Relamping with Lower Wattage HID Lamps

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natfuelbill

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What are the effects of using lamps rated lower than the fixture/ballast of the various technologies?

Metal Halide

Mecury Vapor

High Pressure sodium





I have found some owners using 250W lamps in 400W fixtures, etc.....
 
natfuelbill said:
What are the effects of using lamps rated lower than the fixture/ballast of the various technologies?
Click to expand...

At best premature lamp and ballast failure at the worst lamp ruptures and fire.

You should only use the correct lamp for the fixture, the best way to know if you have a lamp that is matched to the ballast is not by the wattage but by the ANSI number.

If the ballast is marked 'ANSI M90' that requires an ANSI M90 lamp which happens to be a 100 watt Metal Halide.

Some of the smaller wattage lamps can be interchanged like some 50 and 70 watt lamps can be had with the same ANSI number.
 
iwire said:
If the ballast is marked 'ANSI M90' that requires an ANSI M90 lamp which happens to be a 100 watt Metal Halide.

Some of the smaller wattage lamps can be interchanged like some 50 and 70 watt lamps can be had with the same ANSI number.
Click to expand...
Is there a chart or table with these specs?
 
Where it gets tricky is when you can't read what's on the ballast anymore. Maybe the fixture take a 400W MV, or maybe it takes a reduced jacket 1000W MV? Hard to tell, sometimes, particularly when the lamp is vandalized or missing .
 
iwire said:
At best premature lamp and ballast failure at the worst lamp ruptures and fire.

You should only use the correct lamp for the fixture, the best way to know if you have a lamp that is matched to the ballast is not by the wattage but by the ANSI number......
Click to expand...

Can you help me find backup data or history on the "lamp rupture and fire." statement?



What could happen if higher wattage lamps are installed in fixtures (for whatever reason one would want to...)
 
I don't know about lower wattage lamps, but I went out on a service call a few years ago to a heavy equipment repair shop. Every time the air compressor started, the outside lights would go off, and they'd be in the dark until they relit.

The voltage really didn't dip much when the compressor started, so I looked at the fixtures. Basic wall packs, 400W metal halide. I checked capacitors, ballast voltage taps, etc. it all looked good. Then I happened to notice the ballasts were 250W, and the lamps were 400W.

I always wondered what would happen if the wrong lamps were installed, now I know.
 
I change 400watt HID's all the time to 320 watt and they last just as long and are indeed brighter! 1000 usually i change over to 320w with ballast!
 
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