Hi, I need to know what type of ignitor is required to operate 400W metal halide lamps. I am replacing the lamps of several floodlights but the new ones don’t include an internal ignitor so I have to find a suitable external one. Any idea?
Answer provided by Alfonso, Technical Engineering Manager for EYE Lighting with experience in Europe and Australasia in lighting, electrical systems, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Hi, as you already know an ignitor is always required to start or ignite metal halide lamps: a high-voltage pulse generated between the electrodes of the arc tube. The ignitor can be integral inside the lamp or external equipped in the control gear of the fixtures, your floodlights in this case.
If your lamps don’t have a built in ignitor, then you need external ones, one per lamp, and there are essentially 2 types: Superimposed and Pulse or Power ignitors.
The main difference is the connection of the ignitor with the ballast. Superimposed ignitors generate de HV pulses to ignite the lamps inside the ignitor, without the intervention of the ballast. Whereas a power or pulse ignitor is connected in parallel with the magnetic ballast and uses this winding to generate the starting pulses.
You may need to consider where is the control gear of you fixtures located. Assuming the floodlights are installed on high poles and the control gear is remotely connected at the base of the poles it may be necessary a pulse ignitor as they can ‘throw’ HV pulses to longer distances: covering distances ignitor lamp of 50 metres. Superimposed ignitors can only start the lamp if they are located nearby: generally distances lamp-ignitor up to 2 meters.
Please check in advance the compatibility of the ignitors with the control gear and lamps of your fixtures as they don’t always match. And take also into account that this type of jobs should be carried out by a qualified electrician.
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