Do mercury vapor lamps need a ballast?
A mercury vapor lamp is a type of high intensity discharge (HID) lamp that is typically used for commercial and outdoor lighting. As with fluorescent lights, mercury vapor lamps require a ballast to supply the proper voltage and regulate the current to the electrodes.
Will a mercury vapor lamp work with a metal halide ballast?
They do not manufacture “mercury vapor” ballasts anymore, so you would use a metal halide ballast and MH or MV lamp. On occasion, pairing a 175 MV lamp with a 150W MH ballast, will work, but will cause the ballast to overclock, and will greatly shorten the life of that ballast and/or lamp.
Can I use a LED bulb in a mercury vapor fixture?
LED corn cob lights are one of the most efficient ways to replace metal halide, mercury vapor, and high-pressure sodium HID bulbs.
How do you test a mercury vapor ballast?
Plug it into an outlet and take measurements of the voltage that goes between the capacitor lead that is black and the COM. This will tell you whether the lamp and the capacitor are good. The voltage should read 15 VAC, but it should ramp up to 130VAC within 5 to 10 minutes. This will indicate if the lamp is defective.
Can I use a high pressure sodium bulb in a mercury vapor fixture?
Incandescent and mercury vapor lamps in exterior locations should be replaced with metal halide, high-pressure sodium and/or low-pressure sodium lamps.
What is the difference between sodium Vapour lamp and mercury Vapour lamp?
Answer: The light in Sodium Vapour lamp is from an atomic emission process whereas in Mercury Vapour Lamp it is, finally, from fluorescence emission. The mechanism of light emission in a sodium vapour lamp is simple and straight-forward.
How can you tell the difference between metal halide and mercury vapor?
There is no difference between metal halide and multi vapor lamps because both names describe the same form of lamp. Metal halide or multi vapor lamps are a form of the light source that creates light via passing an electric arc through a gaseous mixture of mercury vapor and vapor of some metal halides.
Do mercury vapor lights use a lot of electricity?
Compared with newer HID lighting, mercury vapor isn’t very energy efficient. The “efficacy”—or amount of light produced per unit of electricity consumed—is 20-60 lumens per watt. This is better than incandescent lamps (about 15-20 lumens per watt), but significantly lower than other HID lighting.
Why does my mercury vapor light buzz?
It’s the ballast that is humming. It could run for another five years like that. A mercury vapor lamp uses a small arc tube enclosed within the larger outer globe.
What causes a high pressure sodium light to go on and off?
A high pressure sodium lamp cycling on and off usually indicates the lamp has reached the end of its normal life.
What is the difference between mercury vapor and high pressure sodium?
High pressure sodium produces a more neutral white light. Mercury vapor bulbs produce light with a distinct blue tint to it. In many countries, including the USA, mercury lighting is being phased out in favor of the more efficient types of HID bulbs.
Which is better metal halide or high pressure sodium?
High pressure sodium lamps last longer than metal halide; they also produce more lumens per watt. Because of their mercury content, neither type of lamp is particularly good for the environment. Metal halide lamps produce more of a glare compared to high pressure sodium lamps.