If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
|
Posted by on October 12, 2007, 6:07 pm
I have a mercury vapor (farm) yard light on a pole.
It always works fine in warm weather, but once the temperature gets
below about 40deg., it dont always turn on. However if I flip the
circuit breaker off and back on, the light works. Last winter it
started doing this most irritating thing. I bought a new bulb
thinking the bulb was failing. Before I got the bulb replaced, the
weather warmed up and it has worked non-stop all spring and summer, so
I never replaced the bulb. Now the weather is getting cool and it's
once again not working every night, until I flip the breaker. Last
night we barely had frost and the light would not come on till I
flipped the breaker. What the heck is causing this? I know there are
only 3 parts, the bulb, ballast, and sensor. But which would be
affected by temperature?
|
|
Posted by willshak on October 12, 2007, 6:19 pm
on 10/12/2007 6:07 PM alvinamorey@notmail.com said the following:
> I have a mercury vapor (farm) yard light on a pole.
> It always works fine in warm weather, but once the temperature gets
> below about 40deg., it dont always turn on. However if I flip the
> circuit breaker off and back on, the light works. Last winter it
> started doing this most irritating thing. I bought a new bulb
> thinking the bulb was failing. Before I got the bulb replaced, the
> weather warmed up and it has worked non-stop all spring and summer, so
> I never replaced the bulb. Now the weather is getting cool and it's
> once again not working every night, until I flip the breaker. Last
> night we barely had frost and the light would not come on till I
> flipped the breaker. What the heck is causing this? I know there are
> only 3 parts, the bulb, ballast, and sensor. But which would be
> affected by temperature?
>
>
The MV lamp itself.
Require a maximum warm-up period of five to seven minutes before giving
full light output, depending on lamp type, ballast and ambient
temperature. They can be used only where this delay is acceptable
http://tristate.apogee.net/lite/blthmv.asp
--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
|
|
Posted by The Daring Dufas on October 12, 2007, 6:51 pm
alvinamorey@notmail.com wrote:
> I have a mercury vapor (farm) yard light on a pole.
> It always works fine in warm weather, but once the temperature gets
> below about 40deg., it dont always turn on. However if I flip the
> circuit breaker off and back on, the light works. Last winter it
> started doing this most irritating thing. I bought a new bulb
> thinking the bulb was failing. Before I got the bulb replaced, the
> weather warmed up and it has worked non-stop all spring and summer, so
> I never replaced the bulb. Now the weather is getting cool and it's
> once again not working every night, until I flip the breaker. Last
> night we barely had frost and the light would not come on till I
> flipped the breaker. What the heck is causing this? I know there are
> only 3 parts, the bulb, ballast, and sensor. But which would be
> affected by temperature?
>
You could have a bad or wrong value capacitor.
Here's a link to a PDF file on troubleshooting HID fixtures:
http://tinyurl.com/29sn2h
TDD
|
|
Posted by Pop` on October 12, 2007, 6:59 pm
alvinamorey@notmail.com wrote:
> I have a mercury vapor (farm) yard light on a pole.
> It always works fine in warm weather, but once the temperature gets
> below about 40deg., it dont always turn on. However if I flip the
> circuit breaker off and back on, the light works. Last winter it
> started doing this most irritating thing. I bought a new bulb
> thinking the bulb was failing. Before I got the bulb replaced, the
> weather warmed up and it has worked non-stop all spring and summer, so
> I never replaced the bulb. Now the weather is getting cool and it's
> once again not working every night, until I flip the breaker. Last
> night we barely had frost and the light would not come on till I
> flipped the breaker. What the heck is causing this? I know there are
> only 3 parts, the bulb, ballast, and sensor. But which would be
> affected by temperature?
It sounds like the cktry isn't completely turning it off, or there is a
ground issue.
Try putting it on a switch; don't use the breaker to turn it off and on.
Either that, or replace it. REgardless of the 7 minute spec, etc., ours
takes about 3 minutes to start its little blue glare, then up to 15 minutes
in the cold before it comes on to full brightness, esp on sub zero days.
|
|
Posted by on October 12, 2007, 9:30 pm
wrote:
>alvinamorey@notmail.com wrote:
>> I have a mercury vapor (farm) yard light on a pole.
>> It always works fine in warm weather, but once the temperature gets
>> below about 40deg., it dont always turn on. However if I flip the
>> circuit breaker off and back on, the light works. Last winter it
>> started doing this most irritating thing. I bought a new bulb
>> thinking the bulb was failing. Before I got the bulb replaced, the
>> weather warmed up and it has worked non-stop all spring and summer, so
>> I never replaced the bulb. Now the weather is getting cool and it's
>> once again not working every night, until I flip the breaker. Last
>> night we barely had frost and the light would not come on till I
>> flipped the breaker. What the heck is causing this? I know there are
>> only 3 parts, the bulb, ballast, and sensor. But which would be
>> affected by temperature?
>
> It sounds like the cktry isn't completely turning it off, or there is a
>ground issue.
>Try putting it on a switch; don't use the breaker to turn it off and on.
>Either that, or replace it. REgardless of the 7 minute spec, etc., ours
>takes about 3 minutes to start its little blue glare, then up to 15 minutes
>in the cold before it comes on to full brightness, esp on sub zero days.
>
This is a farm, where the main shutoff for the whole farm is on a
pole. I have an outdoor box next to that main, where there are
secondary mains for the house, barn, and another shed (all breakers).
In that same box, there is a 15A breaker dedicated to that light. It
does shut off during the day. I doubt it's a ground issue, and
question why a ground would affect anything as far as how it operates.
There is simply a piece of UF cable going up the (same) pole to the
light. Why should I have a switch when the breaker is dedicated to
that light?
These lights seem to be very touchy. If I replace it, I might get a
Sodium Vapor instead. The neighbors have them, and they seem to be
less troublesome. I dont like the yellowish color of their light
though.
Thanks
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | why does my basement cold water pipe only rattle during cold weather? | November 6, 2007, 9:07 am |
| wiring problem- lights dont turn on? | September 8, 2007, 1:34 am |
| Cold Weather Refrigerator | April 8, 2006, 4:39 pm |
| Welding in cold weather | December 23, 2007, 11:47 pm |
| garage door and cold weather | February 18, 2006, 8:30 pm |
| Cold weather cause voltage drop? | January 25, 2007, 11:01 pm |
| Electronic Fluorescent Cold Weather Fixtures | October 20, 2006, 7:48 pm |
| Garage door opens on own in cold weather | December 7, 2006, 10:08 am |
| Garage door opened fails in cold weather | January 21, 2006, 1:46 am |
| Heat Pumps -- Advanced Cold Weather Performance | September 25, 2006, 1:22 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap