ak47caretaker
Active Member
how many times a year you replace your HID bulb? a freind and i got in a discussion about this, just thought i would get everyone's though on it
how long do hid bulbs last?
- Thread starter ak47caretaker
- Start date
NightOwlBono
Well-Known Member
Kind of depends if your running a perpetual grow,or if your just running is once or twice a year.
it usually says the recommended bulb life on the box,people I know recommend replacing them before the recommended period
it usually says the recommended bulb life on the box,people I know recommend replacing them before the recommended period
Tokindaily37
Well-Known Member
I have a 1 year warranty on all my bulbs from my local hydroponic shop so im going to assume 1 year in a half to 2 years, i have dimmable ballast with "SL-Super Lumen" mode and the guy told me if you dont have bulbs that arnt meant for superlumen modes it can take like 10-15% out of its life.
ThirstyRoss
Well-Known Member
I wait until my mag ballast starts making louder noises! 
Kite High
Well-Known Member
that is not correct AT ALL
only true way to know and do it right without wasting money and time is get a REAL light meter...when down to 80% replace IMO
ak47caretaker
Active Member
its a perpetual grow, the lights run everyday for 12 hours 365 days a year that's only 4380 hrs. so on the low end of the life expectancy of the bulb, it should last 2 years. that is my opinion
209 Cali closet grower
Well-Known Member
If I'm right? 12/12 shorts the life of a bulb way more vs running a bulb 24/0 or 18/6, etc.- Might be wrong?
After a full 12 months of use. I like to get new ones. I like to get my money worth from a bulbs, but also know I'm paying for the light s to run.
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
I don't follow that logic. You are saying that the lamp will last longer if you use it more. Umm.. No.
bomb hills
Well-Known Member
I like to count hours on my bulbs. Been changing them out at about 6000 hours. After they hit that ill keep it for a backup. Not sure if that's the right lifespan, just they way I've been doing it.
209 Cali closet grower
Well-Known Member
the more the bulb turns off-is what kills the bulb ^^not saying that. And would like to know my self about the bulbs.
Kite High
Well-Known Member
attempting to hot start the bulbs will reduce lifespan....but not normal start up...it is not an incandescent
PJ Diaz
Well-Known Member
How does it turn off/on anymore often in an 18/6 cycle vs 12/12. Either was it turns off one time a day and turns on one time each day.
Kite High
Well-Known Member
Have never had one fail so I can't answer that personally
but I found this:
H
igh-pressure sodium lamps are
widely used in greenhouse production, but they require maintenance for
peak efi ciency. After visual inspection, many growers i nd that some
lamps in their greenhouse either aren’t operating or
aren’t doing so at full brightness. These lamps reduce
growth and increase electric consumption. Here’s a
list of the most common HPS lamp failures — and a
little technical savvy to diagnose and repair them.
Age
Old bulbs fail by cycling on and off. When a bulb
begins to fail, it is off for about 10 percent of the time and
increases to about 80 percent of off-time before it fails
completely. It’s easy to screw a new bulb into the i xture.
HPS bulbs should last four to six years, depending on
the number of on/off cycles and hours of use.
Failed Capacitor
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. Capacitors also can partially fail. Here,
the i xture starts and runs continuously but comes up
to only 10-60 percent of its maximum brightness. HPS
i xtures with a partially failed capacitor have a lower
light output, a lower power factor and reduced efi -
ciency. Five to 10 percent of the HPS lamps we’ve purchased in the past 25 years have had partially failed
capacitors. This partial failure is not always visually
apparent, and lights continue to function at reduced
efi ciency for extended periods of time.
HPS lamps may be dim if the supply voltage is low.
First, ensure that the lamp is receiving the desired
voltage. If it is, use a meter capable of measuring the
power factor of the lamp, such as the Kill-A-Watt
meter (about $30). This meter must be connected in
line with the lamp, and the light should be at full
brightness before you take the measurement. The
power factor of a normally functioning lamp with a
new bulb is 0.97 to 0.98. Fixtures with bulbs nearing
the end of their lifetime have power factors of 0.90 to
0.94. Fixtures with partially failed capacitors have a
power factor of 0.70 to 0.80.
Coni rmation of a partially failed capacitor can be
made by measuring it with a capacitance meter ($20 to
$80). This failure cannot be measured with a standard
volt-ohm meter. In our experience, the partially failed
capacitors have 50 percent of their rated capacity (13
microfarads instead of the normal 26).
The lifetime of a capacitor depends on how often
the lamp is started and the temperature of the capacitor (the warmer the temperature, the shorter the lifetime). New capacitors are about $25.
Failed Ignitor
A less common problem is failure of the ignitor.
Metal halide lamps do not require an ignitor to start,
so the test for a failed ignitor for an HPS lamp is
to screw in a metal halide bulb of the same wattage
and see if it starts. If the MH lamp starts and a new
HPS lamp does not start, the ignitor probably needs
to be replaced.
Defective Ballast
If a new bulb, ignitor, and/or capacitor do not
make the i xture work, then the ballast is probably
defective. Ballast replacement kits cost $130 to $150,
and it can be cost effective to replace the ballast rather
than purchase a new lamp. It takes the same amount
of time to replace the ballast as it does to replace the
capacitor (40 to 60 minutes to take the lamp down,
replace the components and rehang).
If you’ve invested in the lamps, you should be sure
they are running effectively. Be sure to cut off power
to the lamps before working with them for safety
reasons. If you’re not electrically inclined, work with
your lighting manufacturer or an electrician to diagnose problems and replace component parts. GPN
Erik Runkle is associate professor and fl oriculture
extension specialist in Michigan State University’s
department of horticulture, and Bruce Bugbee is a
professor of crop physiology at Utah State University. Runkle can be reached at runkleer@msu.edu or
517.355.5191 ext. 1350.
209 Cali closet grower
Well-Known Member
thanks.....
jojodancer10
Well-Known Member
One blue light for veg one red light for bloom and u should be good for a year
trouble27
Active Member
Had a bulb explode on me couple weeks ago metal halide 1000 watts no glass on the hood wasn't inside when it happened it's all bad when they blow melted holes thru my tent and carpet not cool glad the carpet just melted and didn't catch anything on fire had pieces land on plants and seared some leaves and stems off too not something anyone would want to deal with . I swap mine every other grow
Tokindaily37
Well-Known Member
theres 8,700 hours in a year so if most hid bulbs have the 24,000 hours life span, and ^ wtf now i really dont want a 1000 watt sounds dangerous as fuck