# Preagnant MH lamps



## fraydo (Mar 30, 2009)

One of our crews went out to troubleshoot some fixtures (10 total) and found 9 with the lamps deformed as follows:

























I have never seen a lamp do this, just shattered lamps. What would cause them to do this? BTW they are indoors, 5 ballasts are no good either, and one fixture remained working.


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## BadSplice (Sep 5, 2009)

Heat and gravity?


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## fraydo (Mar 30, 2009)

BadSplice said:


> Heat and gravity?


Very wise grasshopper:chinese: What I'm wondering is why they heated up in that fashion instead of burning up or shutting off. Is it a defect of the lamp or can that happen at end of life?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

too much sex ?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

wildleg said:


> too much sex ?


I wish I had that problem, but once is all it takes.


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## fraydo (Mar 30, 2009)

wildleg said:


> too much sex ?


 :icon_lol::laughing:
should've had the tubes tied first huh?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

fraydo said:


> :icon_lol::laughing:
> should've had the tubes tied first huh?


That's what happens when the lights go out........


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I bet it was cheap glass the Chinese use since we stopped buying their sulfur impregnated drywall :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Black4Truck said:


> I bet it was cheap glass the Chinese use since we stopped buying their sulfur impregnated drywall :laughing:


I thought it was lead-laced toys.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

480sparky said:


> I thought it was lead-laced toys.


That was after the lead laced toothpaste


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Black4Truck said:


> That was after the lead laced toothpaste


 
Well, that certainly would explain a lot!


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Well, that certainly would explain a lot!


:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## jahaiap (Sep 3, 2009)

Who is the manufacturer of the lamps?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Black4Truck said:


> :laughing::laughing::laughing:


Yeah, well, that's the 'before' picture. I took this of myself yesterday:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

LMAO.. you always find a way to "better" yourself :thumbup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Black4Truck said:


> LMAO.. you always find a way to "better" yourself :thumbup:


I just can't wait until tomorrow, cause I get better looking every day!


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## fraydo (Mar 30, 2009)

jahaiap said:


> Who is the manufacturer of the lamps?


To be honest I didn't look. I just loaned the other tech a 12' ladder when he went back to install the new lamps


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## idontknow (Jul 18, 2009)

wildleg said:


> too much sex ?


Valtrex might help clear that up. And help keep it from coming back.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

My first guess is simply lamp / ballast incorectly matched.

My second would be a lamp was used outside of its operating range.

Some lamps are horizontal burn, some are vertical burn and others are univerasl burn.



> EFFECTS FROM IMPROPER ORIENTATION
> The Arc tube may become bulged or swollen. After extended operating hours some bulging is normal, especially in the off-vertical burning position. If a lamp bulges prematurely, this condition may indicate the lamp is operating at a higher-than-rated wattage due to miswiring, using the wrong lamp on specific ballast or the fixture optical system is directing too much heat onto the arc tube. This problem must be corrected or else the lamp may unexpectedly shatter.


http://www.geappliances.com/email/lighting/specifier/2008_07/downloads/HIDBurnOrientation.pdf


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## Lighting Retro (Aug 1, 2009)

Bob Badger said:


> My first guess is simply lamp / ballast incorectly matched.
> 
> My second would be a lamp was used outside of its operating range.
> 
> ...


Looks like it's worth check lamps and ballasts, and voltage. Yikes. :blink:


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## fraydo (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for the info guys! I'm the replacement lamps and the original ones match the ballast but I did not pay attention as to the orientation on them. I'm sure the tech that changed them out didn't either. He has to go back and replace some ballasts so I'll let him know to check the lamps for their op. range


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## jahaiap (Sep 3, 2009)

There is an appartment complex I service regularly now that had lamps that looked like that. The envelope never shattered, but the arc tubes on all of them were like that. There are 68 of these fixtures in the complex and about 40 were that way. They were 175mh in wallpacks, horizontally mounted. I always thought they may not have been rated for horizontal use because so many were out. I was told they were all original lamps and ballasts. I guess it took the complex 20+/- yrs to find someone with a ladder tall enough to reach the lamps .


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## lightinggod (Mar 31, 2009)

That would be a normal condition for a universal burning position lamp operated in a horizontal position. If you look at the arc in the arc tube while the lamp is operating, you will see that the arc curves towards the top of the arc tube, this is what caused the condition shown in your photos. If your fixtures are equipped with hor sockets, you can use a hor lamp, and prevent this from happening.


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

Watch life expectancy drop when a quartz lamp is off horizontal.
Put one vertical it dies in minutes.


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## RMatthis (Nov 9, 2009)

[/QUOTE]

This pic is a little creepy... :001_unsure:


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## idontknow (Jul 18, 2009)

RMatthis said:


>


This pic is a little creepy... :001_unsure:[/quote]

Let me get this straight. You found a creepy picture on the internet. Then thought to yourself, I know just the place to share this with the rest of the world. This is JUST like those deformed MH bulbs!

Now that I see your train of thought with this, could you please explain how a photoshopped image of a dogs head on a married mans body is anything like a bulging metal halide bulb? How exactly are they the same topic again?


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

I have see that situation before and two thing will come in my mind real quick.,,

• incorrect bulb { especally with vertical bulbs at wrong postion }

• Check the reflector to make sure not reflecting heat back to the arc tube that useally a killer with any type of bulbs.

• overvoltage or overwattage that is the other item you have to watch out as well.

Merci,Marc


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