Salty Bulbs

[DaveC]

This may be a really stupid question but after a period of time say a few months my bulbs end up with some salt crust on them...does anyone ever take them out and clean them with a dry cloth or is there anything safe to do this with?? I have not done it but just wondering...I figure that you might get a little more light out of the bulk if it were new looking...and someone told me once that you can not touch the Metal Halide bulbs with your hands or fingers...is this true..

Thanks
Dave C

[Chuck S]

You do not want to leave oil from your fingers on your bulbs this is correct. What I do is in the morning before they come on when they are cool I take and clean them off with windex or whatever and some paper towels. I then make sure I place them back in with paper towels on my hands so I do not get any oil on them.

[David Grigor]

Dave,

If your getting salt crust, either you water is too turbulent on the water surface or your bulbs are too low. Could cause the bulbs to break.

[DaveC]

Dave...I would not say that there is alot of built up salt but you can see the overspray, not exactly sure the words to use here but it is not built up...just a fine misting...and if I leave it..which I did because I did not know you could clean them with windex..anyways if I leave it along the salt does not continue to build up...I get some on the reflectors also, but here again just a fine misting...
Thanks for the replies...FYI I believe my bulbs were 8 inches above the water....I changed them recently and went from 5500k to a 10K bulb so now they are up to 10 inches or so...will lower them back to 8 inches and see how long it takes for the film to come back...at what height to you keep your bulbs..

tks
Dave C

[Chuck S]

My bulbs are ten inches above the water. Anywhere between 8 inches and 12 should be fine.

[Obi-Dad]

Pardon a newbie question, but it sounds like there is nothing between the bulbs and the water, is this correct? Do bulbs ever break, allowing glass/bulb chemicals into the water?

[Chuck S]

Some people keep a shield between the bulb and the water. I do not. Now that is for mogul bulbs. HQI bulbs must be run with a shield.