Shockedby277v
Senior Member
- Location
- Michigan
Is there a seasoning time for high pressure sodium bulbs???? How long should you leave them on befor turning them off???
seasoning lamps
- Thread starter Shockedby277v
- Start date
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T
T.M.Haja Sahib
Guest
Switching on and off of discharge lamps frequently, reduces their life expectancy.Keeping them on for longer periods of time increases their life expectancy.
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
For newly installed lamps, I give them an hour, if possible. This also gives me time to ensure that I don't have additional problems with the ballast or capacitor.
iMuse97
Senior Member
- Location
- Chicagoland
I seem to remember that if you don't season them, the ongoing color temperature of the lamps can vary. If it is a street lighting or arena-type lighting situation, this could be important, when many fixtures can be seen at once, and visual uniformity is important.
A 100 hour seasoning time is usually required before the halides in metal halide lamps are combined well enough for the light color to be consistant. I don't believe a sodium bulb requires a seasoning time. That being said, I also like to burn them for about an hour (if possible)to make sure nothing happens. I have seen the ballast get hot and the windings short out against the iron frame of the ballast in less than 30 minutes.
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