Just got a used Lumatek 1000W Ballast in the mail - Won't light up my bulbs!

[Ligerius]

I just purchased a used Lumatek 1000LK ballast on an auction website. This is the non-air cooled kind. However, every bulb I've tried to fire up has only flashed for about 1/2 a second, then no light emitting from the bulb, till around 1-3 minutes later, and another flash, repeatedly.

The bulbs work fine with my quantum digital ballasts, and every other I have tried them in.
Their brands and models are the following. Eye Hortilux super HPS, Interlux HPS, ULTRA SUN MH conversion bulb, Ultra Sun HPS. All are 1000 watt bulbs. They simply wont stay lit for more than half a second with this ballast.

I'm hoping its a compatibility issue, and not a dead ballast I received.

What do you guys think?

 

[XobeMan]

Its a used Ballast and lumatek is not the best rated Ballast as a matter of fact they Suck from what i have read over the past week or so and i think they are out of business.

Its used for a reason.. Bad Ballast.

 

[Jedthedog]

Could it be something easy to replace like a Capacitor .. Have you taken it apart ?

 

[XobeMan]

Could it be something easy to replace like a Capacitor .. Have you taken it apart ?

IDK it could be or it maybe not and no i have never taken one apart.

Hopefully someone with better electrical knowledge then me can post here.

But can you not send it back to get your money back or was a deal where u bought it as is?

 

[Weaselcracker]

I've used Lumatek ballasts for years, including a 1000w with hortilux bulb, and several other kinds. No complaints. Sounds like it's the ballast that's the issue.
You can peek inside but I expect you'll find that there isn't much you can work on. Most of the guts of mine have been coated over with some sort of insulating goo/protective filler material.
Does your ballast have a breaker button at end - it's not tripping?

 

[Ligerius]

Damn, ya I guess that what I get buying this at a police auction website. Unfortunately it is covered in the black resin. Maybe I can remove it with a heat gun and figure out what the problem is.
The ballast has two white buttons at the end. They both seem to be normal, I've tried pushing them but nothing changes.

Thanks Guys

 

[Weaselcracker]

The police robbed you with a ballast they robbed from someone else...

 

[XobeMan]

The police robbed you with a ballast they robbed from someone else...

Funny as that is, the police would of never tested it out so its a buy it as is sale.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Yeah I know. Just speculating...

 

[Ligerius]

The police robbed you with a ballast they robbed from someone else...

Very true. Shouldn't have expected more from the Police I guess. Damn shame.

 

[Spitz]

Try it in a non GFCI outlet.

 

[Ligerius]

Tried it in a non gfci outlet, still didn't work. Thanks for trying though.