Metal Halide
About Metal Halide Ballasts
From lighting a factory floor to illuminating an outdoor stadium, wherever you see metal halide lamps, there's a ballast powering it. Although not as glamorous as the bulbs themselves, metal halide ballasts are an integral component of a high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting system. The ballast ensures that the voltage sent to the bulb is not too much as to damage the bulb, but not too little as to not illuminate fully. Metal halide ballasts significantly increase both the efficiency and the lifespan of the lamps, saving the cost of maintenance and the time spent replacing the burnt-out lamps in the rafters of a factory or up in the lighting towers at a stadium.
The most popular type of metal halide ballast is the magnetic “core and coil” ballast. These come in a wide range of wattages, from the smallest 35 Watt ballast up to the 1500 Watt ballast. Core and coil ballasts typically come with pre-wired capacitors and igniters, as well as mounting brackets and screws for ease of installation. Additionally, we also carry F-Can ballasts which are best suited for applications where the noise of a coil and core ballast is a concern, such as in home or office lighting. Another common type that we offer in our store is the electronic metal halide ballast. These share many of the benefits of other electronic ballast types, such as having more consistent light output, as well as being much smaller and lighter than magnetic ballasts. Similar to fluorescent ballasts, metal halide ballasts offer many different starting methods, with pulse start and probe start being the most common. Search our catalog of hundreds of metal halide ballasts from top brands like Sola, Keystone, Philips Advance, and more!
