A 250 watt in a 400 watt ballast??

Budget Buds

Budget Buds

Well-Known Member
Hello all, My question is this:Can I run a 250 watt light from a 400 watt digital dimmable ballast on 50 or 75% ?
 
budbro18

budbro18

Well-Known Member
I wouldnt recommend it. Im pretty sure you have to start dimmable ballasts on full blast for the warm up then switch them to the % you want. That could have been from an old brand though.

The starting strike might be stronger and could blow your bulb right there.

But for all i know it could work. Personally, i dont fuck around when it comes to electricity. It may work for the first few days but one day you might come home to a house burnt down, or at best some plants that havent been getting light for X amount of hours.
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
TreeOfLiberty said:
IF , the 400 digital ballast has a selectable 250 HPS mode , then yes, but not all 400 digital ballasts are made the same. Some 400 dimmable ballasts are meant only for 400 watt bulbs. This particular 400 digital ballast will run a 250 watt HPS bulb >

http://www.growwurks.com/lumatek-400-watt-120-240-volt-dimmable-digital-electronic-ballast.aspx?gclid=CNHf7In0g7kCFUhgMgodVEYAAQ
Click to expand...
Very true.

I have the same ballast made for UK.

If your ballast dims by % then I wouldn't recommend firing a lower wattage bulb.

If your ballast dims by wattage then go for it.


I used to use the 600w lumatek dimmed to 400w with a 400w MH lamp for vegging. But again it dims in watts not %.

I haven't bothered dimming my 400w dimmable lumatek as I just run it at 400w all the time.


J
 
Budget Buds

Budget Buds

Well-Known Member
It was Just a curiosity,The ballast dims by % not by wattage, I'm not willing to try and mess my new ballast up, Not saying it would but better safe then sorry. Thanks to all who replied:)
 
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