DIYbanter - View Single Post - can I swap out 125 W mercury vapor medium base for 175 W mercuryvapor mogul base?

Larz

On 9/8/19 3:25 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, 8 September 2019 02:19:22 UTC+1, Larz wrote:

I picked up a surplus yard light called Electripak SV-175M thinking that
it was 175 watts. It uses a mercury vapor bulb, but the bulb inside
appears to be 125 W. Since I want to use 175 W mercury vapor instead,
is it possible to swap out the medium base for mogul base and use the
175 W mercury vapor bulb? It has an H42 ballast, no capacitor. Thank you.

Would there be much point? Mercury is obsolete for a reason. Total cost of ownership of a LED light is cheaper. And the light's better. And no warm-up issues. Your fitting/bulb might be free, but the electricity isn't.

NT

I agree about the LED, and I would if I were not using this set up for a
the special purpose of attracting insects. The LED does not emit
anything close to UV whereas the mercury vapor does and in not harmful
wavelengths as long as the envelope remains intact. So, it won't be on
all the time, just nights where I want to attract certain insects.

I do use LED for just about every lamp in the house, really cut the
electric bill after the switch over from incandescents.