High Pressure Sodium Light Bulbs
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) Bulbs are an excellent solution to many of your lighting needs. HPS bulbs
are ideal in gardening and hydroponic lighting apparatus because they produce their own heat
source and they also give off a yellow light, great for situations where color
rendition is important. Plants love these bulbs because they simulate real sunlight conditions and
encourage photosynthesis. The only more efficient indoor lamp is a low-pressure sodium light bulb,
but these bulbs do not produce the same quality of color rendition as HPS and can be less
effective in lighting applications where color rendition is a large concern. High Pressure Sodium
lamps do however, remain among some of the most energy-efficient bulbs available on the market
today.
Although HPS lighting fixtures are not the lightest-weight solution when it comes to power
consumption, they convert a whopping 50% of the energy they consume into usable light and are
highly efficient choices when it comes to lighting requirements.
High Pressure Sodium bulbs are gas-discharge bulbs which use sodium in an excited state along
with mercury to produce light. HPS lights are a unique light sources which require the aid of a
ballast both to start the lights and to regulate the amount of voltage which is allowed to flow
into the bulb. When first struck, high pressure sodium bulbs produce a warm colored glow, as the
sodium begins to warm, they gradually shift downward along the color spectrum into a buttery
yellow. They are widely used as streetlights or security lights due to their high intensity and
the fact that they last so long. Towards the end of the life for high pressure sodium bulbs they
tend to produce a cycling effect. This is caused by a lack of sodium in the arc. The highly
reactive sodium element is easily lost over time. This results in higher than normal amounts of
voltage being required to run the bulbs. When the amount of voltage surpasses what can be supplied
by the operating ballast, the lights will shut off until they cool. Once cooled the lamps turn on
again, but this cycling will continue until the bulb is replaced. Replacement high pressure sodium
bulbs are not difficult to find, you just need to be aware of the amount of watts required and
have a general idea of the size and other variations of bulb you will be requiring.
If you are looking for HPS bulbs to replace your current non-sodium lighting application you
may also want to consider changing your fixtures, ballasts and the rest of your light kit to a
high pressure sodium solution. There are devices on the market which will support HPS and other
forms of light but they can be more expensive and are often not needed unless you are on an
intensive growing operation require varying degrees of light intensity and rendition. If you are
setting up your first lighting application and are considering high pressure sodium bulbs as your
solution, you are on the right track and we hope to answer any questions you might have about high
pressure sodium bulbs.
