what happens when an hps bulb reaches the end of its life?

Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
WeeGogs said:
the hps bulb cannot be damaged by touching the outer glass globe like a halogen as there is no gas inside it, only a vacuum, the hps bulb is inside the large glass globe to protect it.
getting the outer globe dirty stops full light getting through.
the hps bulb is the long thin white part inside which is filled with a very high pressure gas, if it were to explode when it was switched on it would be like a small grenade going off, (a metal halide bulb has a short stubby globe inside).
it could blind you or even kill you if it exploded, at best it will set your growroom on fire, all public hps lamps are protected by unbreakable glass (streetlights, warehouse lights etc).
if you spill water on it when it is hot the outer globe will shatter, whether or not the inner hps lamp will break is questionable, if the water touched it, it will explode.
after 10,000 hours the lumens are dead and the lamp will now look a very bright white colour instead of a soft orangy/yellow/sunny glow which diminishes with time.
it is best to change them after a few thousand hours if you want upmost lumens, and if you can get the lamps cheap enough.
when using them in your growroom use reputable protective metal and glass units like the magnum xxxl or smaller.
but dont panic only a couple have ever exploded since they were first used.
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Actually the HPS bulb CAN be damaged by handling it with your bare hands, the grease on your hands sticks to it, is heated and evaporates at different points which CAN (not guaranteed, but not worth the risk) cause the glass to weaken as it is heated intensely and unevenly. Also the inner "HPS bulb" you're referring to is called the Arc Tube, and in most bulbs its secured by a coil,is made from an uprated material AND also secured by reinforced metal construction within the bulb under a really high level of tension...the chances of an Arc Tube failing and causing a problem directly corrolates to the quality of the bulb you buy and thats it.

Most HPS bulbs when they fail just will not work, they just flicker on and off.

No need to be paranoid if you buy a decent bulb.
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
rawrfox said:
thats what i assumed man but ive heard stories of cooltubes turnin into flame throwers , hot sodium melting through floors just dont know if any of it is true lol
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been using my 1000wtt hps bulb for 3 years now..still just as orange as a new one..
 
WeeGogs

WeeGogs

Active Member
Harrekin said:
Actually the HPS bulb CAN be damaged by handling it with your bare hands, the grease on your hands sticks to it, is heated and evaporates at different points which CAN (not guaranteed, but not worth the risk) cause the glass to weaken as it is heated intensely and unevenly. Also the inner "HPS bulb" you're referring to is called the Arc Tube, and in most bulbs its secured by a coil,is made from an uprated material AND also secured by reinforced metal construction within the bulb under a really high level of tension...the chances of an Arc Tube failing and causing a problem directly corrolates to the quality of the bulb you buy and thats it.

Most HPS bulbs when they fail just will not work, they just flicker on and off.

No need to be paranoid if you buy a decent bulb.
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so jorge cervantes is a fucking liar too then, it is the SWEAT on your hands that kills the gas in a halogen lamp, the reason this happens is because it causes very slight condensation inside the bulb causing the gas to turn highly corrosive and ignite with more heat and the filament to burn out.
it can also cause vehicle headlamps to turn rusty inside if you handle the halogen lamps as the gas given off is highly corrosive on the outside too.
HPS do not and i Quote " DO NOT" have gas inside the large globe, the gas is in the inside lamp and you cannot touch this, so you can stop talking crap and you can watch a video jorge cervantes explain this in his growing dvd about touching the glass globe and causing dirt to block the lumens.
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
WeeGogs said:
this is an idiot.
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insult insult i call insult.. why cuz i save money.. the fucking bulb still works and grow just fine.. hey if you want to keep buying bulbs evey 3 months by means go for it.. don't call me a fucking idiot cuz i been using the same bulb... shit i could say the same about you for buy new bulbs..
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
WeeGogs said:
so jorge cervantes is a fucking liar too then, it is the SWEAT on your hands that kills the gas in a halogen lamp, the reason this happens is because it causes very slight condensation inside the bulb causing the gas to turn highly corrosive and ignite with more heat and the filament to burn out.
it can also cause vehicle headlamps to turn rusty inside if you handle the halogen lamps as the gas given off is highly corrosive on the outside too.
HPS do not and i Quote " DO NOT" have gas inside the large globe, the gas is in the inside lamp and you cannot touch this, so you can stop talking crap and you can watch a video jorge cervantes explain this in his growing dvd about touching the glass globe and causing dirt to block the lumens.
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HPS bulbs contain Xenon gas under low pressure as a starter element smart-arse(edit: amongst a few others I might add). Do you even look up anything you read/hear?

And seperately...how exactly can condensation (liquid) pass through glass which wont allow a gas through just out of interest?

EDIT: And theres two layers of glass in a HPS bulb now?! Iv never seen the second one...your thinking of a MH light.
 
Robert Paulson

Robert Paulson

Active Member
WeeGogs said:
so jorge cervantes is a fucking liar too then, it is the SWEAT on your hands that kills the gas in a halogen lamp, the reason this happens is because it causes very slight condensation inside the bulb causing the gas to turn highly corrosive and ignite with more heat and the filament to burn out.
it can also cause vehicle headlamps to turn rusty inside if you handle the halogen lamps as the gas given off is highly corrosive on the outside too.
HPS do not and i Quote " DO NOT" have gas inside the large globe, the gas is in the inside lamp and you cannot touch this, so you can stop talking crap and you can watch a video jorge cervantes explain this in his growing dvd about touching the glass globe and causing dirt to block the lumens.
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Just because Jorge didn't mention the fact that grease as well as sweat can get on the bulb by handling it, does not mean that it is not true. Do you have any personal experience or do you just skim through books when you need to find an answer to a question online? Go ahead and keep fingering your bulbs, anybody that knows anything knows to keep there hands off, hell all you gotta do is just use your t-shirt or something and you have nothing to worry about.
 
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watchhowIdoit

New Member
I remember a post a few years ago where a dude had a cellar grow that got flooded. Ballast was still above water and the bulb below water. He posted a video showing the light bright as could be, underwater and all...was a credible video...
 
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watchhowIdoit

New Member
mygirls said:
been using my 1000wtt hps bulb for 3 years now..still just as orange as a new one..
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Yep the lore you need to change your bulbs every six months keep the makers rich by unknowing rookies that will believe anything said in cannabis forums. Hortilux bulb past 2 years still producing frosty nugs, check the pic in my sig.

WeeGogs said:
this is an idiot.
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You dont have a clue. You just repeat what you have read on the net wil no actual experience to back it up, thats obvious.....George does not know his ass from a hole in the ground. He is just a marketing tool for the big companies.......
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
If the lamp was started underwater it would light no problem, hence how there are liquid cooled lights too. The problem is sudden changes in temperature causing the glass to change shape and buckle as it contracts because it suddenly goes from hot to cold (ie. cold water striking it).

The reason grease from your hands can cause the light to fail is because it heats at a different rate to the glass, and causes an uneven surface...whether WeeGogs likes it or not ;)
 
Xcon

Xcon

Active Member
WeeGogs said:
the hps bulb is the long thin white part inside which is filled with a very high pressure gas, if it were to explode when it was switched on it would be like a small grenade going off....
....but dont panic only a couple have ever exploded since they were first used.
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<gets out garden hose and $6 HPS bulb, Mythbusters style> :)
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
The guy hasnt a notion what hes talking about, the arc tube on a HPS is made of aluminium oxide (not glass) and doesnt contain a gas, the gas is contained within the bulb as a whole. The reason they "explode" if the glass is ruptured is because they're High Pressure Sodium, its nothing to do with the Arc Tube, which is held in place solidly cos its designed differently to other types of gas discharge lamps.

You could smash ANY hot bulb with liquid on the glass btw, dont waste a HPS bulb on it.
 
WeeGogs

WeeGogs

Active Member
Harrekin said:
The guy hasnt a notion what hes talking about, the arc tube on a HPS is made of aluminium oxide (not glass) and doesnt contain a gas, the gas is contained within the bulb as a whole. The reason they "explode" if the glass is ruptured is because they're High Pressure Sodium, its nothing to do with the Arc Tube, which is held in place solidly cos its designed differently to other types of gas discharge lamps.

You could smash ANY hot bulb with liquid on the glass btw, dont waste a HPS bulb on it.
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take 2 hps lamps and ignite for 15 minutes.

shoot the first lamp with an airgun near the top of the glass dome, i bet it shatters and bangs.

shoot the second hps lamp straight through the internal element i bet you are picking fragments from your face.


there is no high pressure gas inside the large glass globe you faggot, the glass is so thin it would not take tha high pressure idiot, now have a look at a metal halide and you can actually see tha part that lights, now wear very dark glasses and look and see which part is ignited inside the large bulb inside the hps, that is where the gas is.
 
WeeGogs

WeeGogs

Active Member
mygirls said:
insult insult i call insult.. why cuz i save money.. the fucking bulb still works and grow just fine.. hey if you want to keep buying bulbs evey 3 months by means go for it.. don't call me a fucking idiot cuz i been using the same bulb... shit i could say the same about you for buy new bulbs..
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how many hours do you grow about 20 hours a week
 
Harrekin

Harrekin

Well-Known Member
This is a HPS bulb
, seriously, look up how they're made. They do contain gas. The arc tube is for making and containing a high voltage arc of electricity and is not made of glass either, as I said already its generally made of a see-through aluminium oxide.

No offense man but you dont know what you're talking about.

EDIT: It is called a gas discharge lamp for reason.

DOUBLE EDIT: Actually, what does shooting a HPS bulb have to do with its normal operation anyways? If you actually intentionally try to destroy it while its operating you're asking for trouble and has nothing to do with when it comes to the end of its life naturally.
 
cues

cues

Well-Known Member
Many years 25+ ago I had a bathroom bulb that was of the heater type with a silvered top. Whilst in the shower I accidentally must have splashed it. My first thought was that someone had taken a shot at me through the window with a 12-bore (was a shotgun instructor at the time). Bits of glass were embedded in the wall and ceiling and had cut through the shower-curtain! No fire though.
 
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watchhowIdoit

New Member
Harrekin said:
This is a HPS bulb
, seriously, look up how they're made. They do contain gas. The arc tube is for making and containing a high voltage arc of electricity and is not made of glass either, as I said already its generally made of a see-through aluminium oxide.

No offense man but you dont know what you're talking about.

EDIT: It is called a gas discharge lamp for reason.

DOUBLE EDIT: Actually, what does shooting a HPS bulb have to do with its normal operation anyways? If you actually intentionally try to destroy it while its operating you're asking for trouble and has nothing to do with when it comes to the end of its life naturally.
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Correct, between the capsule/bulb and outer glass is a vacuum of inert gas, nothing, so pressure neither rises or falls, hot and fired or off and cold. But the outer bulb is subject to thermo shock, physical damage(scratches), and hotspots(finger prints/oily spots) causing them to rupture under the right circumstances, most any bulb is to some degree, LEDs excluded. And under some circumstances bubs do explode. But they are way tougher and more durable than most think. If you replace your bulbs every 6 months I will gladly take your used ones off your hands....
 
mygirls

mygirls

Medical Marijuana (MOD)
watchhowIdoit said:
Correct, between the capsule/bulb and outer glass is a vacuum of inert gas, nothing, so pressure neither rises or falls, hot and fired or off and cold. But the outer bulb is subject to thermo shock, physical damage(scratches), and hotspots(finger prints/oily spots) causing them to rupture under the right circumstances, most any bulb is to some degree, LEDs excluded. And under some circumstances bubs do explode. But they are way tougher and more durable than most think. If you replace your bulbs every 6 months I will gladly take your used ones off your hands....
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. i spray with my lights on and my lights get really wet without blowing HPS or MH. i never use a towle to hold the buld my finger prints are all over the buld and never has one ever blew up..
 
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watchhowIdoit

New Member
Dont forget the parts where I said 'under some circumstances' and 'way tougher than most think'. I think you are trying to scam my in on used bulbs.:-P
 
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