View Full Version : 65w bulbs in 55w Ballast
Mgamer20o0
09-24-2006, 6:10 PM
i ordered some 55w bulbs but after i paid for them they are telling me its going to be 2-4 weeks. i have some extra 65w bulbs.
can i put 65w bulbs in a 55w ballast?
what about the other way around putting 55w bulbs in a 65w ballast?
any down side to this?
I have 65s in a '55 ballast' currently. They work fine.
Hello Lights, where I buy all my replacement tubes advertise their tubes as '55 - 65 watts' all the time.
Len
Mgamer20o0
09-24-2006, 7:51 PM
yea i thought it would work but would rather be safe then sorry. thanks Len
fresh_newby
09-28-2006, 12:44 PM
I would not ever put a mismatched wattage in a different ballast. IMO you are setting yoursef up for possible problems. I know of several fires that have started that way, and IMO it is not worth the risk. Contact AH Supply and get the right one from the start.
RISK2123
09-28-2006, 12:53 PM
ive heard 5-10 watts above the ballast max. will work but you def. need to be careful. ive also heard stories of 10 watts over causing fires so i honestly wouldnt recommend it, better safe than sorry.
Captain Hook
09-28-2006, 3:03 PM
I could be wrong but I'd be willing to bet that the stories of fires are from putting wrong wattage or type (T8, T5) of bulbs into a magnetic ballast fixture, ie. cheap shoplight types.
You won't have a problem doing this with electronic ballasts. Don't worry, 65 watts bulbs will be fine. Ballast ratings are a maximum power outage. So if your ballast is rated for 55 watts, that's how much it will put out. If you put a 55 watt bulb in a 65 watt electronic ballast, it can recognize the bulb's maximum and will only give it 55 watts.