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Help me decide what the hell happened to my HPS!

TheWorldIsMine

New member
Greetings all,

I am new to this forum and I apologize for my lack of contribution so far. I was very active on overgrow and during the years overgrow was thriving, so were my grows. Shortly after that site went down I packed up all my equipment and moved and never unpacked all my lights/blowers/hydrofarms/ect until a few weeks ago. Now Im ready to grow again.

I have 25 bag seed beauties under a 1000W HPS. They have been flower for 20 days with no issues. Very healthy, no light issues.

I get up today at 8:00 and head down to take a look at the girls as I always do first thing in the morning (lights should have come on at 7:00) and its DARK! WHAT!?

I immediately hook up a 400W MH in another area and transfer all the plants under it until I can diagnose this issue. Here's what I know and where I get confused-

There are 4 items running on this circuit, all plugged into a single surge protector. My Dayton fan, my 1000W HPS, and (2) 4ft shop lights my seedlings are under.

Now, first and foremost one of the 2 shop lights is now totally non-functional (fried somehow?), I plugged it in elsewhere with no luck. It was working less than 12 hours ago. As for the other shop light it is fine when the HPS is not plugged in. As soon as I try to plug the HPS in to fire it up the working shop light blinks continuous until I unplug the HPS then it comes on full power?! The dayton blower seems fine regardless of whats plugged in or where its plugged in.

Now for the most important item, the HPS. I have had it many years and it was originally acquired via a construction site. Never had any issues with it and I just replaced the bulb at the beginning of grow (cant be 300 hours on it). When I opened up the room this morning and it was "on" it glows very low with a blue hue. Same if you unplug for a few and plug it back in. Makes me think my ballast is the issue? although I cant hear any difference in its operating sounds and it didn't feel overheated at all.

Everything worked last night now with the shoplights blinking when I plug in the 1000W and it not kicking on Im very confused. Does a blown HPS bulb glow a slight blue when you try to strart it? And is it possible my 1000W ballast some fried itself and damaged my shoplight too? Maybe I had a power surge last night? although nothing else in the house was effected.

I don't have a spare 1000W bulb but I can get one this afternoon at an electrical supply store by my office. It just doesnt seem like it should be the bulb! Someone help!? Any ides?!

TheWorldIsMine
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
No it probably isn't the HPS< but a lack of available power. In my old grow I couldn't get my shop lights to turn on if my 8 lights were on, and they were on a separate circuit! I think you're experiencing a lack of available amps for the fluorescent ballasts to strike their arc, so it fried. Put them on separate circuits and try the HPS on another circuit with no other load. You may have fried something if it was fighting itself for an hour trying to arc, but we're just starting the process of elimination.

BTW did you use the same handle at OG? It looks familiar to me, I had a different one over there but I won't post it on the open forums for security reasons ;)
 

Stay Puft

Member
I would:

1)- Remove Surge protector.
2)- Test ballast while plugged directly into source. (wall outlet/breaker)

It is possible you are drawing too much current for your surge protector. (and it is now damaged) What does the rating plate say on it?
Regards,
Puft
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
Hey World, Welcome aboard.

New rules (as in brand spanking new) say lighting questions now belong in the lighting sub-forum. I've moved it over for you with a redirect from Growrooms where last you saw it.

Break a stem
FB
 

Lazyman

Overkill is under-rated.
Veteran
I missed the bit on the surge protector, for sure that is part (or all) of your problem. Don't use them on lights!
 

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