.

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youve got it backwards. you can use a higher wattage bulb but not a higher wattage ballast. think about it...one is meant for pumping juice and the other is meant for handling it. you cant pump more juice than a bulb is built to handle.

you can use a 400w hps bulb with a 430w ballast and thats the ONLY exception.

yeah yeah that makes sense to me. thought it might push to much juice thru my bulbs. wanted to drop the power of my lights incase they were to intense for my little ones.

I saw a post once where someone mentioned using a 400w MH in their 600w digital. It sounds risky to me though.

i once bought a stack of used "400"w rigs cheap and found out that they were 250w's with 400w bulbs. they worked great and the bulbs lasted quite some time due to the fact that they were built to handle 150w more than they were recieving.

im pretty sure that a 400w bulb in a 600w ballast would only last a few minutes if it didnt just blow immediatly.

this should not be done in any way. evan if you had a 400w balast and a 600 buld sum say this would be ok.... it would not maybe for a lil while but eventually the wires running to the bulb would ware out from heating up and rubbing together untile you have a fire, things that were done in the past that worked are not the best way to judge, things were diffrnt back then, shit was hard to come by now its really easy to get the proper equipment, and you only have to buy a bulb thats not hard. if its to big for your room sell it on ebay and get the right shit, or grow more weed. don't fuck with electricity, do you wanna be the next stupid stoner in the news for burning down his house?????

tusseltussel said:

this should not be done in any way. evan if you had a 400w balast and a 600 buld sum say this would be ok.... it would not maybe for a lil while but eventually the wires running to the bulb would ware out from heating up and rubbing together untile you have a fire, things that were done in the past that worked are not the best way to judge, things were diffrnt back then, shit was hard to come by now its really easy to get the proper equipment, and you only have to buy a bulb thats not hard. if its to big for your room sell it on ebay and get the right shit, or grow more weed. don't fuck with electricity, do you wanna be the next stupid stoner in the news for burning down his house?????

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i agree except, how would the wrong size bulb cause wires to rub together?

SlikWiLL13 said:

i agree except, how would the wrong size bulb cause wires to rub together?

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a larger bulb will pull more amperage causing the wires to heat and when they heat they expand then contract causing them to rub back and forth and if they heat up the coating softens and if the coating softens it will tare and short out causing a problem. this is a worse case senerio it may not happen but it could, if it did happen it may just trip a breaker but it may not then when you get investigated and they find the remnents of a grow op.... well at least the cops will give ya a new place t live and 3 meals a day. any electrical work must be correct a 600w balast takes a 600w bulb a mh to an mh and a hps to a hps. ppl used to change them around too dont remember which is which i think it was the hps in a mh ballast but them the same shit happens where your ballast runs hotter and eventually you smoke it.... use proper equipment always.... all we need is a bunch of fires than they will legalize it for sure...........

its MH in a HPS ballast. because a MH doesnt need an ignitor to fire it will work on a ballast with an ignitor, it will just eventuall fry the ignitor and then really be a MH ballast. the ignitor is the only difference between HPS and MH magnetic ballasts.


but your right. use your stuff for what its meant for or get new stuff.

sounds like a big fire risk to me. if you value you operation and your life then just invest the cash in the right gear, least then you will have a bulb that you can use for long cos its newer and thus more smelly sticky budz!!!!

good luck in whatever you choose to do.000

SlikWiLL13 said:

its MH in a HPS ballast. because a MH doesnt need an ignitor to fire it will work on a ballast with an ignitor, it will just eventuall fry the ignitor and then really be a MH ballast. the ignitor is the only difference between HPS and MH magnetic ballasts.


but your right. use your stuff for what its meant for or get new stuff.

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ahhh yes i knew it was sumthin like that, no point gettin a hps ballast if yer gonna bern it out. ive seen grows where ppl just take lights from parkinglots and wire em up usen duct tape to attach the plugs and silly shit like that street lights are for streets.... its risky enough growing, but to do sumthin silly that could blow up your spot is not worth it, ive found thet jail is not really that fun, sure you could ply 5000 rummy and spades but i sure would rater sit at home and burn a pipe. we actually used to play texas hold'm and used game pieces from the reck room as chips and when you got out you put what you owed on that persons commessary or you could have a visitor bring a money order in for you.... good times

tusseltussel said:

ahhh yes i knew it was sumthin like that, no point gettin a hps ballast if yer gonna bern it out. ive seen grows where ppl just take lights from parkinglots and wire em up usen duct tape to attach the plugs and silly shit like that street lights are for streets.... its risky enough growing, but to do sumthin silly that could blow up your spot is not worth it, ive found thet jail is not really that fun, sure you could ply 5000 rummy and spades but i sure would rater sit at home and burn a pipe. we actually used to play texas hold'm and used game pieces from the reck room as chips and when you got out you put what you owed on that persons commessary or you could have a visitor bring a money order in for you.... good times

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dont forget 101 ways to cook ramen noodles with lukewarm water! *gag*

i personally would never try this.. i just get what i need for the equipment i have.. but you can use an mh bulb in an hps ballast just fine.. and you want the bulb to be equal to or less than that of the ballast.. the reason is the ballast can supply up to the amount of watts it says.. so a 1000w ballast can supply up to 1000ws.. it only uses the amount of watts the bulb pulls tho.. so it can supply up to 1000w but if you use a 600w bulb in it it will only use 600w of the total 1000w available... anyways.. look at these vids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7fcjsDFOnA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16A6nYQJEyc

simpsonsampson420 said:

i personally would never try this.. i just get what i need for the equipment i have.. but you can use an mh bulb in an hps ballast just fine.. and you want the bulb to be equal to or less than that of the ballast.. the reason is the ballast can supply up to the amount of watts it says.. so a 1000w ballast can supply up to 1000ws.. it only uses the amount of watts the bulb pulls tho.. so it can supply up to 1000w but if you use a 600w bulb in it it will only use 600w of the total 1000w available... anyways.. look at these vids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7fcjsDFOnA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16A6nYQJEyc

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well by the looks of those plants i wouldn't listen to that guy.... if you tuch a bulb be sure to clean yer greasy little fingerprints off it. this guy sounds like a real douche, it will work that don't make it right, if you wanna belive a guy with a gehtto ass setup like that go right ahed good luck... on to video 2 that new ballast of his looks like it was pulled out of an asshole wouldnt say its new unless it was new and just stored in a flood zone, again clean your bulb, and again just cause it works dnt make it right, and finally i do agree watts dnt grow pot lumens do but still its bad info all that buzzing and he says that ballast is not magnetic haha that guy is a douche, those plants look like they were grown by a newb

like i said i wouldnt try it myself.. just that it can be done.. i get what i need for the equipment i have.. i mean.. yea.. i believe the guy.. he showed it with proof it can be done.. to each their own.. and what someone chooses to do is their choice.. i got my own setup and am more than happy with what i have... all i was saying is how a ballast actually runs and that shit can be done and gave proof of it.. never said it was a good idea or should be done....