HPS Death Question

[mayan]

How do you know when an HPS bulb is going. Do they start flickering? Give up the ghost suddenly? Or do they start fading imperceptibly? Just for general information sake. This is it's third grow...a 400watter. I got a spare just in case. Just want to make sure that if I'm seeing a light, it's probably still functioning correctly. Thanks.

 

[rustybud]

life span 4 it is usually 10 000 hours do abit of quick fire maths so 4 2 grows using 12/12 4 8 weeks wrks out at 1344 hours .. bt if u also used da light 4 veg 4 4 weeks also 4 2 grows is 1008 hours so 2gether u hav used ur lights 2352 hours . so u shud get 8 and a half grows out of ur bulb .. dont no if this will help ya like bt im baked and wanted 2 do sumfin random lol njoy

 

[gangjababy]

I replace my 400 hps on 12/12 every 5 or 6 months

 

[stoned1]

I replace mine about every 6 months if you can try to get a good bulb them $20 iv found dont seem to be a good {brightness that is}

 

[mayan]

thanks for the tips, y'all. How can you tell if it's going? Mine currently seems fine but I haven't used it for about four years so I would like to know what indications to look for should it be going. I have a replacement on hand...I just don't want to use it until necessary. Thanks!

 

[rustybud]

wrd on the grape vine is dat the light dulls down bt can also start 2 flicker threw colours (red blue yellowy white ) i have had no problems out of mine like so dont take my wrd on it ..

 

[MrFishy]

My 600 simply died (after 13 12/12's)

I'd start w/the new one and keep the old for emergency back-up, after assuring the old one still worked fine.
I sense most are discovered already dead so, if there's a warning, few would have had a first hand viewing of the event.

 

[NewGrowth]

I replace HPS once a year and MH every six months. The light will slowly decrease in intensity over time . . .

 

[mayan]

Hmmmm...thanks! It's hard for me to know but I don't think I'm seeing a lessening. I've probably only used this for 20 or 30 weeks so I'm probably cool....Still, I wonder if switching it out soon wouldn't be such a bad idea...if only for my own overweening caution.

 

[NewGrowth]

Hmmmm...thanks! It's hard for me to know but I don't think I'm seeing a lessening. I've probably only used this for 20 or 30 weeks so I'm probably cool....Still, I wonder if switching it out soon wouldn't be such a bad idea...if only for my own overweening caution.

Depends on the bulb high quality bulbs last longer cheap chinese bulbs do not last as long.

 

[mayan]

THanks all...I guess I'll switch it out after this grow and keep it for a backup. This is only about its third of fourth grow.