Picked up a HPS light, ballast says 70w, but bulb is a 150w ?

[akirahz]

i picked up a used security light (the kind that bolt to buildings) for $6 bux at a flea market type of place, anyway the tag on the actual fixture says 70w. But the bulb is a 150 watt, it is mogulbase.

Im curious if that 150 watt is running to full capacity or ? what would it be doing, over powering the ballast? or would it not draw 150 watts or put out 150 worth of light?

I dont currently have it running, i just tested it out was all and it lites up?

 

[New_2_Chronic]

Have a fire extinguisher nearby....

 

[akirahz]

Meaning what exactly?

 

[akirahz]

Well ive read that a good rule of thumb is to match bulb to ballast, so i cant understand why a 70w ballast is lighting up a 150 w bulb, but if it is being over powered or perhaps the bulb is under powered, that is what i want to know.. but if theres a firehazard, is it from the bulb exploding or the ballast setting on fire?

is it worth it to disassemble the light and look at the ballast itself? would it say some where on the ballast if it can handle 150 watts? perhaps it was upgraded?

all im wondering is, if a 70w ballast can light up a 150 watt bulb, and if so, would it light up to its full 150 watts?

 

[akirahz]

no help on this one ??

 

[Hick]

hm.. ak.. ballast "should" match the bulb. I'm not even sure that a 70 w ballast will 'loght' a 150 bulb. If it did, I'm certain that it wouldn't run at full capacity.
But the thing that concerns me, "from a flea market". I don't know if the ballast could have been(or if it even CAN be) altered/upgraded to 150 watts. If so, thn plugging a 70 watt bulb into it, 'would' be a fire hazard.
Sorry I'm no help...

 

[4u2sm0ke]

hey akirahz...I would open it up and see if there are wire diagram in it.and to read the ballast..I would not run it on account that the Ballast and the bulb do not match..if you have a 70 watt ballast and its over working just to light the 150watts....or the person you purchased it threw tried to modify it and did not work so he thaught he would seel it at flea market to some sucker..sorry..theres a good reason why people sell things at those places..

find out wgat the ballast is and purchase a brand new bulb


Take care and be safe

 

[akirahz]

hm.. ak.. ballast "should" match the bulb. I'm not even sure that a 70 w ballast will 'loght' a 150 bulb. If it did, I'm certain that it wouldn't run at full capacity.
But the thing that concerns me, "from a flea market". I don't know if the ballast could have been(or if it even CAN be) altered/upgraded to 150 watts. If so, thn plugging a 70 watt bulb into it, 'would' be a fire hazard.
Sorry I'm no help...

Wowzer, i never thought that down grading it could also be hazardous haha, thanks for the hot tip there - i was going to go out and buy a 70w bulb and try that today !!

 

[akirahz]

hey akirahz...I would open it up and see if there are wire diagram in it.and to read the ballast..I would not run it on account that the Ballast and the bulb do not match..if you have a 70 watt ballast and its over working just to light the 150watts....or the person you purchased it threw tried to modify it and did not work so he thaught he would seel it at flea market to some sucker..sorry..theres a good reason why people sell things at those places..

find out wgat the ballast is and purchase a brand new bulb


Take care and be safe

Ah yea, dang flea markets sucker me every time haha -- okay i will disassemble the light and examine the ballast, and buy appropriate wattage bulb then (cause im almost sure im gonna have to )

thanks for the input guys/gals

 

[akirahz]

okay i opened her up and took some pics, i found this one item wrapped in what appears to be cardboard like paper and inside it says 50-150w.

i disconnected the big coil part but there's no writing on it just a few numbers, 64 on the plastic part 9 on the other side 120v on one side n that's it.

so im not sure? what is that little circuit board wrapped in cardboard (brownish white) that says 50-150w? its at the bottom in the 3rd pic

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Hey my friend...IMO..I would not use it...chalk it up as a learning exp..those 70 watt HPS at Home depot $55 American..Good luck

as far as your question why 50-150 ? I dont know. and will leave that to an electrician..lol...



take care and be safe

 

[akirahz]

Yeah im not going to use it, i got a brand new 150w thatll be here tomarrow, but it was a good steal, ill prob put a 70w bulb in it one day and re-sell it to a friend or something, i let it run for a good 5 hrs, didnt seem to notice anything out of the ordinary with it, no excessive heat, no funny smells, seems to work good at least, lights up and gets bright nice n speedy

 

[New_2_Chronic]

someone modified that ballast......IMO.....Good idea not using it...