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Flickering mercury vapor light

burleymike

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
935
Location
SE Idaho
I have a 100w mercury vapor light on my barn that is about at least 2 years old. It was a demo at the store so it may have some hours on the lamp and ballast.

This winter I have noticed it starting to flicker and sometimes it will go out until it cools off, it is a very random thing except it seems to happen more when it is really cold (20F or less.) I thought maybe it was light getting reflected back into the photo cell. This has never been a problem though. It does not occur any more frequently when it is cloudy, snowing, or clear out so I don't think that is the problem.

I know high pressure sodium lamps cycle on and off at their end of life. Is this typical of a MV lamp that is at it's end of life? The light is still very bright and white so I don't think the lamp has a lot of hours on it.

Does this sound more like a ballast problem?
 
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Charles (in GA)

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Messages
12,489
Location
50 mi south of Atlanta
Yep, bulb is going bad, MV does it also. Remember it was probably on 24/7 for two or three years in the store before you got it, that equals 5 or 6 normal years of use.

Charles
 
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