HPS 70 watt light in parking lot

[powerplay]

I was sent to change a bulb on the end of a high post in a parking lot and found a new looking 70 watt HPS bulb inside. I will have to track down the ballast location, whether in the post top or a remote location, but am curious what would happen if I put in a regular 60 watt bulb to shed light temporarily for the evening? If the bulb was a metal halide, I am also curious what would happen if a regular bulb was installed for a temp solution if no bulbs are available?

 

[ghelec]

It probably will not work. Lamps need to match the ballast, otherwise why would they make so many different lamps and ballasts.

 

[ActionDave]

Lamp and ballast need to match. GE used to make a multi-vapor bulb. Maybe they still make it. It was interchangeable between hps and mh fixtures, but you still had to match the wattage of the ballast.

 

[buzzbar]

The ballast could be the cylinder type, which would located inside the pole itself. It sort of 'drops' into place.

 

[BullsnPyrs]

The open circuit voltage of many HPS ballasts is 120 volts. Inc lamps will usually work for a while on a HPS ballast. Not on other HID ballasts.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I was sent to change a bulb on the end of a high post in a parking lot and found a new looking 70 watt HPS bulb inside. I will have to track down the ballast location, whether in the post top or a remote location, but am curious what would happen if I put in a regular 60 watt bulb to shed light temporarily for the evening? If the bulb was a metal halide, I am also curious what would happen if a regular bulb was installed for a temp solution if no bulbs are available?

The starting voltage would blow the filaments out of a regular bulb. Did you happen to check the socket voltage?

 

[BullsnPyrs]

The starting voltage would blow the filaments out of a regular bulb. Did you happen to check the socket voltage?

You would expect that to happen but I have seen many instances while retrofittting apartment complexes high preasure sodium postlights burning incandescant lamps, all working. Maintenance men never had a clue that it was a HPS fixture.

 

[mjf]

You would expect that to happen but I have seen many instances while retrofittting apartment complexes high preasure sodium postlights burning incandescant lamps, all working. Maintenance men never had a clue that it was a HPS fixture.

Are you sure, or was the ballast taken out of the equation?

I had a situation where I found 100 watt mercury vapor lamps and 26 watt CFLs in what seemed to be equivalent luminaires in the soffit of a bank. Seems someone rewired the fixtures with the CFLs eliminating the ballasts......120 volts straight to the sockets.

 

[Hv&Lv]

You would expect that to happen but I have seen many instances while retrofittting apartment complexes high preasure sodium postlights burning incandescant lamps, all working. Maintenance men never had a clue that it was a HPS fixture.

Yea, if the ignitor is bad a regular incandescent bulb will work. That is actually a troubleshooting tip to see if the ignitor is working. The socket voltage will be 120V. If the ignitor is bad you can install an ignatron bulb.

 

[the blur]

I have seen 250w HPS lamps installed in 400w wall packs. they only last a few months.