smoking and usage

hexter19 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 09:01 PM

I can not believe my luck! Ok. So I have 4 plants one month into flowering. They started flowering under 400w HPS until about a week ago the bulb blew. So I switched out the HPS with a 400w MH conversion bulb that came with my kit till the company sent me a new HPS. The new bulb came in yesterday evening.

So this morning I go into my grow room to put the new HPS in and the damned MH is just dimly glowing in the little glass tube inside the outer tube! WTF! Is this bulb out now too? Could there be something wrong with the ballast? Am I doing something wrong with my set-up?

I have the ballast in the room next to my grow room (to keep temps down) I have the whole kit on a timer that came with the set-up on 12/12. I am using a dedicated circuit that has the 400w light and ballast, a little 40w fan, and a 60w vent fan. I have never blown a fuse and everything seems ok. The ballast does get pretty hot, but I can still lay my hand on it. Is that too hot?

I bought everything from the same company in a kit including the bulbs. Everything is brand new and only has less than 350 hours of use. The bulbs are rated for around 24,000 hours. What is the likelihood of both of these bulbs failing or getting a bad ballast?

So now my plants are under 180w of floros till the company tells me if I can use the new HPS they sent me or if I have a bad ballast. I know they need more light but I'm broke so I cant get more lights and I dont wanna use the new HPS bulb and blow that one too!

How bad is this gonna effect my plants? How long can they safely be under weak lights?

mcurry · #2 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 09:32 PM

The MH bulb may not have been compatable with the ballast, did you try the new HPS bulb?
You need a new HPS as soon as poss, the fluoro will take for ever and will reduce any yield considerably..
Although there are dual ballasts (MH/HPS), many only will work with either MH or HPS. Check with your supplier or instructions with ballast. If in the UK i can help ok.

hexter19 · #3 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 11:12 PM

The MH bulb is/was a compatable conversion bulb. It came with the kit. The kit I have is a HPS ballast.

Underpantsman · #4 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 11:14 PM

It might hurt the yield a bit but they will make it. How long did you have the first 400w HPS bulb before it blew out?

hexter19 · #5 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 11:28 PM

I was using CFL's for most of my veg. I got the kit in early May and used the MH for 7 days of 18/6 so 126 hours or so, then I switched to HPS on 5/23 and lost it on I think around 6/17, so about 25 days of 12/12 HPS.

Underpantsman · #6 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hexter19

I was using CFL's for most of my veg. I got the kit in early May and used the MH for 7 days of 18/6 so 126 hours or so, then I switched to HPS on 5/23 and lost it on I think around 6/17, so about 25 days of 12/12 HPS.

Yeah that's bullshit, you need to send that shit back if you got a warranty, something is wrong.

hexter19 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-24-2008, 11:46 PM

You think I should send back the whole kit or the bulbs? I already got a replacement HPS but I am scared to use it and have it blow as well. The bulbs have a 1 year warrantee and the ballast has either 1 or 2 years. The company was really cool about the 1st bulb. But I wonder how they will be about the 2nd bulb going now. If theu are on the up and up they are gonna think I am trying to scam them or something. It has to be next to impossible for 2 bulbs to fail like this.

And the way it happened too! The 1st one blew and I sent it in and the day after I got the replacement for the HPS the MH does the same thing! Either I'm super unlucky or something is wrong.

Underpantsman · #8 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hexter19

You think I should send back the whole kit or the bulbs? I already got a replacement HPS but I am scared to use it and have it blow as well. The bulbs have a 1 year warrantee and the ballast has either 1 or 2 years. The company was really cool about the 1st bulb. But I wonder how they will be about the 2nd bulb going now. If theu are on the up and up they are gonna think I am trying to scam them or something. It has to be next to impossible for 2 bulbs to fail like this.

And the way it happened too! The 1st one blew and I sent it in and the day after I got the replacement for the HPS the MH does the same thing! Either I'm super unlucky or something is wrong.

I dont think the bulbs are the problem, its gotta be the ballast. Glad to hear you got a warranty, you might of got your conversion light from the same place I just got my 400w HPS. My warranty is similar but its just a 400w HPS, not conversion. Dude those bulbs will last like years man.

hexter19 · #9 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 12:59 AM

Thanks for the advice Underpantsman. I'm gonna wait and see what the company I bought the system from has to say and I will post again.

linedrivr · #10 (**permalink**) 06-26-2008, 04:53 PM

is your ballast a new electronic type or the old school magnetic?

linedrivr

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#1 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 09:01 PM
hexter19 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 247	From HPS, to MH, down to Floros. How bad is this gonna be? I can not believe my luck! Ok. So I have 4 plants one month into flowering. They started flowering under 400w HPS until about a week ago the bulb blew. So I switched out the HPS with a 400w MH conversion bulb that came with my kit till the company sent me a new HPS. The new bulb came in yesterday evening. So this morning I go into my grow room to put the new HPS in and the damned MH is just dimly glowing in the little glass tube inside the outer tube! WTF! Is this bulb out now too? Could there be something wrong with the ballast? Am I doing something wrong with my set-up? I have the ballast in the room next to my grow room (to keep temps down) I have the whole kit on a timer that came with the set-up on 12/12. I am using a dedicated circuit that has the 400w light and ballast, a little 40w fan, and a 60w vent fan. I have never blown a fuse and everything seems ok. The ballast does get pretty hot, but I can still lay my hand on it. Is that too hot? I bought everything from the same company in a kit including the bulbs. Everything is brand new and only has less than 350 hours of use. The bulbs are rated for around 24,000 hours. What is the likelihood of both of these bulbs failing or getting a bad ballast? So now my plants are under 180w of floros till the company tells me if I can use the new HPS they sent me or if I have a bad ballast. I know they need more light but I'm broke so I cant get more lights and I dont wanna use the new HPS bulb and blow that one too! How bad is this gonna effect my plants? How long can they safely be under weak lights?

#2 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 09:32 PM
mcurry Old School Stoner Join Date: May 2002 Location: England Posts: 795	The MH bulb may not have been compatable with the ballast, did you try the new HPS bulb? You need a new HPS as soon as poss, the fluoro will take for ever and will reduce any yield considerably.. Although there are dual ballasts (MH/HPS), many only will work with either MH or HPS. Check with your supplier or instructions with ballast. If in the UK i can help ok. __________________

#3 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 11:12 PM
hexter19 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 247	The MH bulb is/was a compatable conversion bulb. It came with the kit. The kit I have is a HPS ballast.

#4 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 11:14 PM
Underpantsman Puffin since 93 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: 40N Posts: 1,124	It might hurt the yield a bit but they will make it. How long did you have the first 400w HPS bulb before it blew out?

#5 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 11:28 PM
hexter19 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 247	I was using CFL's for most of my veg. I got the kit in early May and used the MH for 7 days of 18/6 so 126 hours or so, then I switched to HPS on 5/23 and lost it on I think around 6/17, so about 25 days of 12/12 HPS.

#7 (permalink) 06-24-2008, 11:46 PM
hexter19 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 247	You think I should send back the whole kit or the bulbs? I already got a replacement HPS but I am scared to use it and have it blow as well. The bulbs have a 1 year warrantee and the ballast has either 1 or 2 years. The company was really cool about the 1st bulb. But I wonder how they will be about the 2nd bulb going now. If theu are on the up and up they are gonna think I am trying to scam them or something. It has to be next to impossible for 2 bulbs to fail like this. And the way it happened too! The 1st one blew and I sent it in and the day after I got the replacement for the HPS the MH does the same thing! Either I'm super unlucky or something is wrong.

#9 (permalink) 06-25-2008, 12:59 AM
hexter19 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 247	Thanks for the advice Underpantsman. I'm gonna wait and see what the company I bought the system from has to say and I will post again.

#10 (permalink) 06-26-2008, 04:53 PM
linedrivr Farmer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Rock Ridge Posts: 312	is your ballast a new electronic type or the old school magnetic? linedrivr __________________

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