How often do you change your bulbs?

[Nog Onsigbare]

I have had a 400W metal halide which I don't use constantly but I use of for seedlings and clones and clone mothers; I have had it for about 10 years and it's still growing strong; whatever I put under it grows well so I haven't seen the need to change it.
I was talking to the guy at the grow shop and he said he has one customer who trades in his bulbs after each run.
I don't think you need to do that.
So how long does everyone run their bulbs for?

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

I like to change them every 6 months in flower, for veg I will go a year. You will notice a difference when changing your flowering bulbs in yield and quality. My oldest bulb ever was a 1.5 year or so 1000watt MH bulb. It is the only bulb that ever blew on me. Not the whole bulb but the internals took a dump. Hot glass shards can start fires. 10 years is ridcoulous, congrats, but for safety concerns and effciency I think it would be worth the small investment for a new bulb.

 

[LastWaltz]

It really depends on a many factors, a big one being the manufacture of the bulb and another the ballast that you are using.

You could expect to see anywhere from a 2%-7% drop in PAR watts per 2 month 12/12 cycle. Electronic ballasts will have the same bulb producing almost 30% more par watts then in a Magnetic ballast but as a result shorten the lifespan of the bulb.

As for different manufactures the three highest HPS Par outputs I have measured are Lightspeed by Lums, Hilux Opti-Red by Ushio and Emperor (Non-HighOutput) respectively.

All three contain German internals but only the Ushio is assembled in Germany. The other two are assembled in China, as opposed to Hortilux which is Chinese internals and simply assembled in the US for the MADE IN USA stamp.

Aside from that you will have to see how each fairs in your set up, but I can tell you that if you are not willing to replace your bulb for the 7% gain every two cycles then go with Ushios as they have the slowest rate of degradation.

 

[TB Gardens]

Agreed, 6 months of run time is enough to justify a bulb change for me. Grab a lumen meter, you'll see the difference.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Never as soon as I should. LOL

Seems I've always seen an improvement when I change lamps... I just don't get it done when I should.

LastWaltz has great info... stick with it.

Stay Safe!

 

[nukklehead]

The equivalent of 3 -- 8 week cycles for hps ( 24 weeks)

Same for the MH but it only runs 3 weeks at a time ( 24 weeks)

therefore 3 grows for hps.. 8 grows for MH ( using 1k switchable)

No science.. Just habit and cheapness on my part

P.S Caps are just as important being changed at equiv. of 18 mo. intervals...

 

[serpent]

generally every six months

 

[Widow Maker]

Once a year for my MH (24/7), usually every 2 cycles of the grow room ~6 months for the HPS

 

[Guest2012z]

i date my bulbs when i put them in and run 75% of manufacturers estimated bulb life. you can buy light meters cheap to test your lights too. NOT PAR meters. clean the dust off every 3 weeks.

a 1000w HPS hortilux bulb is 2 years used in flower 12 hours a day, keep a simple calendar and at 18 months replace it or check it. it should last 4 years but i never trust sales advertising.

 

[dank.frank]

Wonka-Bulbs

Ever lasting halides!




dank.Frank

 

[sso]

nukklehead ,change the capacitor every 18 months?



ive run my 600w 2 years now, the 400 mh 4 years. i dont see enough difference in the yield to bother yet with getting new bulbs. a few grams less isnt an especial monetary concern for me and i can use the 60 bucks for different things.


i used to have these old 150 hps,that came with bulbs that might have been 10 years old for all i know(actually pretty sure they were at least close to that number), still grew tight dense buds for me, about 10 grows later for a friend i gifted them to, they were still growing similar looking buds. i think it did at least 4 grows more though i dont know how they differed by then. one bulb had finally gone out.

 

[Piel]

I´ve been running three grows with my 600W and it is till strong, I maybe should change it but as said why change if it´s working?

 

[Galactic]

if your bulbs are goin on 10 years, i cant even fathom the rest

 

[foomar]

Electronic ballasts will have the same bulb producing almost 30% more par watts then in a Magnetic ballast

That figure sound somewhat excessive , even the ballast manufacturers state a whole lot less.

Standard Growlux bulb at 50 hours on a quality magnetic compared to european digital ballast , showed minimal difference on a licor , and within experimental error , would suggest 5% extra would be more realistic.

 

[187020]

Lumatek/hortilux freshness

Lumatek/hortilux freshness

600w hortilux are tinted/smoked after 4 months on lumatek, 2 mos at 100% and then 2 months super lumen. Sylvania grolux 600w hps go well beyond six mnths...these are the best long lasting bulb but hortilux are initially strongest. Peace homies

 

[GanjaPharma]

.....

 

[GanjaPharma]

fresh cap in my ballast every 2 years (i date em) and fresh bulbs every 6 months.
plantmax bulbs, less than $30 , switched years ago and will never go back to $100 hortis.

its the special metals that make that extra blue...they burn off much earlier than the rest of the bulb will.

 

[GanjaPharma]

....dblpost...jesus...triplepost?

 

[Blue Socks]

For some reason Ushio doesn't make a 250w size which sucks for me but what are you gonna do.

I change out roughly every third flowering cycle.

 

[Don Treadonme]

DAMN!!!
I guess I don't change mine enough...hell I was using the same 2 HPS 400 watt bulbs going on 3 years, just changed a year ago, no noticeable difference really...still got the 2 old ones I am keeping as backups...frankly I seen 400 watt HPS bulbls at lowes, half tempted to try them..didn't look too closely at them though so don't know details, just that they are cheaper and 400 watt HPS bulbls..I have never replaced either of my 2 MH 400 watt bulbs, but they are hardly ever used and probably in total have a year or less use on them.