lighting question 600W bulb 1000W ballast

Hi,

I've been trying to get a firm answer on this by research and i'm having quite the problem getting a straight one... i have 1000w switchable ballast and want to run 600W HPs bulb on it, it would appear it's fine, because the bulb will still only draw as much as it needs, but then i find lots of people saying otherwise, however who am i to know who's the expert and who isn't... it would be particularly good if an electrician or someone who REALLY knows what they're talking about could answer this for me... the hydro store guy (it is also an electrical shop for all kinds of other equipment not just grow lamps, so i'm assuming he must know at least a bit about electrical).. told me its perfectly fine and as long as the ballast output is higher than light output in W than there's no problem.. meanin there's no point in buying 600W ballast might as well just have the 1000W since it can run both 600W and 1000W bulbs,so if i ever want to go bigger i don't need to get new ballast.. (dont bother telling me hes trying to sell the bigger ballast, because it was actually cheaper for the 1000w)... thanks!

i've often wondered this....people use 25 wt40wt,,60 wt.70 wt ect within the household. how does a lower wattage bulb work in a higher output ballast? Good Q

your ballast (think of it as amperage draw)can supply up to 1000 watts, your 600 would be the same as running a worn out 1000 watt bulb.

i have talked to a few electricians about this...their professional opinion is that the bigger ballast will burn out your bulb quicker where as a larger bulb on smaller ballast will burn out your ballast...do not quote this, but this is what i have learned and it makes sense..

PurpleKushBlower said:

i have talked to a few electricians about this...their professional opinion is that the bigger ballast will burn out your bulb quicker where as a larger bulb on smaller ballast will burn out your ballast...do not quote this, but this is what i have learned and it makes sense..

Click to expand...

I just wake and baked on my way to work but remember there being an Electrician in another section. You should pose this question on his thread if you have not already. Go to the Root of Forums and use the search for Electrician. that wasnt his username but he used that in the title of his thread.
peace and yes i must say it why not just buy the 1000w bulb and figure out cooling

I have heard of people doing this- some worked,some didn't -or so they claimed.
think about this, if you could burn smaller bulbs in a ballast,why make so many different sizes? it would be cheaper to make just say 2 sizes, 1 for under 400 watts & the other for 4-1000 watts. retooling ,stocking,packaging,ect, costs more than the materials so why make a dozen sizes if they could get away w/ only a few multiwatt sizes?