How to tell if HPS bulb is used or old
- Thread starter sunny747
- Start date
Diabolical666
Well-Known Member
Its ALWAYS brand new
just like when you buy a car... all the mileage is highway miles bulbs arnt too expensive to replace
just like when you buy a car... all the mileage is highway miles bulbs arnt too expensive to replace
GrowerGoneWild
Well-Known Member
That doesnt look new.. Look at the little black flecks on the bottom of the element. Look for scuffing on the base contatcts.
One of the places I worked at we had a bunch of new HPS bulbs that were damaged in shipping.. the ceramic inside is super smooth and hard and its good for sharpening knives. And the new one I had didn't have the black flecks on the bottom part of the ceramic like yours.
Just replace bulbs, even if they arent the highest quality a new bulb is better than a high end one with lots of hours. 400's are pretty cheap. Lights are a consumable... Buy a few. Its always good to have a few backups or some spares in case you get more ballasts.. etc.. Mark the hours of the used ones and save those too.
One of the places I worked at we had a bunch of new HPS bulbs that were damaged in shipping.. the ceramic inside is super smooth and hard and its good for sharpening knives. And the new one I had didn't have the black flecks on the bottom part of the ceramic like yours.
Just replace bulbs, even if they arent the highest quality a new bulb is better than a high end one with lots of hours. 400's are pretty cheap. Lights are a consumable... Buy a few. Its always good to have a few backups or some spares in case you get more ballasts.. etc.. Mark the hours of the used ones and save those too.
WestDenverPioneer
Well-Known Member
That bulb has definitely been used.
PorterRockwell
Well-Known Member
AlphaPhase
Well-Known Member
I just found out hortilux have a stamp that is brown when it's new and after 12 hrs usage it turns orange. And there is a date stamp on the bulb as well. Not sure about other bulbs though.
sunny747
Well-Known Member
That's awesome.. If I pay $100 for a bulb I want to know it wasn't already used in someone's grow. Like mine
GrowerGoneWild
Well-Known Member
That video pretty much repeated what I said earlier.. more or less confirmed what I know. One of the more important things he says is inspection prior to purchase, I couldn't agree more. its very important too look the bulb over because once it leaves the shop its yours... Oh missed a few fingerprints or fine cracks in the glass... too late.
Hortilux is a better bulb.. but I feel more pressured to run them as high as 3 runs per bulb. I dont know much about apollo, but sylvania/osram have always worked great for me. Sylvania has horticulture grade bulbs .. but even the warehouse generics works fine.. they are more orange, and produce a little more stretch but they yield fine.
This is what I never did understand about alot of growers, they spend tons of money on nutrients but they skimp on lights.. I'll take new lights and clean glass over specialized top shelf nutrients.
WestDenverPioneer
Well-Known Member
It's a system and it is only as strong as the weakest link. Giving up one thing to compensate for another usually doesn't end well.
Walter9999
Well-Known Member
Buy another one for replacement and use the hell out of that "new" bulb until it craps out...sorry for your luck using craigslist can be brutal...g/l
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