trouble shooting metal halide

[hershey]

Hey Fellas, I've got two metal halide fixtures on the front porch of two attached businesses, each one fed from a switch in that business. The complaint was that sometimes the fixtures turn off automaticly. I did notice that if you turn the switch off and back on the fixture goes off but never back on unless it is left off for a while. Ok is this normal and is this problem caused by voltage spikes and/or drops?

 

[Nium]

Lamp or ballast is failing. Probably lamp. If a new lamp has recently been fitted then probably ballast.

It is normal for it to take up to 15 minutes for the lamps to come back on after having reached operating temperature and being switched off.

 

[Rewire]

If both fixtures are going off I would suspect a voltage fluxuation .If the fixture is going on and off fairly regularly then a bad capacitor may be the cause.It does take time for these fixtures to re light unless you install a restrike.

 

[magictolight.com]

I'd bet lamps need replaced. Probably installed at about the same time so the lamps are the same age. Replace the lamps, if that doesn't do it, ballast and starter time.

 

[Rewire]

Our supply house has a bulb tester .If you change the ballast kit put a new bulb in and use a sharpie to write the replacement date for future reference

 

[mjf]

suggestion

suggestion

I would suggest to the businesses to eliminate the switches and put the units on photo sensors, then you don't have to worry about restarts or remembering to turn them on