Fertraso - 250W HPIT Metal Halide Lamp

This 250 watt metal halide lamp gives cool light at 4200 kelvin and 21,500 lumen, with an E40 cap. Meant for the vegetative stage.

Swapping HPS and metal halide in one fixture

Plenty of growers run vegetative growth on metal halide and flowering on sodium, in the same reflector. That works, and it is why both lamps use the same E40 cap. There is more to it than unscrewing one and fitting the other, though.

The sticking point is the ballast. HPS and metal halide ignite differently and want a different current, so a ballast built for one type does not always run the other properly. Many modern electronic ballasts do handle both and say so on the rating plate. An old coil ballast often does not. So check what yours says before buying a second lamp type.

The wattage has to match regardless. A 250 watt lamp belongs on a 250 watt ballast whatever the type. And a lamp that has just been running is too hot to handle and will not re-ignite immediately either, so let it cool before swapping.

Swapping is not compulsory. Running a crop through on HPS alone works too; plants simply stretch a little more during vegetative growth than they do under the cooler light of this lamp.

Technical Specifications:

• Model: 21.219
• Power: 250 W
• Type: metal halide, MH
• Colour temperature: 4200 K, cool
• Luminous flux: 21,500 lumen
• Cap: E40
• Life expectancy: nominally 10,000 hours
• Ballast: 250 W required, not included

Frequently asked questions

Will this lamp run on my HPS ballast?
Only if it is rated for both types. Many electronic ballasts are; old coil ballasts often are not. Check the rating plate.

Can I swap while the lamp is hot?
No. Let it cool, because a hot lamp will not re-ignite and you cannot handle it.

Do I have to swap between growth and flowering?
No. Running through on HPS works, though plants stretch a little more during vegetative growth.

Why fewer lumens than a 250 watt HPS?
Because lumens follow the human eye, which rates bluer light lower. For vegetative growth this spectrum suits better.