Crap!! Dead light.. need help ASAP!!

Okay so I'll post more details in another thread as soon as I can, but right now I have a big problem.

I have a 600 watt HPS in my room, it's ancient, it was a family hand me down.

Got everything all set up last night, everything was all good, then this morning I get up, the room is freezing (it's -15 outside) and my light is just barely flickering. The ballast is making a weird noise too.

Now, how can I tell if it's the light, and I can just go buy a new bulb, or the ballast, which in that case I'm gonna have to scramble. I have a 400 watt light bulb for another setup, can I put that in to test the ballast? Will it like, blow up?

*sigh* I know, I'm just another panicked newbie, but someone please help :(

TY

well do you have any friends who may have an xtra 600 you can borrow for an hour or two, or maybe you can take the whole down to the local hydro shop.
How cold is your room? are there already plants in there, cause freeezing doesn't sound so good.

I personally wouldn't put a 400bulb in a 600 ballast.


If you can get ahold of another bulb, plug it in, if the bulb lights up fine, you know the bulb was the problem, if the bulb doesnt light up, you know the ballast is the problem.

Yeah I already had plants in there... Temps were down in the 60's when I got up this morning :( I went and bought a new bulb and thankfully she fired up!!! So... disaster seems to be averted for the moment, now to wait and see wether they go hermie on me :(

I'm gonna take some pictures of the setup and start a grow log in the proper thread :)

cattsy

Putting that 400w in there will be no problems but I seriously do think that you need a new ballast. If you know somebody with a multimeter you could check it yourself. Just check out the ballasts output. Good luck......

Have a good grow!:jointsmile: