Lighting and ballast question

I'm pretty sure I've read that you can use a 600w or 400w bulb (HPS) on a 1000w ballast and it'll work fine. As in you can always go down but not up or you'll burn up the ballast. First, is this correct so far.

If that's correct could I wire two 400w lights to one 1000w ballast? like at the bottom of here http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/wiringlights.htm

It SAYS you can ... but Im not an electrician. If you are, or you're the type that really prefers DIY and you can really follow instructions, then that option may work for you. I don't recommend it.

Here's what I know about 1000w ballasts operating 400w bulbs. The new dimmable digital ballasts can be turned down to 400w to run a 400w bulb . . . but it still uses the same juice it did running at 1000w. I think. They also have dual ballasts that run two lamps.

I'm no electrician... I just know dollars... and 1 nice 1000w ballast costs less than 2 nice 400w ballasts and i know that coming off the lead is just a hot (at some voltage and hz) and neutral and a ground... easily spliced into two cords (with plugs even) for two separate lights
wattage is just the "draw" of the device itself... that ballast doesn't push 1000w i don't think... it is capable of supplying 1000w

i'm assuming it's similar to a 100w light fixture being able to power a 100w light but if you put a 40 in there that works fine too and doesn't "blow up" from being in a 100w fixture
and I know the transformer just upps the voltage and the cap stores a charge... the ignitor sends a high kv pulse to light it... so basically we have a jolt and then raw voltage coming out the back right???

i may be wrong... but that's why i'm writing this thread

i'll probably wire the thing myself anyway... i can read a diagram fine but my "theories" aren't alway right

i keep reading that you can run lower wattage bulbs in higher wattage ballasts...

anybody with some electrical knowledge want to chime in?

buggin69 said:

i keep reading that you can run lower wattage bulbs in higher wattage ballasts...

anybody with some electrical knowledge want to chime in?

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Who would write such crap? Where do you "keep reading" it?

Consider the source! Nobody with any real credibility would say such a thing.

People come on this forum and say all kinds of crazy shit - that don't make it true! If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is!!! Take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and varify it with a legitimate source.

I just bought some new 600 lumetek electronic ballasts and they come equipted with a switch to use 360, 400 and 600 watts. It says it should only take a 600 bulb.

T.H.Cammo said:

Take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and varify it with a legitimate source.

Click to expand...

I thought that's what i was doing.. maybe i'm mistaken for my purpose for being here... hmmmm

so are you an electrician or lighting expert of some sort... wouldn't want to take adivce from an illegitimate source???

I have heard the same as you, but I don't think it is very likely. If you really want 400ws there are various cheap routes. 400ws are some of the cheapest ballasts out there. 400ws can be found in high bay fixtures that can be picked up for $25 bucks a piece.
What you are describing may be possible but I doubt it.
Hard for me to believe that you could run a lower wattage bulb in a higher wattage ballast. I would think it would just burn the "filament" up because you are not controlling how much power is going to the bulb.

buggin69 said:

I'm pretty sure I've read that you can use a 600w or 400w bulb (HPS) on a 1000w ballast and it'll work fine. As in you can always go down but not up or you'll burn up the ballast. First, is this correct so far.

Click to expand...

some digital ballasts can run smaller bulbs but if you try to run 2 400 watt bulbs from a standard 1000 watt ballast,it will work for a while until the bulbs burst into flames.

buggin69 said:

If that's correct could I wire two 400w lights to one 1000w ballast? like at the bottom of here http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/wiringlights.htm

Click to expand...

they are not running both bulbs at the same time, the diagram is using a flipflop relay.it sends power to 1 bulb for 12 hrs and then is flipped to the other bulb so only 1 bulb is powered at a time. & it uses the proper bulbs for the ballast. the problem w/ this is that every ballast manufacturer recomends at least 1 hr off time every 24 hrs and running a ballast 24/7 will void the warrenty.