Would it be safe to run a 250 watt high pressure sodium bulb with just a mogul socket and without a ballast??

Question

we have often used 250 watt heat lamps with mogul sockets and without a ballast and nothing has ever happened. so would there be a difference, and if so what is it.

Answer 1

Normally high pressure sodium lamps are with series ballast and an ignitor and capacitor. Without this elements your lamp may not last long.

Answer 2

I found this:

HID (High Intensity Discharge) Technical Guide

"High Intensity Discharge" (HID) is a broad term used to describe any lighting system using a gaseous discharge arc lamp in which the gas-filled arc tube operates at several times the normal atmospheric pressure, compared to the near vacuum conditions in lamps. The various types of HID lamps are categorized and named by the type of gas contained within the arc tube.

The electrical arc produced between the two main electrodes of a HID lamp is much like a runaway short circuit, which can be sustained indefinitely. Once sufficient voltage is present, the gases within the arc tube are "ionized" to where they will conduct the arc current. Arc formation is not an immediate process. It can take several seconds for the arc to be established and several minutes until full light output is reached.

HID lamps are a negative-impedance device. This means that unless controlled, the current would continue to increase, causing the lamp to fail almost instantly after starting. For this reason, a ballast, which is a current-limiting device, must be used with every HID lamp. The ballast serves three functions. First, it provides the proper starting voltage to establish the arc. Second, it supplies the proper voltage to operate the lamp. Third, the ballast limits the lamp current to a prescribed level.

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