What are the Different Lamp Starting Types?
Instant start: There is no filament heating applied before starting. These lamps start without any delay but need a higher starting voltage. Instant start lamps are not suitable to switching lamps on and off frequently. Rapid start: A short time preheat is applied (1-2 sec) by a capacitor connected parallel with the lamp. They are a low cost solution to increase lamp life. Preheat start: An individual filament preheat circuit is applied for as long as necessary to initiate arc flow at the established open circuit start voltage. They are an expensive solution to increasing lamp life, but are a must for multi-cycle applications.
