HPS + ballast issue

nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
So i went and bought a 250w HPS bulb, and a 250w ballast today, wired it up, everything was fine for about 2-3 hours.

then the power cut out.

thinking maybe theres too much of a power drain on that room in the house, i unplugged everything, hit the breaker, plugged in the light again, and power cuts out.

i know its wired properly, it worked for a good 2-3 hours. the ballast is hot. ummmmm what could be the issue? is there an internal cut off if the ballast is too hot perhaps?
 
Hilo

Hilo

Well-Known Member
I dont think they shut themselves off. after 12 hours mine starts to flicker like a drain is going on but thats when i turn it off anyway so its no big deal.
 
Illegal Smile

Illegal Smile

Well-Known Member
Is it tripping the breaker or just going off? If it is tripping the breaker, take it somewhere else in the house where you know you can run that much, turn other stuff on that circuit off, and try it there. If it does the same thing I fear it is some internal glitch that is tripping a protection shutoff and it will probably have to be returned. Whether "it" is the ballast or the hood or the bulb I don't know. If you had access to another 250w hps you could try the bulb there and see what happens. My hunch is that it's the ballast.
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
one of mine gets slight flicker after 12 14 hours. but ive read that when they turn them selves of. well not of.. just cut out. its not the ballast its the bulb need replacing. but i know this aint helping. both my 600w hps magnetic ballast got real hot. fry an egg hot
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
yea so what i did was i unplugged everything in the house, the fridge, the AC the tv, internet, pc, veg lights, everything, everything is off.

i plug in the HPS light, with the ballast, and it immediatly trips off the breaker again.

during the 2-3 hours that it was working, everything else was on, all the normal appliances in the house, etc etc...

the circuit breaker keep shutting off with every try. im pissed! i just bought it, worked great for 2 hours, looked like jesus was in my closet.
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
lordjin said:
Are you using an extension cord?
Click to expand...

originally, it was [outlet]-[timer]-[extension cord + built in circuit breaker]-[ballast]-[lamp].
-that tripped the home's circuit breaker after 2-3 hours of use.

then i tried [outlet]-[extension cord + built in circuit breaker]-[ballast]-[lamp]
-that tripped the breaker in the extension cord + the home's circuit breaker.

then i tried [outlet]-[ballast]-[lamp]
-that tripped the home circuit breaker.
 
lordjin

lordjin

Well-Known Member
nick17gar said:
yea so what i did was i unplugged everything in the house, the fridge, the AC the tv, internet, pc, veg lights, everything, everything is off.

i plug in the HPS light, with the ballast, and it immediatly trips off the breaker again.

during the 2-3 hours that it was working, everything else was on, all the normal appliances in the house, etc etc...

the circuit breaker keep shutting off with every try. im pissed! i just bought it, worked great for 2 hours, looked like jesus was in my closet.
Click to expand...
I bet you anything the extension cord isn't rated for the current of your light, and the overload is shorting out the circuit. Try a heavy duty extenstion cord.

Edit:
If you already tried plugging directly into wall and the circuit still broke, the wiring of your living space can't handle that load... But that doesn't make sense if it can run a fridge and stuff. Did you buy this light new?
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
lordjin said:
I bet you anything the extension cord isn't rated for the current of your light, and the overload is shorting out the circuit. Try a heavy duty extenstion cord.

Edit:
If you already tried plugging directly into wall and the circuit still broke, the wiring of your living space can't handle that load... But that doesn't make sense if it can run a fridge and stuff. Did you buy this light new?
Click to expand...
yea its new. better be new!

if the wiring of my living space cant handle the load, would it have worked for the 2-3 hours?
 
lordjin

lordjin

Well-Known Member
nick17gar said:
yea its new. better be new!

if the wiring of my living space cant handle the load, would it have worked for the 2-3 hours?
Click to expand...
It could have. Just because a household wiring system can't handle a load, it's not gonna say, "I won't run that." It will run it, overheat, and pop! Blackout.

I think you need to consult an electrician. 250w isn't a big load. My bathroom heater is 250w.
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
ummmmmmmmmmmmm well that sucks dude. im gonna wait til it cools off, unplug everything. try plugging it into a different outlet. if it still fails, then im just gonna get like 30 of those 85w CFLs and say fuck it. this is making me nerd rage.

perhaps ill take the entire thing, ballast, bulb, housing, etc to the light store i got it at and tell them to make it work, before i get stabby!
 
lordjin

lordjin

Well-Known Member
nick17gar said:
ummmmmmmmmmmmm well that sucks dude. im gonna wait til it cools off, unplug everything. try plugging it into a different outlet. if it still fails, then im just gonna get like 30 of those 85w CFLs and say fuck it. this is making me nerd rage.

perhaps ill take the entire thing, ballast, bulb, housing, etc to the light store i got it at and tell them to make it work, before i get stabby!
Click to expand...
Do a little research on the current capacity of your wiring before you start stabbing people. Lol.
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
haha the current capacity of my wiring? well i think i am? i mean if a 250w bulb+ballast is too hardcore for my outlets, im not gonna change out my home's wiring circuits, im gonna go back to CFLs. this seems like a crock of shit tho, i had a 600w going in my last apartment, a 250w bulb shouldnt be making this one go out. iono. im gonna take it back and tell them to fix it, replace it, or refund it.
 
lordjin

lordjin

Well-Known Member
nick17gar said:
haha the current capacity of my wiring? well i think i am? i mean if a 250w bulb+ballast is too hardcore for my outlets, im not gonna change out my home's wiring circuits, im gonna go back to CFLs. this seems like a crock of shit tho, i had a 600w going in my last apartment, a 250w bulb shouldnt be making this one go out. iono. im gonna take it back and tell them to fix it, replace it, or refund it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, take that shit back. 250w is nothing for your average house or apartment. It's a bad light. It has to be. Get it swapped out and try again. You won't be happy with bud grown on CFLs.
 
nick17gar

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
ok so took the ballast back, got a replacement, plugged it int, and its working fine, has been for just over 2 hours. lets hope it continues to work. if it shuts off im returning everything, i cant replace wiring/circuits in my home.

ive flowered with CFLs and they are 'ok'.... ive also flowered with 600w HPS and they are bomb diggity. so i wana stick with the hps. i guess we'll see.
 
lordjin

lordjin

Well-Known Member
nick17gar said:
ok so took the ballast back, got a replacement, plugged it int, and its working fine, has been for just over 2 hours. lets hope it continues to work. if it shuts off im returning everything, i cant replace wiring/circuits in my home.

ive flowered with CFLs and they are 'ok'.... ive also flowered with 600w HPS and they are bomb diggity. so i wana stick with the hps. i guess we'll see.
Click to expand...
It should be fine. Pretty sure you just had a bad unit.
 
Dislexicmidget2021

Dislexicmidget2021

Well-Known Member
how big is the circuit breaker , or better yet what is its amp load?it could be a 10amp 15 amp20 amp,it better be at leaste.It should say it on the breaker itself.,Proper wire gauge is necessary as well.12-2 gauge is sufficient enough for 600w,and a 15 or 20 amp breaker for the circuit. if u can make a dedicated circuit that would be primo.
 
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