Do I Need a CMH Grow Light Ballast?

A CMH ballast is responsible for starting and regulating the current in your CMH grow light. Without regulation, the CMH bulb would burn too bright and "pop", or not start at all.

The ballast helps ensure the bulb reaches its standard life span, which in this case can be up to 24,000 hours. The ballast works to maintain brightness, even when the bulb starts to lose intensity.

Selecting the best CMH ballast

The best CMH ballasts are digital. This means they operate 30% more efficiently than magnetic ballasts, and produce significantly less heat while taking up less space.

They also can feature a dimmable function, which grants the grower more control over light intensity in the grow room. You can regulate wattage this way, and operate your grow light more efficiently.

When shopping for a CMH ballast, you need to consider your CMH grow light. Be sure the wattage of your ballast matches that of your grow light. Double ended CMH grow lights require a CMH ballast optimized for DE bulbs. You can operate a single ended CMH bulb with a DE CMH ballast, but not the other way around.

Whether you need a standard 120 supply volt, or the common commercially used 240 or 277 Volt, we have it here at Hydrobuilder.

If you want to learn more about grow lights, visit our learning center! If you have any questions about which ballast is right for you, call our experienced growers at 888-815-9763 and let us help you decide!