But if I flipped the interior barn lights on (which are on the same circuit) the photocell would immediately trigger and the sodium vapor would come on. The bulbs have an inner quartz tube containing the mercury vapor discharge. Mercury has a low vapor pressure at standard temperature and pressure, so the liquid vaporizes slowly at room temperatures [HSDB 2005; NIOSH 2007]. 1) Bulb: Replace it with the exact same wattage. The mercury and argon is kept inside a quartz arc tube, which is surrounded by a wonderfully insulated borosilicate glass bulb. sodium light but the light is quite yellow. You can start with the 120V lead and continue with the other one marked COM. The light was not coming on at dark. Low and high-pressure types of mercury and sodium lamps are available. I hope that it will clear up some things for the thinking people. suggestions. It has a bluish green appearance and features a low initial cost. Ask someone to hold the ladder for you. Lumens. I swaped out a used one today, will see how it works tonight. According to the United States Government Printing Office, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 prohibited the manufacture and importation of mercury vapor light ballasts after January 1, 2008. Mercury vapor lights have ballasts. The voltage should read 240 VAC if the lamp is no good and something with one of the components of the mercury vapor ballast is not working. than half of these emissions come from coal-fired electrical power. The ballast sends electrical power to the electrodes, which excites the gas and makes it glow. Usually, it will show you the wattage. The lamp will ... Do some older gas fireplaces have mercury flame sensors? 2) Ballast: MUST … Mercury-Vapor fixtures are no longer made, by law the ballasts for them can no longer be made. With the right equipment, you can test the mercury vapor ballast yourself. Ed Pawlowski. Mercury vapor is heavier than air and tends to remain near the floor or area where the spill happened. 99 Mercury released into the air is the main way that mercury gets into water and bio-accumulates in fish. You should now test the mercury-vapor lamp. The outer bulb may be clear or coated with a phosphor; in either case, the outer bulb provides thermal insulation, protection from the ultraviolet radiation the light produces, and a convenient mounting for the fused quartz arc tube. One of the more common HID light used for outdoor lighting was a mercury vapor lighting system. The mercury and argon is kept inside a quartz arc tube, which is surrounded by a wonderfully insulated borosilicate glass bulb. Metal halide and mercury vapor bulbs are bright, long-lasting sources of light, most often used to light streets, gyms, sports arenas, banks, and stores. Mercury vapor lamps are widely used to light both indoor and outdoor areas such as gymnasiums, factories, department stores, banks, highways, parks, and sports fields. Turn off the electricity to the outdoor light. A Mercury Vapor Yard Light has 3 items that could cause the stated problem. LED street light beam pattern. Why does my mercury vapor yard light keep turning it self off & on? This will tell you whether the lamp and the capacitor are good. These electrodes are enclosed in an elliptically shaped glass tube made up of silica. I have a power supply for a mercury vapor light. What is the Difference Between a T8 Elec... What is the Difference Between a T8 Electronic Ballast and an Incandescent Ballast. In addition, mercury vapor lamps are known to emit a buzzing noise as they age. There are two different components of the mercury vapor ballast and they are the transformer and the capacitor. Plug it into an outlet and take measurements of the voltage that goes between the capacitor lead that is black and the COM. Unfortunately, this is not the case. When any type light that produces light with an arc (sodium, metal halide, mercury vapor, etc.) Over the winter months my outside mercury vapor light stopped working, and found it wasn't getting power to the bulb socket. Mercury vapor bulbs produce a lot of heat, so it’s extremely important to use a properly rated socket. High-level exposure to methylmercury is known as Minamata disease. What are Mercury Vapor Lights? If the capacitor proves to be fine, you will get a reading of 240VAC, but if the capacitor needs to be replaced, then your reading will only be 0-2 VAC. At night time your photocell may be gathering too much light from another source nearby. Close all cold air returns so that mercury vapor is not carried throughout the house. If you cannot figure out the lumen output of an old mercury vapor bulb, read the fine print on the screw base. How to Dispose of Light Bulbs with Mercury. Facts about Mercury Vapor Bulbs - by: Bob MacCargar I’ve been meaning to write this for some time. ... Lv 5. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". Such bulbs each have two electrodes. 11/30/10 7:25 PM. The lamps require a ballast to supply the proper voltage and regulate the current to the electrodes. This has ultimately made these type of lamps not a great option for retail applications and other indoor uses. It is not a difficult process. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent I noticed on my 175w MV bucket light tonight that it was actually flickering (when on full brightness). Explore this Article. Kind of an odd issue with the photocell controlled sodium vapor light outside my barn. All information is provided "AS IS." It is not a difficult process. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. The mercury vapor lamp works by creating an electric current to mercury vapor within a sealed glass jacket. Most of the air has been removed from the tube. Turn on the electricity. Step 1 Turn off the electricity to the outdoor light. Mercury vapor lamps consist of an inner arc discharge tube constructed of quartz surrounded by an … The 1,000 watt Mercury lamp, for example, is made in the H34 (High Current) and the H36 (Low Current) types with a separate ballast available for each type. methods. Robin Reichert is a certified nutrition consultant, certified personal trainer and professional writer. MH is coming in good second in HID lamps. They are more energy efficient than incandescent lamps and have a much longer life. Buy more than one ballast and photocell when you find a dealer that still carries them. The ballast that was tested above is the 100W MV advance ballast. Other Sections. Mercury Vapor Eiko 15356 × Eiko Mercury Vapor HID Light Bulb (15356) 175 watt - ED28 - Mogul Screw (E39) Base - 6,800K - Clear $8.89 Quantity: Qty: Add to Cart In Stock - Ships Fast! If the light is on a breaker, turn the breaker … Unplug the photocell. 0 0. If a security light is not turning off the way it is supposed to, you can reset many systems by toggling the power switch "on" and "off". I have seen these lights on sale for as cheap as $29 when the lamp alone cost almost $20. You should get a reading of 240 VAC. Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. Turn off fans that do not blow air to the outside. It does not work properly. Mercury and sodium are the most common metal vapors employed in discharge lamps. All rights reserved. This will indicate if the lamp is defective. I replaced the dusk to dawn sensor on the top of it, and now the socket is getting power but the bulb is not working. #6 • Nov 28, 2009. In order to tell when there is an issue, they need to be tested individually to find out which component is not working and if it should be replaced or fixed. The voltage should read 15 VAC, but it should ramp up to 130VAC within 5 to 10 minutes. vapors can get into the ventilation system and be spread throughout your house. Cover the photocell with your hand to block the light and force the light to turn on to test the repair. 55W LED Corn Light Bulb (E39 Large Mogul Base) 5500Lm 6000K Cool White Daylight, for Metal Hali… If the light is on a breaker, turn the breaker off. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. 0 0. Philips Mercury Vapor 175-Watt High Pressure HID light bulb is ideal for use in landscape lighting, dusk to dawn, roadway, parking lots, floodlights and security fixtures. ... mercury bulb keeps going off and on. Mercury vapor lamps are more Blue-Green Light -- Due to the materials used to produce light in a mercury vapor lamp, the light it emits can sometimes have a very blue-green tinge to it. If the lamp isn't working properly, you will need to troubleshoot to see what is going on with it. Unfortunately, this is not the case. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes, anxiety, memory problems, trouble speaking, trouble hearing, or trouble seeing. You may freely link Instead it uses a gas. Mercury lamps are not the best for growing due to its poor lighting spectrum and very low lumens-per-watt which makes these systems very costly to run while having much less in production output. 1995-2021 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. If it does then it may not be your photocell. This is enclosed by an outer glass bulb that filters out harmful short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Mercury vapor lamps have been used in lighting applications, from streets and parking lots, to landscape lighting, to factories and gymnasiums since the 1940’s. If you must use a ladder to reach the light, use a carpenter's belt to hold tools, parts and screws while you are repairing the light to avoid climbing up and down the ladder. Let’s take a look and see just what needs to be done in order to troubleshoot a mercury vapor ballast. A Mercury Vapor Yard Light has 3 items that could cause the stated problem. It consists of 4 connecting port… mercury vapor bulb is used in a specialty application, then the ballast for that bulb must now be labeled “Not for general illumination.” It must specify on the label the … 2) Ballast: MUST match the bulb's wattage and while an EXACT replacement (size and mounting means) are not imperative, these two items make doing this job A … You should replace your mercury vapor lamp with a LED light that consumes at least half of its wattage. I am troubleshooting a BlueMax full spectrum light fixture. It has been replaced by a tiny amount of mercury vapor, at low pressure. I have 2 florescent fixtures that are 48" long that have 4 bulbs in each. does that, the first thing to do is replace the bulb. outside security light not a vehicle light - Answered by a verified Home Improvement Expert We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor. Retrieve the bulb and screw it back into the fixture. A Ballast component is similar to a transformer with high leakage reactance. I purchased a 160-watt self-ballasted mercury vapor bulb for about $25 from an online light bulb supply company. The manuals should be able to tell you what the correct voltage is for the model you want to test. If mercury vapor was a benign gas which had no impact on the greater world around it, it would be a decent alternative to some less efficient lighting sources. The arc discharge is generally confined to a small fused quartz arc tube mounted within a larger borosilicate glass bulb. Mercury is highly toxic, so it is crucial to know when to see a doctor. 1 decade ago. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Have changed bulb and eye didn't help. Question: I have a dusk to dawn light that takes 175 watt Mercury Vapor bulb. Twist it clockwise until it stops. 1901 - The First Commercial Mercury Vapor Lamp Peter Cooper Hewitt (New York City) had a history of innovations in other fields, and when he set about on the project of the mercury vapor lamp in 1898 it only took 3 years to develop the first reliable lamp with a acceptable color of light. use central air conditioning. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 bans the manufacture or import of Mercury Vapor ballasts after January 1, 2008. You can assume that a mercury vapor lumen output is anywhere between 40 and 60. “T” type light bulbs have a self-extinguishing feature that shuts off the light within 15 minutes after the outer bulb is b… Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. They can … Mine was doing that and it was the light bulb, it would come on and then go off in about 5 to 10 minutes unless it was real cold outside, there was something going out ion the bulb itself. I was looking to replace my 15 yr. old Mercury Vapor yard light and could not find one locally. Serious burns or death from electrocution may result. Use fans to blow mercury-contaminated air outside. If the H34 ballast is used with the H36 If the H34 ballast is used with the H36 lamp or vice versa, the life of the lamp will be adversely affected and can destroy the ballast. The light output from a discharge lamp is generated by the flow of current in an electrical arc between two electrodes through a gas and a metal vapor inside a sealed glass bulb or tube. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas. 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb / Light / Lamp for Reptile and Amphibian Use - Excellent Source of Heat and Light for UV and Basking - by Evergreen Pet Supplies 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,355 $27.99 $ 27 . Recently we had the gutters replaced with gutters that have the top on them- mainly because I am sick of … Learn about this popular light invented in 1901 by Peter Cooper Hewitt. These are considered integrated lights because, in most cases, the luminaire and the fixture are not separate parts. Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder. I have a mercury vapor light. Turn the ballast counter-clockwise and remove it from the fixture. LEDs do not emit any toxic chemicals, fumes or radiation. Measure the voltage from the COM and the capacitor lead that is black. 1901 - The First Commercial Mercury Vapor Lamp Peter Cooper Hewitt (New York City) had a history of innovations in other fields, and when he set about on the project of the mercury vapor lamp in 1898 it only took 3 years to develop the first reliable lamp with a acceptable color of light. Newsletter Mercury poisoning: Symptoms and treatment Medically reviewed by … This presentation is from my book Red Light Therapy: Miracle Medicine. They need to be hooked up to the 120V line. | Yahoo Answers. TDD. When I first installed it the light wanted to come on, then off , then on, so I switched out the eye from the other light. 1) Bulb: Replace it with the exact same wattage. Both mercury vapor lamps and LEDs come in a wide array of colors, sizes, and shapes. It can build up in poorly ventilated or low-lying areas in your house. Replace the ballast cover and tighten the screws. With the right equipment, you can test the mercury vapor ballast yourself. Remove the screws or wing-nuts that secure the ballast wiring inside the light. She has been studying health and fitness issues for more than 10 years. Because mercury vapor produces light mostly at the ultraviolet (UV) end of the spectrum, the light from mercury vapor lamps—at least when they are new—is bluish in color and it doesn’t show off colors very well. home improvement and repair website. Turn down heaters and turn up single-room air conditioners, but . We welcome your comments and Unscrew the bulb and place it in a safe place. A mercury-vapor lamp is a gas-discharge lamp that uses an electric arc through vaporized mercury to produce light. Best color, more natural light will be from a metal halide light. Now, I don't think the lamp could be going bad (no blackening at all on the arc tube); so I'm guessing it's the ballast that's beginning to go bad - which wouldn't surprise me since this ballast has been going strong for nearly a decade, so I guess it could be on it's last leg. There are two types of mercury vapor light bulbs sold in the U.S. 1. I like mercury vapor better than HPS or MH, metal halide contains more mercury in it than mercury vapor and always tends to explode, also high pressure sodium creates an unpleasant orange haze at night (even full cutoff ones) and isn't very visable at …