Metal Halide lighting problems

[Rod Runnheim]

Hi gang!

I purchased 2 metal halide pendants 2 years ago with electronic ballasts.
One of the ballasts works (lights) 99% of the time. The other fails to
light at 3 times a week. I even tried swapping in an IceCap ballast and it
fails as well! (Not to mention 2 other replacement ballasts I had shipped
to me).

The ballasts are 175W electronic. The bulb is a Hamilton 6500K. Since so
many ballasts are consistently failing, is it likely that the bulb is just
too hard to light consistently? If so, is there a bulb someone would
recommend as a replacement?

Thanks!

Rod

[Rod Runnheim]

> Rod Runnheim wrote:
>
> > Hi gang!
> >
> > I purchased 2 metal halide pendants 2 years ago with electronic
ballasts.
> > One of the ballasts works (lights) 99% of the time. The other fails to
> > light at 3 times a week. I even tried swapping in an IceCap ballast and
it
> > fails as well! (Not to mention 2 other replacement ballasts I had
shipped
> > to me).
> >
> > The ballasts are 175W electronic. The bulb is a Hamilton 6500K.
Since so
> > many ballasts are consistently failing, is it likely that the bulb is
just
> > too hard to light consistently?
>
> Lamp can be faulty just as a ballast could or that kind of bulb just
doesn't
> get along with IceCap.

That seems to be the case.

> I don't know why aquarists are crazy about electronic HID ballasts. If
energy
> savings were that great, commercial users would be the first one to jump
on it
> such as gas stations and city Public Works only if there's no compromise
in
> reliability.

Because they are both low energy and quite. The second being the most
important given my current living situation.

> The benefit of electronic fluorescent ballast is proven that dominate new
> installation and many old installations are being replaced with electronic
> ballasts, but this isn't the case with electronic HID ballasts. Doesn't
this
> tell you something?

That I should become a card carying member of the HID industry maybe?

> For reliability and longevity I'd stick with a good commercial ballast
like
> this:
> http://www.advancetransformer.com/ecom_PDFS/out/10084100223.pdf

I'll check it out.

> > If so, is there a bulb someone would
> > recommend as a replacement?
>
> Maybe try a new bulb of same kind.

Of the two ballasts, one lights either bulb all of the time. The second
ballast is having trouble with both bulbs all of the time. It's been
suggested thay I try a different bulb (brand of), and that seems the most
viable option, especially now that I have 3 ballasts anyway. If that
doesn't pan out I'll go with a standard ballast.

Rod

>
>

[tcbiii@NOSPAMearthlink.net]

> > Maybe try a new bulb of same kind.
>
> Of the two ballasts, one lights either bulb all of the time. The second
> ballast is having trouble with both bulbs all of the time. It's been
> suggested thay I try a different bulb (brand of), and that seems the most
> viable option, especially now that I have 3 ballasts anyway. If that
> doesn't pan out I'll go with a standard ballast.
>
> Rod

Rod, I've heard so so things about older Ice Cap E MH ballast. Reef
friends had some serious issues with these.

But the issue should be fixed at this point(I would hope), especially
driving the common 6500K bulb.
I used the Blue line ballast from Champion and was 100% satisfied with
them. Well made, did well.

You can try changing out the MH with a 5000K or a 10000K bulb. Both
are 40-60$ ea though.

Regards,
Tom Barr