HID lighting equipment is no different to this rule; hence the following guidelines serve to provide the user of Pierlite Australia HID lighting systems a professional service schedule for typical Metal Halide and High pressure Sodium lamp wattages of 150watt to 1000watt, E40/E39, reactor ignitor systems.
Maintenance guidelines:
The operation of HID lamps in particular Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium types consists of four (4) key electrical components namely; a ballast which acts as a current limiting device, an ignitor which provides a high voltage spike to the lamp upon start up, a capacitor providing more efficient usage of power and a lamp which provides the lighting source.
Ballast:
The ignitor:
Currently on the market there are three (3) key styles of ignitors namely: standard, multi-pulse and timed, all of which deliver different system performances.
It is important to consult with your lighting supplier to identify what ignitor system is best suited for your installation requirements eg: generally lower cost (budget) HID luminaires are not fitted with timed ignitors; hence when the lamp fails, the standard ignitor system will continue to attempt to activate the failed lamp and if maintenance programs do not provide for a prompt repair or isolation of the equipment, possible system damage can occur.
So when do i change an ignitor?
As a guide when a failed lamp is changed and the new lamp ignites immediately then the ignitor has not suffered any long term effects; however if the new lamp fails to ignite, then the ignitor will also need replacing.
Under normal operation an ignitor service life will survive four (4) to five (5) lamp changes, if a lamp displays signs of end of life as listed in the Lamp section below and is replaced immediately; ignitor life will not be adversely affected
However, as the ignitor component is a relatively low cost item (compared to accessing the product), it is advisable to consider changing the ignitor during every forth (4th) lamp change.
The capacitor:
- Excessive and rapid voltage fluctuations; Excessive condensation for products not designed to accommodate water ingress; High and continued humidity levels in excessive of IEC 60068-2-3;
- Excessive and extended thermal ambient temperatures for products not designed to accommodate such conditions; High mains harmonics.
- As with the selection of ignitor components, it is important to discuss any expected adverse installation parameters with your lighting design to ensure both the correct luminaire and sub-components are selected eg: Pierlite Australia current production guidelines use aluminium cased capacitors rated at 105degree, which are internally fused for added system safety.
So where do i change a capacitor?
The lamp:
Adoption of the manufactures operating, installation and maintenance guides are strongly recommended to ensure the optimum performance of the lamp is achieved.
Frequent lamp switch cycles and short operating intervals significantly impact the longevity of a HID lamp and should be avoided.
When a HID lamp has reached its designated end of life the most important task to complete to ensure the system is not unnecessarily damaged, is the prompt replacement of the lamp or isolation of the unit. Typical symptoms of “end of life” conditions are:
- The colour of the lamp changes dramatically.
- There is a significant loss of brightness.
- The lamp no longer ignites or is delayed in striking the lamp.
- The lamp starts to cycle, periodically goes out and then ignites again some time later.