MH on off switch

[Dave VG]

Ok the power plug from the ballast will be plugged into a timer that in turn is plugged into the wall. The ballast will be in my basement so I have made a remote box with two outlets wired from the outputs of the ballasts that will be wired through the floor to the up stairs. I put computer like receptacles in the hood and hooked them to switches so a computer cable will plug into the hood and then into the remote receptacles. So that makes the ballast outputting to the switch. If I turn it off the light it is off but the ballast is still on. Would this damage the bulbs?

 

[RyanM]

If I understand you corectly your actual on off switch is coming from the basment and your ballst will be powered on and off from the timer. You also have a on off switch in the hood that isolates the bulb from the ballast to turn it off if needed from up stairs.
I wouldnt wire my timer to just isolate the bulb for an everyday on off but if your only talking about the ocational turn off from upstairs, that should be fine.

An E-Ballast would probly be ok either way but a cap and core ballast sends out a high voltage charge to the bulb when it starts. I dont think it will do this in mid stride. as in when you just pull the bulb and reinsert the bulb in the socet, but leave the ballast on. The bulb will still fire but strugles to fire up with out the jump start sorta speak. Hurt the bulb no i dont think so but i wouldnt do it like that.

 

[Dave VG]

I know it's not the preferred way to do this. It's more for safety purposes in case I have to cut power to the bulb for some reason. I would unplug it downstairs to restart it if I had to shut it off. I don’t think I will ever have to do that. But as the saying goes, never say never. I have no room for the ballasts upstairs. Just didn't know if it would be more of a safety hazard this way or if it would damage them it if I had to switch it off. Thanks Ryan

 

[RyanM]

No problem at all doing it like that. If there was a problem at all it would be when its turned back on. Even then it will still fire up or ill say should..I am sure there are some bulbs that wont fire up with out a proper start but then all thats needed is to go and turn off the ballast then back on after a few seconds but that is the worst case scenerio.