Pulse Start Ballasts

Technology continues to shape our world both in ways that are instantly recognizable and in more subdued ways that many people are unlikely to ever notice but still appreciate subconsciously. One of these easy to overlook progressions that technology has created is in the world of lighting. Yes, the compact fluorescent has changed home lighting for the better. But in commercial and industrial settings, mid wattage and high wattage light fixtures have been quietly undergoing a revolution as well. The leader of this revolution? A device known as a pulse start ballast. For decades, metal halide ballasts have been standard issue inside most lighting solutions. But not anymore.

An electrical pulse start ballast works as its name suggests, sending a series of high voltage pulses out to start the lamp. It's vastly more efficient and superior to the older styles in a number of different ways. The first is lumen maintenance, a term that helps measure the light output and energy needs of a light source. Lamps that utilize electrical ballasts and pulse starts can deliver fifty percent higher levels of lumens than a magnetic ballast lamp. Plus, fewer lumens are lost, in most cases lumen loss is cut in half or more. In short, it will cost you much less in energy usage to create much higher levels of light.

Keeping energy costs low is great, but a pulse start ballast lamp will also lower equipment costs. Since they can produce higher levels of light, you'll need to buy fewer fixtures during installation. And their design lessens the amount of tungsten build up inside the bulb, keeping lamps working at their best for longer. With fewer fixtures and longer lasting equipment, you will have fewer bulbs, ballasts, and fixtures to replace and have to replace them far less frequently than you would using traditional metal halide ballast lamps. There are less technical, more noticeable benefits offered by pulse ballasts as well.

If you've ever watched a horror movie or been in an older commercial building, then you've no doubt noticed a constant strobe like flicker on many of the fluorescent bulbs. This is due to the low frequency that the lights operate at. A pulse start ballast operates at a much, much higher frequency than traditional lamps and creates a stable arc stream. In other words, the strobe effect is eliminated. This creates a safer, more comfortable working environment. And the loud buzzing that is often generated by older lights is a thing of the past as well. From efficiency to comfort, there are countless reasons to choose an electrical pulse starting ballast for your new light fixtures.