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NOT PROPERLY Although it may light, it will burn out pre-maturely due to the higher current flow. A ballast and its lamp must always be a proper match in any HID (high intensity discharge) application. The 400 watt rating of your ballast is NOT a maximum rating. It is 400 and only 400.
Wiki User
∙ 16y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoThe 250w lamp will burn hotter and a little brighter than normal but will use almost as much power as a 400w lamp. The ballast is trying to push that 400w into the 250w lamp. This shortens the life as it burns out quicker from too many watts. Can possibly be quite dangerous depending on the ballast and setup.
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NO, It is against the NEC (National Electrical Code)to have un-approved combinations of Ballast and Lamp installed to an electric supply. IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE due to the ballast over driving the lamp in excess of its rated capacity.
What happens is the Ballast is in series with the lamp to limit the CURRENT through the lamp, as the tube ignites and begins to conduct electricity. As the tube begins to conduct, its RESISTANCE reduces, so that normally (If the lamp was connected straight to the mains) the actual CURRENT through the lamp would keep increasing, and eventually it would self-destruct. The BALLAST reacts with the expanding and collapsing magnetic field, and LIMITS the amount of CURRENT that will go through the BULB at a certain rating(400W), and at a fixed voltage (typically 135 Volts). Well, if you connect a 135Volt Tube in the circuit, it will initially work, but eventually will start to conduct into its maximum range of current, (for a 250W lamp this would be 1.85 Amps), but because the BALLAST is rated for 400W, will allow the current to climb up to 2.96 instead of being limited to 1.85.
This OVERDRIVING of the lamp will cause the tube's Cathodes to be burnt away faster than designed, thereby decreasing the life, and increasing the temperature of the envelope to exceed its design limits so instead of 900C, it could reach 1200 or 1500C, which would also be catastrophic to the lamp causing it to fail (explosively).
The lack of CURRENT LIMITING would also cause Circuit breakers to trip and other problems (Overheating of Connections), Burning of insulation where the lamp is affixed to the fixture, and so on. All in all not a good idea to replace a 400W HID lamp with a 250W lamp (without changing the Ballast to match).
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How much wattage does a 250w HPS bulb use?
hps light averages 125 lumens, therefore, a 150 watt hps light is about 18,750 lumens.
Can you use a 100 watt metal halide bulb in a 150 watt lamp?
Not recommended. It would work but shorten lamp life and may cause risk of fire. However, if you just wanted to check a lamp was capable of striking it would be ok for a few minutes. I've done the opposite in the past and used a 150w lamp with a 100w ballast. Works, but not good for any of the components, including lamp.
Can a 400 watt high pressure sodium bulb be used in a 400 watt metal halide ballast?
I actually have a 400w hps ballast and I can also use my 400w metal halide bulb in it with no problem. So what your saying is they do, but they dont? the answer is, they dont. You can get universal bulbs hps to plug into a mh ballast they have a miniturized igniter inside the bulb. As I understand it, a 400W metal halide bulb can be used with a 400W hps ballast, but not the converse. A MH bulb has the igniter in the bulb, and the HPS has it in the ballast--which pretty much goes along with your comment above. Apparently the double presence of the igniter in the HPS setup is OK.you can run metal halide in same wattage's but not hps in metal halide systems.you can run such as (same wattage's)250 watt metal halide-400 watt halide ect in hps systems but not hps bulbs in halide systems. they make conversion bulbs to run halide in hps as well and vice versa.
Will a higher wattage hps bulb work in a ballast that came with a lower wattage bulb?
A higher wattage HPS bulb may work with a ballast that is rated for a lower wattage bulb , but may appear to be dim and will not produce the rated light output. It is best to match ballast and bulb accordingly.
Can you use a hps bulb in a metal halide fixture?
In most cases a cfl bulb can be replaced with an incandescent bulb as long as the base matches. for an example: if a cfl bulb has a GU24 base an incandescent bulb will not work! Also, ensure the wattage of the bulb does not exceed manufacturers rating.
Can you run a 250w hps through a 400w hps ballast?
No!
Is 400w hps better than 400w halide bulb?
yes
Can you use a 400W high pressure sodium bulb in a metal halide ballast?
No, the ballast has to be matched to the lamp. 250 watt ballast, 250 watt lamp. Also be sure to match the lamp type to the proper ballast even though the wattage is the same. HPS ballast to HPS lamp, Metal halide ballast to metal halide lamp and mercury vapour lamp to mercury vapour ballast.
How much wattage does a 250w HPS bulb use?
hps light averages 125 lumens, therefore, a 150 watt hps light is about 18,750 lumens.
When you need to use metal halide conversion bulb?
When you want to use a MH bulb in an HPS ballast you must use a conversion bulb. It must be the same wattage as the HPS bulb
Can you use a 150w hps bulb in a 150w mh ballast?
The MH ballast will not have the ignitor required to power up the HPS bulb. I have 1000w ballast that can be switched between HPS and MH with a singe switch just by disabling the ignitor for the MH. I would look into conversion bulbs, or else check out this site for $20 150w HPS ballast with bulb. http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EProductDetail.asp?ProductFamilyID=7&FGNumber=E-MT6H151G If it doesnt appear, sellect vapor tights, then the 150hps.
Can you use a 100 watt metal halide bulb in a 150 watt lamp?
Not recommended. It would work but shorten lamp life and may cause risk of fire. However, if you just wanted to check a lamp was capable of striking it would be ok for a few minutes. I've done the opposite in the past and used a 150w lamp with a 100w ballast. Works, but not good for any of the components, including lamp.
Can a 400 watt high pressure sodium bulb be used in a 400 watt metal halide ballast?
I actually have a 400w hps ballast and I can also use my 400w metal halide bulb in it with no problem. So what your saying is they do, but they dont? the answer is, they dont. You can get universal bulbs hps to plug into a mh ballast they have a miniturized igniter inside the bulb. As I understand it, a 400W metal halide bulb can be used with a 400W hps ballast, but not the converse. A MH bulb has the igniter in the bulb, and the HPS has it in the ballast--which pretty much goes along with your comment above. Apparently the double presence of the igniter in the HPS setup is OK.you can run metal halide in same wattage's but not hps in metal halide systems.you can run such as (same wattage's)250 watt metal halide-400 watt halide ect in hps systems but not hps bulbs in halide systems. they make conversion bulbs to run halide in hps as well and vice versa.
Will a higher wattage hps bulb work in a ballast that came with a lower wattage bulb?
A higher wattage HPS bulb may work with a ballast that is rated for a lower wattage bulb , but may appear to be dim and will not produce the rated light output. It is best to match ballast and bulb accordingly.
What should voltage be at socket of a 400w hps fixture 120v?
100 Volts
Will a hps luminaire run a metal halide lamp?
Yes the ballast and starter are the same you can run halide in hps, but not hps in halide.
Can you use a hps bulb in a metal halide fixture?
In most cases a cfl bulb can be replaced with an incandescent bulb as long as the base matches. for an example: if a cfl bulb has a GU24 base an incandescent bulb will not work! Also, ensure the wattage of the bulb does not exceed manufacturers rating.
