Can i use a smaller light in a bigger ballast

I know I cant use a 1000 watt light bulb in a 400 watt light ballast, but can I use a 400 watt light in a 100 watt ballast? im asking because my friend will sell me a 1000 watt ballast for a 100 bucks but, I dont need this big of a light and dont want to waste the electricity. Thanks in advance for the answers.

*bump**********

Should be doable. I don't actually know for sure, but if the socket is the same size then it should work. It will probably not be as efficient as a proper 400 watt, but it shouldn't be too different.

1000 watt light really isn't that expensive, unless your Rate is around .20/Kilowatthour. Where I live a 1000 watt light would cost approx $40/month to run 24/7 so figure $20 a month for flowering duties. Not gonna put me in the poor house.

self ballasted ftwizzle

The current research so far has this for an answer, no one has actually confirmed this but the information is reliable enough to believe until some one wants to try it for real.

A bigger bulb should work in a smaller ballast, reports are that some street depts. use bigger bulbs in smaller ballasts because they last longer, so they don't need changed as often. They will burn dimmer, but you should be able to burn 1000 watt bulb in the 400 watt ballast. The reason is the ballast will only deliver 400 watts and won't allow the bulb to pull more than 400 watts thru it.

On the other hand using a 400 watt bulb in a 1000 watt ballast is supposed to cause an explosion. The reason is the 1000 watt ballast will force 1000 watts thru your 400 watt bulb.

You can argue all you want but I've spent days researching this and Bulbs burn different than normal electric theory you are used to applying to other devices. This is the answer until someone tries it.