Safe to use 400w Bulb w/ 430W Ballast? [Archive] - Green Grass Forums

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durb1313

09-26-2009, 10:08 PM

Don't want any fires, and I have a 430w HPS ballast and a 400w metal halide conversion bulb.
Is this unsafe? If so I will just use the 430w sodium bulb for now.
Thanks

killerweed420

09-26-2009, 11:22 PM

Probably not a good idea. It will shorten its life and probably get too hot.

iGrow27

09-30-2009, 04:33 AM

I have a xtrasun 430 Watt HPS ballast. The grow store included a Solar NRG. (400 Watt HPS to MH conversion) After 3 months of using the bulb we moved. The bulb worked for 2 days at the new house, and then went to just a blue arc. The move may have negatively affected it, but it could have been the ballast. I've heard they are nearly identical components, but those slight differences affect it.