First Steps: Always Begin With the Following

  1. Disconnect main power whenever working on any electrical device. For additional protection you can also disconnect your fixture cord from your ballast (if so equipped). 
  2. Allow sufficient time for the lighting system, lamp, and ballast to cool down prior to handling. Refer to the product manual or lamp packaging for specific time that cooling is required.
  3. Wear safety glasses and gloves during lamp installation or removal.
  4. Make sure the lamp is installed correctly.
  5. Check the lamp for damage.
  6. Verify that your power supply at the outlet on your wall is correct.

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What if All Else Fails?

  1. Check with your local retail store for help. Your local retail shop is an excellent resource to help you troubleshoot.
  2. If the store is unable to help you, email us at service@eyehortilux.com or call 877-905-2562 and one of our representatives will assist you.

Your Plants are Not Responding Like They Used To?

If you have been successfully growing and recently your plants are just not responding, there are a couple items that could be the issue:

  • Make sure the reflector, lens and lamp are clean. Any dust/dirt build up can decrease the intensity of your light, ultimately affecting the quality of your plant growth. Glass wipes work great for this. Squeeze out any excess moisture and wipe down the reflector, lens, and lamp. DO NOT WIPE THE SOCKET OR THE BASE OF THE LAMP. Then wipe everything down with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth or let everything completely air dry.
  • It is probably time to replace your lamp. Over time, the lamp’s spectrum will degrade. For best results, follow the optimal replacement schedule on your lamp box. Make sure that you check the condition of the socket before you start the lamp replacement process. If there are any signs of arcing, black carbon buildup, or bluing of the metal you should replace the socket. See Inspecting the Socket section below.

LAMP TROUBLESHOOTING

New Lamp Will Not Light

Every EYE HORTILUX lamp is started prior to packaging to make sure they will work for you after purchasing. If a new lamp does not work, chances are that something else is not working correctly.

  1. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  2. Inspect the lamp socket to determine if socket damage has occurred. See Inspecting the Socket section below for instructions.
  3. If the problem still persists, it could be a ballast issue or a lamp/ballast compatibility issue. Refer to the Lamp/Ballast Compatibility section below.
  4. For instructions on how to troubleshoot your specific system, see the Grow Light System section below pertaining to specific products.

Inspecting the Socket

  1. Remove your grow lamp from your hood/fixture.
  2. Check the base of the grow lamp for signs of arcing (see photos below).
  3. If there is any discoloration on the bottom of the lamp similar to what is seen in the image you should replace your socket. This is an inexpensive part to replace and can be obtained at your local grow shop. Failure to replace the socket can result in catastrophic lamp, socket, and/or ballast failures.
1. Signs of arcing occurring inside the socket. 2-4. Examples of arcing damage leading to lamp failure.

Examples of Arcing Damage

The last three images above show examples of arcing that caused lamp failure. Notice the base of the lamp and the socket have been welded together due to the intense heat produced by the arc.

New Lamp Will Not Stay Lit (Turns On and Off by Itself)

It could be line voltage, lamp, and/or ballast related. 

  1. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  2. Verify that your power supply at the outlet on your wall is correct.
  3. In most cases the ballast is at the center of the issue. Many of today’s popular electronic ballasts are designed to operate HPS lamps and struggle to operate Metal Halide lamps consistently. Try powering the lamp with another operational system or ballast. If the lamp works correctly, you have a ballast issue on the original system. If the lamp still turns ON and OFF on the second system, the lamp should be replaced. In a case where you do not have another ballast or system to troubleshoot with, take the lamp to your local retail store and they should be able to test the lamp for you.

Lamp/Ballast Compatibility

Many people think the lamp is supposed to be compatible with the ballast. In reality, it is the other way around. The ballasts must be compatible with the lamp. Visit our education section to learn more about what lamp/ballast compatibility is.

Potential signs of lamp/ballast compatibility include:

  • A brand new lamp that will not light up
  • A brand new lamp that starts up for a second, then shuts off
  • A brand new lamp has been working fine for a period of time and won’t light up any more
  • A lamp that doesn’t get to full brightness
  • A lamp that is a couple of months old and works inconsistently
  • A lamp that is less than a year old and has completely burned out

Troubleshooting lamp/ballast compatibility:

  1. The best way to troubleshoot the problem is to try running the lamp on a different ballast. If the lamp starts on the different ballast you know there is a problem with your ballast. Watch this video covering lamp/ballast compatibility and how to test for it.
  2. Timers and control systems have also been known to prevent ballasts from operating lamps properly. It is a good idea to take the timer/controller out of the system when troubleshooting. You may find the problem is within the timer/controller.

New Lamp Appears Used

  • How to tell if a lamp has been used: EYE HORTILUX grow lamps have a brown monogram that changes to orange after approximately 10 hours of use. The monogram can be found at the base of the glass jacket. For more details, watch this video on how to read a monogram.
  • Burn marks: You may see what appears to be burn marks in the arc tube of your grow lamp. These stains are the chemical dose that is inside the arc tube. Without these chemicals, the lamp would not work properly. Refer to this video that explains what the burn marks look like. If the stains or burn marks on your new lamp have turned the entire arc tube completely black or brown, consult your retail store for a replacement as you may have purchased a used lamp.
  • Metal Halide lamps: In metal halide lamps, you will see a small ball inside the arc tube. This is normal. It is the mercury dose inside of each metal halide lamp that creates its unique spectrum. 
  • Small floating pieces: You may see small pieces floating around inside the glass jacket. These can come off of the lamp stem during transit. Pieces smaller than the tip of your pinky finger are completely normal and safe for operation. Anything larger and you should consult your local retail store regarding replacement.

DE Lamps

  • Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  • To ensure the DE lamp is properly secured in the DE socket, follow these instructions for DE lamp installation.
  • Be sure to run all new DE lamps at 1000W for 100 hours to create a proper burn in time. DE lamps should not be dimmed or overdriven before this burn in time is completed. Doing so may cause a rapid drop in intensity over time or premature lamp failure and result in damage to the lamp and system. Dimming and overdriving may also void the lamp warranty. Consult the DE lamp packaging for instructions pertaining to your specific lamp.
  • If the lamp is having trouble starting, try flipping it over so the “belly button” is facing the other side.
  • If you are running a DE CHPS lamp and your issue is not solved by the above steps, check the compatible systems page on our website. You may be running the lamp on a system known to be incompatible. The chart on the compatible systems web page shows which systems have been tested for compatibility with the DE CHPS. If your system does not appear on the list, it means we have not yet tested it with the DE CHPS lamp. Email service@eyehortilux.com or call 877-905-2562 for further assistance.

Metal Halide Lamp is Green

Dimming a metal halide lamp causes the chemistry inside to drastically affect the output of the lamp. The spectrum shifts dramatically turning the visible light to green.

BALLAST TROUBLESHOOTING

Silver Series Ballast Troubleshooting

  1. Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lamps may require up to 15 minutes to restart after shutdown. Allow sufficient time for the lamps to cool down prior to restarting. 
  2. Make sure the tab inside the lamp socket makes proper contact with the base of the lamp. If the lamp does not make contact with the socket tab, replace the socket. 
  3. Make sure the lamp is firmly screwed into the socket. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE LAMP. 
  4. Make sure the lamp cord from the hood/fixture is attached to the ballast. 
  5. Make sure the ballast is plugged into the proper voltage.
  6. Make sure the ballast is not installed more than 15 feet away from the hood/reflector. Longer distances may cause potential starting issues that can result in damage to the ballast and/or lamp.

Inspecting the Cord

Check all cords and make sure they are NOT coiled. A coiled cord reduces the power coming from your ballast which can lead to an under-performing lamp, lamp failure and/or ballast failure.

GROW LIGHT SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING

First Steps for All Systems

  1. Disconnect main power whenever working on any electrical device. For additional protection, you can also disconnect your fixture cord from your ballast (if so equipped).
  2. Allow sufficient time for the lighting system, lamp, and ballast to cool down prior to handling. Refer to the product manual for specific time that cooling is required.
  3. Wear safety glasses and gloves during lamp installation or removal.
  4. Make sure the lamp is installed correctly.
  5. Check the lamp for damage.
  6. Verify there is power to the breaker and the power supply at the outlet on your wall is correct.

DE 1000-VS Grow Light System

  1. Read the DE 1000-VS installation instructions and ensure you have followed all steps and all warnings. See page 3 for how to troubleshoot the status LED.
  2. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  3. Follow troubleshooting steps under the DE lamp section.
  4. If using another manufacturer’s lamp in our system, follow lamp/ballast compatibility steps to determine if there is a compatibility issue.
  5. If the DE lamp is found to not be the issue, it may be a ballast issue. Visit the retail store in which you purchased the product. The store will troubleshoot the system and may obtain an RMA number from our customer service team.

CMH 315 Grow Light System

  1. Read the CMH 315 installation instructions and ensure you have followed all steps and warnings.
  2. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  3. If using another manufacturer’s lamp in our system, follow lamp/ballast compatibility steps to determine if there is a compatibility issue.
  4. Take the system back to the retail store you purchased it from. The store will troubleshoot the system and may obtain an RMA number from our customer service team.

SE 600 Grow Light System

  1. Read the SE 600 installation instructions and ensure you have followed all steps and warnings.
  2. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  3. If using another manufacturer’s lamp in our system, follow lamp/ballast compatibility steps to determine if there is a compatibility issue.
  4. Take the system back to the retail store you purchased it from. The store will troubleshoot the system and may obtain an RMA number from our customer service team.

Ascend LED Grow Light Systems™

  1. Read the Ascend LED installation instructions for your particular system and ensure you have followed all steps and warnings.
  2. Follow all instructions in First Steps.
  3. Though uncommon, you may find one or more LEDs have gone out. If one-third or more of a single board is no longer lit, contact our customer service department for a possible replacement. 
  4. If you find no solutions with the steps above, take the system back to the retail store you purchased it from. The store will troubleshoot the system and may obtain an RMA number from our customer service team.