Light Issues

[bigsexy420]

Hey Everyone long time since I've posted here Lost my last crop due to some Major drama with my EX-GF, moving and transportation issues. But I am starting over. A friend of mine brought me one of his plants that was just finishing vegging and I am flowering the plant. It seems to be doing great but I am having one issue with my Lamp.

Every couple of hours the light turns off. I am not sure why it does this, there is still power going to the lamp, and the light for the switch is still on. But the bulb is not producing any light. This seems to happen about every 2 hrs and then the light stays off for about 30 min before it comes back on. Does anyone have any ideas about why this would be? I've checked the timer and everything is set fine there. I thought maybe it was a short in the power line somewhere, maybe it got nicked during the move but nothing that I can see. At this point I am stumped as to what the problem is and I dont want these times of darkness to mess up the plant.

 

[thedonofchronic]

what kind of light do you have?

 

[bigsexy420]

Opps Sorry, I guess I should have included all of the important information. lol

It is a 400w Sun System 2 with a 400w MH Eye Hortilux bulb

 

[MindzEye]

its either a ballast or a bulb issue, go down to home depot and buy a 400w MH bulb for around $25 screw it in and see if the problem still happens, if that bulb does it also you will know its the ballast. I would then contact whoever you bought it from..

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Do you definitely have the right bulb for the ballast? It's odd for grow bulbs to shut down due to heat and it sure sounds like something is overheating and then after it cools back down within tolerance the bulb turns back on. I have a street light in front of my house that does the same thing... It comes on with the rest of the streetlights, works for awhile then shuts down and after a cool down comes back on only to repeat... So I'm thinking it may be a defective or damaged bulb.

Try getting your fan in there to move a lot of air around the bulb and hood to see if it helps. I've had some very hot grow spaces and don't recall this type of thing ever happening. How old is the bulb? Do you have an old but functional 400w that you could swap out to see if the same thing happens? I keep my most recent used bulbs around in case of a new bulb failure and I've used the backup more than once in my hobby over the years. You may want to ask your local indoor garden store dude to see if he has any ideas... Probably selling you a new bulb! If you're a good customer maybe he'll have a used store bulb you can borrow to troubleshoot. At least if you try another bulb you'll know if it's the bulb or the ballast.

 

[bigsexy420]

Thanks guys for all your help

The setup is less than 6 mo old. I bought it all back in Feb. I had it all setup in my old place and everything worked perfect. Then when I moved and set it up over here this started happening. I dont have any bulbs but I will check at the Lowes down the street and see what they have for 400W MH bulbs. I didnt realize that you could get them so cheap. The one I picked up was almost $100.

I have a floor fan that I will set in the closet door right now and hang a sheet over it see if that helps at all.

 

[dr_toker81]

my guess is when you moved you hit a bump and something in the wiring in the ballast was loosened and you hve a short of somekind. it wouldnt be in the bulb. if the bulb is worn it would go completely out or would dim not go on and off. so im pointing the finger at a faulty ballast

 

[UKgirl420]

mine did this twice first time it wasnt screwed it in properly ,:doh:,,,and second time there was a kinks in the wire to ballast ,,:spit:

hope its something or nothing eace:

 

[massproducer]

It sounds like an old bulb that is cycling as all old HID bulbs do before they die. It is because as the bulb ages it starts to use more energy then the ballast can handle and as such it cycles on and off. Too much cycling will greatly negativly affect your ballast. If you have a light meter, check the output of the bulb, i would bet that it would be significantly lower then it is rated, which would mean that the bulb is at the end of its life

 

[bigsexy420]

It sounds like an old bulb that is cycling as all old HID bulbs do before they die. It is because as the bulb ages it starts to use more energy then the ballast can handle and as such it cycles on and off. Too much cycling will greatly negativly affect your ballast. If you have a light meter, check the output of the bulb, i would bet that it would be significantly lower then it is rated, which would mean that the bulb is at the end of its life

Even after only 6th months? I was under the impression that these bulbs would last for several grows, not one or 2 grows? I think it might be overheating issues the blub went off earlier and as soon as it went off I checked the hood and it was too hot to touch I've got a fan that I am sticking in there and will let you guys know if it works.

 

[massproducer]

Yeah if its a brand new bulb then it sounds like the bulb is defective because it should never be heating that much, unless it is dying and then thats what it does. You may just wanna grab a new bulb and check it it, it is best to never give electricity a chance to wreak havoc

 

[dr pyro]

I'm with masspro on this sounds like the bulb. the ballast should be fine heat doesn't bother those type of ballasts there made to take alot of heat.if it was a loose wire nut or connection it would go out with any type of movement. I'm assuming that the ballast is mounted or set aside so it isn't getting knocked around.Lowes has them 28 bucks got 2 the other day.

 

[PencilHead]

If your ballast is heating up enough to shut down, then you should be feeling some definite heat coming off that baby. Doesn't your bulb have a year's warranty as most do? My grow shop guy tattooes the date on the base when you buy one.

 

[bigsexy420]

Hey Guys

Thanks for all your help so far. I put the fan in there a couple of nights ago and it hasnt helped as far as I can tell. The light still shuts off every couple of hours though it seesm to come back on quicker so I don't know. I will head down to Lowes today and see what they have as far as bulbs go.

The balast that I am using is a MH/HPS Conversion balast, should I try grabing a HPS instead of a MH or should I stick with the MH since that is the one having a problem?

 

[Hick]

I would try the hps first.. err "I" would have had the hps in there before now!
that would help to eliminate some of the possibilities, in itself.
That constant on off on off cycle is poison for your plants.. IMO/E...
Are you sure you're switch is on the correct side?.."MH"...

 

[bigsexy420]

Hey Guys

Thanks for all of your help. I picked up a new bulb over at Lowes and put that in. So far no problems Thanks for everything.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Yup... just as we thought: The double dickey diode was shunted back to the incapacitated resistor!

Brilliant! :holysheep:

 

[dr pyro]

good glad to see the problem is fixed. don't worry about heat and the ballast there made to take alot before they shut down

 

[Hick]

Yup... just as we thought: The double dickey diode was shunted back to the incapacitated resistor!

Brilliant! :holysheep:

"double dickey diode".. :rofl: mine has a single dickey diode, but it IS double nutted...

 

[4u2sm0ke]

"double dickey diode".. :rofl: mine has a single dickey diode, but it IS double nutted...

ostpicsworthless:


:rofl: