Ahhhh I need some help as fast as possible. I was in the grow space putting up a trash bag off to the side to block out leaking light and i bumped part of the bulb and it was pretty hot... I said "ow" and went back to work with what I was doing and 5 minutes later I smell smoke and turn and look and the room is starting to fill with smoke and I panic and shut the power off immediately.... leaving it off for 5 minutes and turned it back on and it's still doing it! smoke is coming off the glass of the bulb. what the hell is wrong with it? for fuck's sake it's just one problem after another with all of this. I will go buy a new bulb from lowe's if I have to, but why is this bulb suddenly doing this? what is causing it to smoke? if anyone can help, please go ahead and try.
Yo man ... bummer.. Seems to me that you might have knocked around some internal wires in the ballast to me or for gods sake let it just be the fact that you messed up the wires in the bulb that are coated with that flammable filmaent inside the bulb. go buy another bulb fella go from there. dont turn that ballst back on at all u dont want no fire hazards at all now do we? You may have a faulty product too man... Peace, JoNas
Did the trash bag touch the hot bulb? Do you see anything on the glass of the bulb where it is smoking? Is it definitely smoking off the glass and not from the socket? I have heard of certain kinds of halogen bulbs that you cannot touch because the oils from your skin stay on the glass and cause heat differentials that can cause the bulb to explode. Haven't heard of that with HPS but I suppose it's possible. My guess, though is that the trash bag touched the bulb and a bit melted onto the bulb. Regardless, if the bulb is smoking off the glass I doubt it is the ballast or internal bulb wiring, seems like something got on the glass. Do not run that bulb anymore and go get a new one is my advice, that bulb could explode. So the plants fell over, you had locusts, now you got burned -- this truly is turning into the ten plagues for you! I hope you aren't the first born male in your family...
Hahaha, I'm surprised you guys answered so fast. I already fixed the problem and just came back to delete the thread. a piece of the bag did touch the bulb and I couldn't see from how everything was positioned. you nailed it right on the head toasty.... toasty... ironic name. anyways, I'm glad I fucking noticed it before reading what you telling me the problem or I'd feel like even more of a dumbass. after 10 minutes of it being shut off i went back in there in the dark and unscrewed the bulb and brought it out to take a look and there was a big black coating of black plastic melted on to it... fuck, it did that in about 3 seconds! what a pain in the ass to get off too, I had to scrape it with a knife back and forth over and over and then wash it with a grainy dish washing pad.... god damn, i'm relieved it wasn't a bigger problem. it was smoking like crazy and I momentarily freaked out. and yeah, I am the first and only male... only child. haha. I guess I'm screwed, huh? waiting for the bulb to dry off now before putting it back... don't want to get electricuted from a moist connection... *shakes head*
ok man well take it easy and let this be a reminer to you. Dont go near hot light bulbs with plastic. Plastic melts fast near hot objects.. and plastic smokes alot when it burns.. Peace, jonaS
The thing is I didn't even notice the plastic was near the bulb. I guess the fan had forced part of the bag up and off to the side when I was paying attention to the top of it and it slapped the plastic on there. I didn't even notice any of this. oh well. calmed now... I think the bulb will be okay as I caught the problem within a few seconds and I've scraped off all of the black plastic now...
HAve a good one friend.. im fading.............................................out.. Goodbye Friend.. Peace, JONAs
Careful with that bulb, if you abraded the glass surface even a little bit you could cause a spot where heat can build a differential and cause the bulb to explode. If it were me I would just get a new bulb. If it shatters you can ruin your plant, not to mention your face if it happens while you are tending to your grow. Please leave this thread up, could be instrumental to others. Lesson: don't let nuthin' touch a hot bulb! So until you get a new bulb you are experiencing darkness, yet another of the plagues! Just to re-cap here they all are -- Hero you may want to print this and post it inside your grow box (just not near the bulb!): Water turns to blood Frogs Lice Flies Disease of livestock Boils Hail Locusts Darkness Death of the firstborn
lol toasty. check out my signature now... you've jinxed me with curses!! the bulb will be okay, it's quite thick glass and I was using just a butter knife for scraping... this better deliver some divine bud in the end after all these unholy problems...