175W ballast w/150W bulb

[30mini]

Is this possible? I am going to be getting a 175W ballast kit, and I have a spare 150W socket and bulb that I was going to retro into my light fixture. Will I be able to do this or will I break the bulb/socket?

 

[whirley]

My assumption is that it could break the bulb, or even worse.

 

[30mini]

Thats what I was thinking too. I don't want to have anything happen, so I will ask the Manufacturers to be extra safe.

 

[PaulErik]

If it is a magnetic ANSI M57 ballast is will have trouble lighting a 150-watt ANSI M102/M81 lamp. The 175-watt is a probe start ballast and the 150-watt ballast uses an ignitor to start the lamp (pulse start).

A 175-watt ballast would actually under drive a 150-watt lamp. A 175W ballast limits current to a lamp at 1.5 amps while a 150W ballast limits current to 1.8 amps.