Author Topic: Pole Light ?  (Read 5303 times)

MeanListerGreen

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Pole Light ?
« on: March 20, 2008, 03:41:16 AM »
My pole light took a crap on me.  I have replaced the bulb with 2 different bulbs and that didn't help.  I am not too familiar with these type of lights.  Do they have a starter that can go bad or something?  It hums at dusk just like it always did but the light doesnt come on.  I know this is an odd subject but any help may save me some money that I can spend on diesel fuel to get to town.  Thanks
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mike90045

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2008, 07:16:53 PM »
There are actually several types.

Mercury Vapor (bluish)
Lo pressure sodium  Yellow
Hi pressure sodium  yellow

You may have to pull the old bulb to see what it is.

If the ballast always hummed, and still is, I guess it likely OK

Doug

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2008, 07:45:54 PM »
Can you read the bulb for me?

I assume since your outdoor its probably a Mercury ( more liekly today metal halide but same basic ballast ) or High presure Sodium.

If its white it the first, a light yellow tint High presure Sodium dark yellow with no colour then low presure Sodium.

Your best option is to replace the starter if you can, some have it built in and you need to replace it.

If the light ballast is B/O you may be better off to replace the entire unit, I'm found of the low presure Sodium. For outdoor use I find the SOX 55 is the cheapest most reliable you can buy. No starter to fail, more light per watt and they guve clear warning they have reached the end of life by turning pink.

When any HID light starts to flick on and off its a warning the bulb is done. Replace it ASAP or the balllast and or starter will start to fail from trying to start it over and over again.

Metal Halide is probably the nicest clear white light you can buy if the colour spectrum is important low presure Sodium is the worst. high presure is a comprimise between the two....
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4x4_Welder

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2008, 06:49:04 PM »
You can also now get the mogul-base CFL bulbs.  65w vs 175 for the others, and about the same light output.  Just a bit longer on the startup in the cold.
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rcavictim

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2008, 08:34:39 PM »
You can also now get the mogul-base CFL bulbs.  65w vs 175 for the others, and about the same light output.  Just a bit longer on the startup in the cold.

The mogul CFL (here in Canada quite a different animal than the CFL Mogul), would likely cost more that the same wattage CFL in standard base due to 'special' factor and low production volumes.  I would take the fixture apart, rip out the old allast and socket and replace with a standard ceramic socket, then get the biggest standard base CFL lamp I could find.  Wall-Mart recently started selling Par-38, 23 watt outdoor floods in CFL and I put them outdoors where I had regular floods.  I like them a LOT!  Impressive white light, throw, lumens and power savings!!!!!  They do start in the cold, but are slow to wake up at low temps.  Discharge lamps take a lot of time too, so no difference there.
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4x4_Welder

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2008, 05:13:16 AM »
The CFL is under $20, I'm pretty sure.
They sell them at wally world down here, also at Home Depot and Lowe's.
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MeanListerGreen

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2008, 05:25:12 AM »
It is a mercury vapor.  I can't read the lettering, it's worn off.  I stopped using this light all together when the government deregulated the electicity and my bill tripled.  I would like to have something to turn on when it is necessary, so if I can't fix this thing I'll look into the CFL at Wally world (I generally oppose buying from them because of what they have done to the American job market).
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Doug

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Re: Pole Light ?
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2008, 04:33:57 PM »
There is a cheap light fixture for oudoor use called a Golded Eye.
Can't remmeber who made it but it is an 18 watt SOX 18 with Photo eye.

Where there is one there are more.
The colour spectrum for the SOX lamp makes it only suitable for lighting up an area. It gives you the most light for the least cost.

Next Alternative would be a high presure Sodium in the 70 watt range more light, better colour. More expensive to run that a SOX ( SOX lights come in 18, 35 and 55 watt ).

These are my choices for energy efficient outdoor light.
Sad that you live so far away, I'd give you a SOX 55 out door light.....

What do you need for lighting is the next question?
How much light?
This is hard to figuere some times and often people end up buying giant energy sucking lights that can light a foot ball field because the kid at Homo Depot said this is what you need...
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