250w MH MISFIRING :( HELP IC...

[split kooks]

Its not a huuuge deal, but my 250 MH starts up fine, but for some reason the bulb goes out after some time now, the best way that i can put it now is that over the last 48 hours the unit has become very unreliable... i know that my power is stable, and there are no problems comming out of the wall....

-could it be the bulb? (its over 2 years old :/ )
-could it be the ballast if not the bulb? it is on - i can hear it, and there is the normal heat.....
-could it be the temps fucking with it? the lamp fires at around 10pm nightly, and it is around 55ish when it comes on....then goes off some time later


any ideas?
its no biggy i just coincidently got a 600 workin so im covered, but dont wana part with this great 250mh fixture....

 

[HeadyPete]

most likely the bulb. You should have a spare anyway, then you could have done the troubleshooting and saved the post.

Bulbs fail, always have a backup handy.

 

[mexilandrace]

bulb most likely,

I have had socket issues too, though, that acted like bulb problems.

 

[split kooks]

HeadyPete, mexilandrace:

thanks for the advice, I was just at the store yesterday getting the other lamp for the 6hundo... I was in denial about bulbs, Ill heed your words HP and grab another & AN EXTRA


again thanks for the quick fire responses, there was about 20m this morning where my heart was in my stomach


& mexi: i have had socket issues with the tab not making contact with the same bulb before


coolio all, thanks for the 3rd time...

 

[Mountain High]

do you have a digital ballast? my digital 400hps kinda misfires by going dim now and again. just a weird random deal. some days it ok and some days its very dim.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Its not a huuuge deal, but my 250 MH starts up fine, but for some reason the bulb goes out after some time now, the best way that i can put it now is that over the last 48 hours the unit has become very unreliable... i know that my power is stable, and there are no problems comming out of the wall....

-could it be the bulb? (its over 2 years old :/ )
-could it be the ballast if not the bulb? it is on - i can hear it, and there is the normal heat.....
-could it be the temps fucking with it? the lamp fires at around 10pm nightly, and it is around 55ish when it comes on....then goes off some time later


any ideas?
its no biggy i just coincidently got a 600 workin so im covered, but dont wana part with this great 250mh fixture....

It's usually the lamp that fails first. If you've been using the same lamp for a year, I'd replace it.

Try a replacement bulb first. You can always keep it as a spare (which you should have on hand anyway.) if it turns out to be something simple with the ballast.

 

[FreezerBoy]

What Hydro Soil said.

 

[split kooks]

a big thank you to everybody who gave a little help here