My 430w HPS broken or is it just the bulb?

[furiousfob]

Hi, I'm pretty new to growing so I would love some helpful insight or input on what the problem might be.

I have a 430w HPS light (I believe it is the hydrofarm sunburst 430 watt) that uses an internal ballast.

It is plugged into a surge protector -> wall timer -> wall socket. The light has been working well for about 1 month until today. This afternoon i went to go check on my babies and i saw that the light was not on. There was also a very noticeable burning smell coming from the ballast vent.

I've tried again to turn on the light a few hours later with no success.

I'm wondering if it is an issue with the ballast or is it just a burnt out bulb (leaning towards the ballast being f'ed up) and if it is the internal ballast, could it be easily repaired?

Thank you guys in advanced, any input is welcomed.

 

[racerboy71]

only one way to really tell tbh.. how old was the bulb?? and when you say it has an internal ballast, you simply mean that you have a hood that has a ballast built in to it right?? i had one of them, and it worked great, different brand though and i'm getting off topic really..
anyhoo's, the only thing i would suggest doing is to pick up a new bulb, it doesn't have to be the most expensive bulb in the world, and screw it in nice and tight, but not too tight, and see what happens from there..
i know that they sell those 430 watt bulbs, but the thing is the ballast is probably only meant to fire up to 400 watt bulbs unless you have some freak ballast that i'm unaware of, so by using the 430 watter, you're actually pushing the ballast past where it was meant to be used.. not a very good idea imho.. i'd simply make sure what you have is indeed a 400 watt ballast and hood, and buy a new 400 watt bulb for it and see how it goes from there.. i'd stick with the 400 watters personally, as i don't think those extra 30 watts are worth pushing the limits of your equipment like that..
just my $.o2 though, i'm sure someone else will have a different reply and reasoning.. g/l..

 

[furiousfob]

Exactly, the ballast is contained inside the hood and the bulb has had about 2 grows on it. The label says to use a 430w hps bulb, so I don't think that I've been making the light work any harder than it should.

The odd thing is the smell that is coming from the vent, it kind of like smells like burnt rubber or plastic.

I guess what I'm just trying to figure out is if the light is repairable or not. I kind of don't want to go out and buy a bulb and find out that the problem is with the ballast because if I need to buy another HPS light i want to get a 600w and won't have a use for the 400w bulb (funds are a little tight).

Thanks for your input racer

 

[racerboy71]

Exactly, the ballast is contained inside the hood and the bulb has had about 2 grows on it. The label says to use a 430w hps bulb, so I don't think that I've been making the light work any harder than it should.

The odd thing is the smell that is coming from the vent, it kind of like smells like burnt rubber or plastic.

I guess what I'm just trying to figure out is if the light is repairable or not. I kind of don't want to go out and buy a bulb and find out that the problem is with the ballast because if I need to buy another HPS light i want to get a 600w and won't have a use for the 400w bulb (funds are a little tight).

Thanks for your input racer

i do know that you can buy what is called a remote ballast for that type of hood.. i'm far from an electrician, so i will refrain from saying all what is involved with wiring one in to what you already have, and nor do i have a clue as to all what is involved.. i simply know that it can be done, lol..
but yah, if you have any electrical exp, i'm sure you could figure it out without much difficulty.. there's probably a diy online somewhere i'm sure..
that way, all you'd have to do is buy the remote ballast and wire it up instead of having to buy a new hood and ballast and bulb and whatever else..
and what i had meant about the 430 watts was this.. yes, the bulb is rated for 430 watts, but my best bet is that the ballast that you're using to fire that 430 watt bulb is only a 400 watt ballast, hence, you're pushing the ballast to work harder.. as far as i know, but of course i could be wrong, that there's no such hood / ballast combo built specifically for 430 watt bulbs, and there for what you have is a 400 watt hood / ballast that your using a 430 watt bulb in.. idk why some co's even make that odd sized bulb tbh.. yes, it's supposed to be compatible in a 400 watt setup like you've got, but at the same rate, i can't see how using a larger bulb like that wouldn't force the ballast to work harder than it would if you had been using only a 400 watt bulb in it..
hope that makes a lil more sense to you, and like i said, i could be completely wrong about what indeed you do have, but my gut feeling is that it's only a 400 watter with the larger wattage bulb in it..

 

[furiousfob]

I've actually sent out an e-mail to hydrofarm and they said that it is most likely the transformer. Went out to one of their retailers for the repair and even got a loaner light for the time being. Really happy with the customer service.