Hey all

I 've been using my 400 watt hps lamp for 1 grow so far (4 months) and was wondering how long can it keep going without losing ANY lumens? When should i replace it? I got to tell u that every time my a/c unit starts working it draws so much power that everything else on the same outlet is almost switching off and on. I don't know if it can influence the life of the bulb or not, it happens several times a day.

Thanx for any answers guys

uj need a contactor that dont happen to me m8, and the average time for bulb is 3 grows but id say more 2 grows myself with experience on the 3rg the output seemed very low as did the yield i put new bulb in after 9months and the difference is mad id do 1 more then change m8!!

peace 187!!!!! go for a 600 go on u know u want to!!! ull notice difference straight away i did!!

damn, you read my mind, i'm seriously thinking of upgrading to 600, the extra weight at the end is such a temptation

I have a few spare bulbs here now. I have a MH to veg under and I haven't changed that bulb for a good while. I tend to use my HPS to flower 2 grows and then use that bulb to veg the 3rd. When I flower the third grow I get a new bulb for flower and repeat.

SAounds like you have major problems there my friend!, voltdrop is highly detrimental to electrical systems and can cause lots of problems,

less volts = more current = fuse blown = headaches

you ought to be carefulYou should get it on a proper adequate circuit, switch it off until thats sorted as its very important

I once got called to a job where all the lights would dim when the shower was switched on!

You guessed it some idiot had taken a supply from the lights and changed the 5A fuse to a 40A!!!!!!!!

Some people just want to die I think!!!

I moved the a/c to another outlet in the house and the problem is gone, or almost gone, everything works ok when a/c goes on, except from the 400 watt hps which flickers a bit (u need to watch it very closely to notice). It's the best i can do, is it ok?

You shouldn't notice anything! so IMO no its not OK

There is a big voltdrop on the circuit by the sounds of it, but it could be on the supply its basically impossible to say from this side of the PC, I think you need the electrics checking out mate

I will try and help

Firstly whats the wattage of the AC unit 3000W?

Do you have two socket circuits in your house?,

if you do plug the AC unit into another circuit (Fed from different fuse) and see what happens, you should unplug everything else from the circuit

Little tip for you the more current that flows the greater the Volt drop this is your problem there is a lot of Volt drop on the circuit and the AC unit pushes it over the limits, it needs sorting ASAP

Check what else you are powering from this circuit and try to get stuff onto another circuit

IMO it will most likely be the circuit rather than the supply, but its not unheard of

a 3k aircon unit can pull 9k easy at startup, so it might not be anything to worry about, but as em2 says i'd defo get it checked out, you may have a break in the ring and so your current capacity of the circuit is effectively halved, if you have a clamp meter maybe worth checking the total current drawn by the circuit at the fuse board with everything running, and then check the voltage at your plug sockets and make sure they're within 4% of 230v. but first check continuity of your ring main. turn off the circuit breaker. check the voltage is dead on the output side to earth. disconnect the two wires that go into the breaker. measure the resistance between the two wires, should show up as 1 ohm, maybe 2

A slight flicker at startup is nothing to worry about but the OP doesn't sound like a slight flicker.

I have seen it a few times in factories maintenance ( ) have took a supply from a db (It had a spare way! ), some something like a bit extract fan or whatever, and they can't understand why the fluorescents start running all dim like lava lamps if at all!

Its because the supply cable was flat out, usually on a massive run and the added current pushed the volt drop over the limit, they need a bigger cable!

I don't recommend anyone going in a fuseboard when they don't have a clue!, we don't even know if he knows what a multi meter is yet, disconnecting earths from fuseboards is stupid as is neutrals!, its downright dodgy in some boards, if he did need to check the ring I would say at a socket would be much safer with all the electric off, at least he knows for def its the right wire!

Remember hes not doing a city and guilds he just wants his grow light to work , my voltage in my house is 248 Volts they might have changed the number in the book but its just the same.

remember scraglor with no load on the circuit it will read almost the transformers voltage open circuit voltage, as the current is nothing theres no drop, it is to be calculated.

Measuring the voltage with everything on would be my diagnosis, but does he have the gear?, I doubt it.

i wonder if the downstairs circuit is the same, I would unplug as much as possible from that circuit maybe there is something sneaky on the ring main like the immersion heater or something.

i didn't say to measure the voltage with no load, that would be pretty pointless, i said with everything running, and of course he can only measure these things if he has the equipment. never said to disconnect any earths or any neutrals? i said check the voltage is dead to earth. and to disconnect the two wires coming out of the circuit breaker after checking it's dead. obviously if he has no meter then he can't do this, if he does then he'll know how to use it. these are simple tests to check the integrity of the ring, nothing difficult.

so what if your voltage is 248v? i just said to check it's not 4% below 230v, as this means there's too much volt drop in the circuit, which is of course what the problem is.

there isn't going to be any massive long cable runs in his house, and the ring will of course start at the supply to the house, so any volt drop will be in the ring, providing the current is below the 32A rating of the ring, then there shouldn't be any excessive volt drop, hence checking the current of the circuit with everything on, if there is then unless there was a major design fault, which is highly unlikely then there is likely a break in the ring, the only way to check this is with a continuity check, how can he mistake the which wire it is at the fuse board, it's the two that come out of the breaker labelled "ring main" , and as i said, after he's checked the circuit is dead!! i think physically checking the voltage is dead is a bit safer than just switching the breaker off and then going and removing sockets!!!, which he either does himself or gets an electrician out. quite obviously if he doesn't have the equipment he can't do the job.