Technical Support & Troubleshooting
| Trouble Shooting & Technical Support | Warranty Info | MH/HPS FAQS | T5 Lighting FAQS | Aquarium Lighting FAQS |
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Trouble Shooting for Sunlight Supply Ballasts, Fixtures, MH/HPS Bulbs & T5 Fixtures |
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Download Sunlight Supply's Technical Guide for Grow Lights, Ballasts, T5 Fixtures & Reflectors (PDF version)
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Download Sunlight Supply's Technical Guide for Aquarium Lights & T5 Aquarium Lighting (PDF version)
- If you are having a problem with a Metal Halide or HPS ballast
- Verify that you are using the correct bulb with the correct ballast including wattage and type. (Metal Halide bulbs can only be used with Metal Halide ballasts and HPS bulbs can only be used with HPS ballasts and the wattage must ALWAYS match. In other words you cannot use a 600W HPS bulb on 400W HPS ballast.
- Does the ballast hum at all? If the ballast hums you are getting power to the ballast so it may be an issue with the bulb. Continue wiht the steps below to determine if the issue is with your ballast or bulb.
- Does the bulb flicker or light at all? If the bulb is flickering you are getting power so try the steps below to rule out whether the issue is with the bulb or the ballast.
- How long did you wait for the bulb to ignite? (NOTE: MH & HPS bulbs can take up to 20 minutes to fully ignite)
- Have you verified that the bulb is completely screwed into the socket?
- Do you have the ballast voltage selector set to the correct voltage? All Sun System ballasts have a voltage selector. Most standard household outlets are wired for 120V so make sure the Voltage Switch/Selector is set to the correct voltage (120V is standard). If it is set to 240V and your voltage is 120V it will not work.
- Have your tried alternate power outlets?
- Do you have alternate bulbs that work with your ballast? - If yes than most likely the bulb is defective and you should proceed to the RMA form.
- If your ballast is making excessive noise keep in mind that the higher the wattage, the louder the humming noise emitted. However, if the noise level is extreme, there may be an issue with the transformer. In this case, the ballast unit should be returned for repair if it is still under warranty and has been used under normal operating conditions.
- If your ballast is causing your circuit breaker to trip you may have too many appliances on this circuit. A normal home's circuit has only 15 amps available. HPS & MH lights use up to 10 amps per unit. Be sure you are not overloading the circuit with too many appliances and/or lights. Note: The sticker on the ballast will state the number of amps required. If you do require more lights/appliances to all be run off the same circuit, you should consult a licensed Electrician.
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Note: If you had a power surge that caused your circuit breaker to trip and your ballast and or bulb blew out because of this you probably did not have a proper surge protector for your equipment. If this is the case this will not be covered under the manufacturer's warranty.
- If you have tried all of the above steps and are still having the same problem with your ballast proceed to the RMA form.
- If you are having a problem with a Galaxy or Lumatek Electronic Ballast
- Have you verified that the bulb is completely screwed into the socket?
- Have your tried alternate power outlets?
- Do you have alternate bulbs that work with your ballast? - If yes than most likely the bulb is defective and you should proceed to the RMA form. if you purchased the bulb with us.
- Do you have the ballast voltage selector set to the correct voltage and wattage? Some Galaxy & Lumatek ballasts have a voltage selector and wattage selector. Most standard household outlets are wired for 120V so make sure the Voltage Switch/Selector is set to the correct voltage (120V is standard). If it is set to 240V and your voltage is 120V it will not work. Make sure the wattage selector is set to the correct bulb wattage to match the wattage of your Metal Halide or HPS bulb.
- If your ballast is causing your circuit breaker to trip you may have too many appliances on this circuit. A normal home's circuit has only 15 amps available. Most electronic ballasts use up to 10 amps per unit. Be sure you are not overloading the circuit with too many appliances and/or lights. Note: The sticker on the ballast will state the number of amps required. If you do require more lights/appliances to all be run off the same circuit, you should consult a licensed Electrician.
- Note: If you had a power surge that caused your circuit breaker to trip and your ballast and or bulb blew out because of this you probably did not have a proper surge protector for your equipment. If this is the case this will not be covered under the manufacturer's warranty.
- If you have tried all of the above steps and are still having the same problem with your ballast proceed to the RMA form.
- For Issues with HPS and MH Bulbs
- If the HPS or MH bulb has small pieces of glass inside of it this is not considered defective and you should use the bulb as normal. It is common for small pieces of glass to break loose inside the bulb during manufacturing and will not affect the output.
- If there is a crack or hole in the outer glass, or the inner metal components are detached it SHOULD NOT be used and will be replaced and you should proceed to the RMA form.
- Verify that you are using the correct bulb with the correct ballast including wattage and type. (Metal Halide bulbs can only be used with Metal Halide ballasts and HPS bulbs can only be used with HPS ballasts and the wattage must ALWAYS match. In other words you cannot use a 600W HPS bulb on 400W HPS ballast.
- How long did you wait for the bulb to ignite? (NOTE: MH & HPS bulbs can take up to 20 minutes to fully ignite)
- Have you verified that the bulb is completely screwed into the socket?
- Have your tried alternate power outlets?
- Do you have alternate bulbs that work with your ballast? - If yes than most likely the bulb is defective and you should proceed to the RMA form.
- Trouble Shooting For T5 Fluorescent Fixtures
(Tek Lights, New Wave or Sun Blaze fixtures)
- Check to ensure all T5 bulbs are properly locked into place. This is accomplished by turning the lamps 1/4 turn in either direction and can be tricky.
- Ensure that all T5 bulbs are installed. With T5 fixtures all bulbs for each ballast must be installed to work correctly. (For example a Tek Light with 8 bulbs has two ballasts; one controls the outer four bulbs while the inner four are controlled by the other ballast).
- Are any of the bulbs lighting or just half of them?
- Are the lights flickering at all?
- Switch bulbs into different positions in the fixture to find out if there may be a defective bulb.
- If none of the above works proceed to complete the RMA form.
- Check that the item is still under warranty
- If you have reviewed the above trouble shooting information and need to return or exchange an item you can Request an RMA# here.
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