WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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HID, LPS, and preheat fluorescents forever!!!!!!
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| After knowing that SOX low pressure sodium lamps must never be operated base down since the accumulated sodium would eat away the seals at the electrodes, I am well aware that SOX low pressure sodium lamps between 18w and 55w can be safely operated base up in addition to being operated horizontally like most SOX low pressure sodium lamps. I am starting to wonder what would happen to 90w, 135w, and 180w SOX low pressure sodium lamps if they were operated base up instead of horizontal as intended assuming they are used in secure lampholders and are adequately supported.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.
DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.
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ElectroLite
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| I'd guess that the sodium metal will gradually drip down to the "U" bend of the arc tube, potentially clogging it up (or narrowing it enough to build up heat). If not that, I'd assume that the influx of sodium at one end of the lamp would prevent proper warm-up due to uneven sodium distribution. It isn't really an issue on small lamps, but on larger lamps I'd imagine it being problematic.
Just my thoughts.
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exexcollega
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| I can give it a try with an old 180 watt bulb. I guess it is not as harmful as using them base down.
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FrontSideBus
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| AFAIK 135 to 180 were horizontal only. Not sure on the the 90 though.
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Bulbs are for planting: Lamps are for lighting!
http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/index.php?cat=11271
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Rommie
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| IIRC all the Osram-GEC "SuperSOX" range were supposed to be able to operate base up, right up to the 180W ones. Not sure I'd want to try it, though.
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« Last Edit: March 27, 2022, 07:00:04 PM by Rommie »
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wide-lite 1000
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| I had to run one of my 135w SOX base up for about an hour as all of the sodium was accumulated around the electrodes. I'd assume the previous owner had run it base down . The sodium didn't pool in the bend .
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Collector,Hoarder,Pack-rat! Clear mercury Rules!!
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Rommie
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| It probably wouldn't for that length of time. Try it for a week and you might notice it.
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wide-lite 1000
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I ran it just enough to get all of the sodium from the electrodes .  |
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Collector,Hoarder,Pack-rat! Clear mercury Rules!!
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icefoglights
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ITT Low Pressure Sodium NEMA
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| The sodium in an LPS lamp will condense in the coldest parts of the lamp. When a long lamp is run vertically base up, that would be the U bend at the bottom. Over time (many hours and probably many cycles too) there won't be enough sodium spread throughout the arc tube to allow for an even sodium discharge. The lamp would become a "red burner", only glowing from the neon in the tube with a little sodium glow from the U bend area. I don't think it hurts the lamp in the long run but would result in the light not doing its job when in actual service.
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01010010 01101111 01100010 01100101 01110010 01110100
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Rommie
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| As I said, the Osram/GEC "Super SOX" range were quoted in the literature as being able to run base up for all ratings, but personally I wouldn't want to do it.
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dor123
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Other loves are printers/scanners/copiers, A/Cs
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| Running the higher wattage LPS lamps base-up will result in the sodium migrating to the center of the tube, so that at the end, only the argon-neon will be ionized, so argon clean-up by the borate glass will be accelerated, eventually result in a lamp that unable to start.
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I"m don't speak English well, and rely on online translating to write in this site.
Please forgive me if my choice of my words looks like offensive, while that isn't my intention.
I only working with the international date format (dd.mm.yyyy).
I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.
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Mandolin Girl
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Theoretically.  |
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Rommie
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It would seem that GEC added something to the chemical mix to allow the larger wattage of lamps to be run base up.  |
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Rommie
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| That's a possibility, we'd need someone more knowledgeable about the actual manufacturing processes they used for those lamps to be sure.
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AngryHorse
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Rich, Coaster junkie!
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| It wouldn’t affect either the 180 or 135 GEC versions as GEC used the least amount of sodium for lamps that size anyway!
There was only Philips that ‘overdosed’ the sodium metal in their lamps for some reason?, even Thorn made 90 and 135 watt SOX only had one ‘pea’ size amount of sodium in them.
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