Do HPS bulbs lose lumens as they get older?

[thegrower]

I have a pretty old HPS bulb and was wondering if the lumen output goes down over their lifetime like from wear and tear? My light is about 3 years old and has been used on 2 grow im wondering if its time to replace it or should i just wait til it burns out? Light is still plenty bright but i swear it was brighter the last time i grew....

 

[hydroclops]

I am no expert, but from what I have heard,
by the 3rd grow they should be replaced.

I am lucky with 400 hps I have access to them at work so I change mine every second grow.

 

[Suby]

Hey Grower,

your not halucinating the intensity does go down after extended use, I usually change mine every 2 grows, I'm not saying it's not good but if your after higher yield a fresh bulb is better no doubt.
Besides a new bulb is like 30$, if your old bulb has lost say the equivalent of 30 or so Watts then that's anywhere between 15-30 grams lost on a grow which means you lose more product than the bulb is worth.
I've seen alot of setups with old bulbs, it's penny wise dollar foolish IMHO.

Peace
Suby

 

[JJScorpio]

Suby is correct. After the life expectancy hours have gone by, they begin to lose power. I change mine a couple times a year but keep the old ones around for spares.....

 

[invision]

you should change bulbs as said after 2 grows, i have a old bulb and a new bulb in the same room and there is a small diffrence in the used bulb for 1 grow.

 

[Guest]

Yea change after two grows,if you want to waste money IMO.1 year is plenty enough I go around 12-18 months with 1 K hortilux

 

[mtnjohn]

i keep my bulbs for about a year and yeilds are the same for me
my light is in constant use

but they do lose lumens, thats why i replace them



IDK...maybe i got magic bulbs ....yea ..thats the ticket....magic bulbs

just my experience with my humble system, actual results may vary

mj

 

[Guest]

MH becomes less effective a lot quicker than HPS,especially horty HPS

 

[Pipedream]

While they do loose some brightness over time, the real problem is color shift. As the bulb ages, and the internal electrode slowly vaporizes, and the make-up of the gaseous mixture changes. As a result, there is a shift in the degree kelvin color temp that they emit. If my memory serves me correctly, it moves more toward the cooler temps which would deminish the amount of blue spectrum produced.

I'm only using a 150, and can get them for under 5 bucks in most flea markets, so I change them out every few grows.

 

[mtnjohn]

i'll have to look around at some fleas this spring

cuz if i could get em for $5...i think i would change out more often
thanks for the info pipe, your a very knowledgeable man

mj

 

[Suby]

Great post Pipe, didn't know the spectrum was what changed, it makes sense seing as what tipped me off that my light was due after my first few grows was the stretch of my plants.

S

 

[thegrower]

replaced the old 250HPS with an ARGOMAX 250w [35000 lumen] much brighter i must say- cost an arm and a leg but thats cause im too impatient / dont want to leave a paper trail with online orders... but hell has a 1year burn-out warranty too, no questions asked.. but it cost $60 = rape!

 

[Suby]

As with any product you get what you pay for, if it produces just a few more watts that means more bud, it's worth it.

 

[thegrower]

yeah def suby- my last bulb was some cheap SLI ebay bulb i think it only made 25-27000 lumen so this is a nice upgrade...

Question: what is the safest temps for the canopy... right now my box is about 75F but the canopy is like 81F, i put my hand there and it isnt to hot IMO but i was just curious if u think this is ok or should i raise the light a bit?

 

[Guest]

I would only raise it if I were at midpoint in flower or past.the closer the better to reduce stretch.I veg with the top fans around 84 degrees hit with a lazer thermometer

 

[thegrower]

where can u buy those laser thermos? those are the point and shoot kind correct?

 

[Guest]

Google fluke 62 mini I paid about 100 dollars here locally

 

[Pipedream]

As long as you can leave your hand there for 30 seconds or so without burning, its fine for your plants. As said, keep it as close as possible.

I paid about $49 for my point and shoot thermo w/ lazer. I' just saw them in Costco (I think) for even less. Once I remember where I saw them I'll edit this post.

(edit 3/1/07) OK, it wasn't Costco, I checked. However, I now see you can get them for well under 20 bucks new on ebay.

Here's mine in action.........

 

[Deft]

HIDs dont have a fillament so they CAN last a long time, the 35W Xenons in my car are expected to last the life of the car!