Hello all. Sorry if this has been answered previously. I am a first time grower, using metal halide currently w/ 400 watt ballast transformer. I am using a small storage area with a door at my house, and although i have made the grow area "light tight" using drywall, you can still hear the hum of my ballast, even from a distance. It seems it will draw attention, as it is so loud. Is there any way to muffle this sound? Current thought was to use a "dummy table" in front of my storage to kindof block it off and also to house the ballast/transformer and muffle the sound. First though was, maybe use a sound shield or styrofoam. but was worried it might be a hazard. Can you do anything to the ballast/transformer to make it less loud without causing a fire hazard or possible damage to the ballast? Thanks everyone.
Get a digital ballast - the best are by lumatek - they are completely silent and make your bulb burn brighter with less electric
Only way to sound proof would be to enclose it so that the angle of sounds escaping from the ballast always hit a solid barrier. Build a rectagular box with 3 compartments. Put the ballast in the center compartment and seal the top. The center compartment has an opening at the top on the left and at the bottom on the right. The right compartment has and opening on the top. The left compartment has an opening bottom. This way you can force air in to cool but at the same time silence the ballast. Think of the sound as light. If the left and right openings are dark then you know that light is not passing thru because of the angles and neither will sounds escape from the center. Or get a digital ballast Which are silent
I've run Lumatek for a while, and have quite a few of them. I also have some of the Phantom ballasts, and IMO they are a superior product to the Lumatek. Lumatek has had numerous issues with numerous specific bulbs. They cannot run Eye Hortilux bulbs with any dependability. The companies both recommend not using their products together. Phantom digital ballasts fire all brands of bulb dependably. They also have a few other features that make me prefer them to Lumatek. But yes, get a digital ballast. Silence is not the only advantage.
Thanks for the tips, i did not know that about digi-ballasts. silent. and less electric used too? is this true. Probably not a sollution yet, but maybe a secound digital ballast and light set in a couple months. I am thinking of ordering some quick autoflowering seeds, for speed and accuracy. Just wondering, how the tennis ball might help? thanks.
personally I think ur better off payin few extra bucks and gettin a ballast made in U.S.,Canada,.Chinese made equipment is cheap but ya get what you pay for.I have a t5 from HTGS it works but you can tell just by picken it up that its cheaply made.Also If your ballast is makin that noisey I'd guess that its old and prob eatin electricity