electrical help needed with ballast troubleshooting

I had a ballast go out on me, swapped out bulbs with same effect so it must be the ballast. the problem I am having is that the hps bulb never gets bright, just stays at a low, orange light level.

from what I've read that mean I need a new ignitor/starter. just wanted some confirmation on this before I buy one.

Thanks in advance

Usually when a igniter goes bad it will not ignite at all leaning towards the capacitor. Most times you can just look at a capacitor and see that it is swelled. You can also test the capacitor with a capacitance tester. Or just put your finger across the connectors ( just kidding) don't do that. You can pick up a new igniter and capacitor on eBay for under 50 buxs. Also have you checked all connections maybe loose or corroded.

Are the bulbs seating fully into the socket? Otherwise I'd probably be off to a shop if one is available to you. Hammers advice sounds solid as well. Best of luck

It pays to keep a backup if possible , I just had a ballast fizzle out and it is covered under warranty but this may take weeks to get back . So I walked into my storage room and pulled a new backup off the shelf and plugged it in . Many people fail to realize that a simple ballast can put a grow down or paralyze it severely if there is multiple lamps ..

Note * They are all made in China so beware of the quality control . Even the best of the best have issues now and then thanks to the Chinese and there rapid rate of production and lack of QC

all leaning towards the capacitor

Click to expand...

If you pick up another cap... it should fix it...
Usually the first thing to go...after the lamp....

You know don't touch the lamp when you are screwing it in and out to check... right?

Good Luck man...

ordered the capacitor and a ignitor. spent extra money for higher quality components that should last for years hopefully. i didn't realize how accessable and easy the ballast parts are to assemble. you can make your own 1k watt ballast with excellent components sure to last at least 5 years for about $100 shipped. you can even make digital ballasts with available parts on the internet.

professor good point on the backup. i don't have a lot of extra cash atm so I'll just order a spare ignitor and capacitor as a backup

thanks to hammer21 for recommending the capacitor, for future reference to people who stumble onto this thread from a google search - it was in fact the capacitor that went bad. the cap that went bad didn't look deformed or burnt, had no smell to it, looked brand new - go figure. sure as hell beats spending $100+ for a new ballast! fixed and back running for under $30.