Will a 250w MH ballast run a 150w bulb?

F

Fenix_XIII

Premium Member
Hi,

My 150w ballast crapped out on me a couple of days ago and I have an old 250w ballast in the garage. I was wondering if the 250w ballast could actually run the 150w bulb. They are both electronic ballasts and they are both for Metal Halide bulbs. The difference is the wattage of course and I used the 250w for a single ended bulb and the 150w ballast is for a double ended bulb. Could this work? I know when I was using PC's I could run different wattage bulbs with no problems. But since this is different technology I'm scared to try it. I looked online and couldn't find any info.
 
BE CAREFUL! I'm not an electrical expert, but my understanding is that the ballast will drive the 150W bulb as if it is a 250W bulb. This will create a dangerous situation where the output from the ballast will supply 250 watts to the 150W bulb. Even if it fires up without incident, the 150W will definitely run much hotter and at a significantly higher pressure, possibly even causing the bulb to explode [smilie=worried.gif]. So, my advice is not to try this as it is a big safety concern.
 
No it won't work the most you can do is maybe 175 to overdrive it


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Thanks for the replies guys.... I kinda figured as much. Oh well time to shell out some dough for a new one.
 
Correct. Otherwise you may blow the bulb.
 
Can my Current Slimpaq 2 X 39w T5 driver drive 2 24w bulbs, or will they blow up? Thanks!

David
 
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