Exploding HPS?

[SSHZ]

I believe HPS are only meant to work with their outer glass bulb in place. It's a security issue to reduce exposure to harmfull rays that are produced when on. I'm guessing it has something to do with that.....

 

[theherbalizor]

Shit, scary stuff.

Glad you and your gaff are ok bro!!!

 

[Midnightgardener]

I can imagine, what did that cost ya? 300 euros?

yea just about, and had hours of cleanup with the shattered pieces of glass all over,
and had to change all the ballasts to 400watt so that cost another 600e, costly mistake, like i said in earlier posts it happened using a phillips HPIT-S 400watt with the MH filaments..:mad0223:

 

[Big Buddy]

Was in the grow room last summer and had a 1000w dual-arc explode, looked like the 4th of July! Thankfully it was summer and the glass was on the hood. Bulb replaced free of charge as it was only 6 months old and under warranty from Worm's Way.

jj

Shit!, Now a dual arc you really dont wanna be around, your a lucky guy to be typing here bro.

 

[British_Hempire]

I believe HPS are only meant to work with their outer glass bulb in place. It's a security issue to reduce exposure to harmfull rays that are produced when on. I'm guessing it has something to do with that.....

They will work without the glass envelope (which is quartz and designed to block UV) but produce a large amount of nasty harmful UV, there is an old tutorial somewhere on the net about how to turn a standard HPS lamp into a UV lamp, basically all you do is remove the glass envelope!

 

[SSHZ]

I'm guessing there was a crack in your glass envelope somewhere and the build up of heat caused it to shatter....... I've seen it before but only with cheaper bulbs.

 

[British_Hempire]

That's why I always use Osram, made in Germany, I know someone who burnt his house down using cheap nasty bulbs back in the 90s, good job he was in the pub with me at the time cos it went up in no time. Police couldn't charge him cos while there were obvious signs of a cannabis operation, all the plant matter (and his stash) had gone up in flames. I remember watching the fire investigator going over the mess and picking up things like his blackened bong and a HPS reflector (the aluminium was all warped from the heat) out of the wreckage.

I've got a new bulb in there, an identical Osram son-t, this one was in my cooltube in my old setup and has 3 months use, so it's good for another 3 months, I am keeping my eye on it though, I'm nervous now! I am worried that if I hadn't found the broken bulb when I did it could have caused a fire that would have destroyed my house!

 

[hazyfontazy]

mustve got wet

 

[hazyfontazy]

i had it happen to me running 10 400watt hpits's on 600 watt ballasts, plugged em in and watched them explode one after the other, the reason is the hpits cannot start on a 600watt ballast, i found out the hardway..

why the hell did you even try that in the first place ?

 

[British_Hempire]

It definitely didn't get wet, I was out all day the day before so the plants didn't get watered that day, it was dry as a bone in there and with the way it's setup no moisture could have dripped on it. I am wondering about condensation but there has never been any in there and if it was caused by condensation why didn't it happen earlier?

I wonder if finger grease on the glass could have caused it?

 

[Otto]

How cold is it outside your growroom? Cold air getting brought in coulda made condensation, maybe....right? IDK but the small crack deal sounds more logical specially if your room had been running for awhile before it happened...or you just had a suicidal bulb, lol.

-Otto

 

[British_Hempire]

It's 18-20C in the house but the grow is in the attic so it's colder in there, no condensation tho as far as I can see, and it's warmed up 2-3 degrees in the last week, I dunno what happened, I would like to know cos it worries me it might happen again. Until I get the grow moved I'm gonna turn the light off if I go out for a while, don't wanna come home to a pile of burnt wreckage!

 

[Otto]

It's 18-20C in the house but the grow is in the attic so it's colder in there, no condensation tho as far as I can see, and it's warmed up 2-3 degrees in the last week, I dunno what happened, I would like to know cos it worries me it might happen again. Until I get the grow moved I'm gonna turn the light off if I go out for a while, don't wanna come home to a pile of burnt wreckage!

Yea id prolly keep it off too when i aint round, sorry for your problems Hemp.

-Otto

 

[Otto]

OH you were totally right its had to be grease on your bulb prolly from your fingers that weakened the glass, which caused a hot spot, which caused a crack which, caused the pop. Thats my wikipedia theory anyhow, lmao.

-Otto

 

[British_Hempire]

Yes, many years ago i was a lighting technician for a TV company and if you get finger grease on the light bulbs we used (small quartz capsules) they would blow after a few mins.

Hmm, now I need to clean the bulb I replaced it with as I can see fingerprints on it, I have never seen this happen before and I've handled HPS lamps without gloves many times, I didn't think it mattered with a HPS as I've seen loads of shit encrusted HPS and MH lamps in workshops and warehouses that were working fine.

What's good for cleaning off finger grease? Isopropyl alcohol? I'll have to buy some cleaning shit tomorrow!

 

[l33t]

Hi BH

I ve seen light bulbs like the ones you mention you handled while working as a tv lighting technician explode too LOL

as for HIDS Iso should work fine (dont know if its recommended really ) but I dont think its neccessery to be honest, I always just wipe them carefully with a dry cloth few times till they are nice n clean and had no probs so far.

 

[Arti.chokes]

If you have a screen wipe for your monitor you can use that on the cold bulb and give a buff with a dry tissue BH.

 

[British_Hempire]

Cheers guys, to be honest I doubt it's finger grease that caused it as I reckon every bulb I've had has had at least some grease on it. Probably a flaw in the glass that slowly got worse with the heating and cooling.

I'm still nervous tho, I'm away for the day tomorrow so will unplug the light before I leave, one day of darkness won't make any difference really.

 

[Husbandnwife420]

crazy shit .ya 1 day of dark is beter then being left out in the cold from FIRE best of luck to ya bro peace out

 

[Midnightgardener]

re

why the hell did you even try that in the first place ?

cause with sont agro 400watt they can start up with a 600watt ballast no problem, but the HPIT-S 400watt cannot, i did this cause i was growing longer than usual and thne i wanted to switch the bulbs with the 600watt greenpower for flowering..