# Mercury Vapor porch light woes



## Frangible (Jul 2, 2006)

I have a 175w Mercury Vapor porch light that is sufficiently bright, unfortunately due to the color (too much blue/UV) it attracts a lot of bugs.

Can anyone give any recommendations for resolving this? Can I directly coat the bulb with paint, or would that be bad? What options are there for a light filter to cut the blue/UV out?

Can I use sodium vapor (low or high pressure) bulbs as a replacement? Or do they require their own ballast?

Thanks.


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## billhess (Jul 3, 2006)

Frangible said:


> I have a 175w Mercury Vapor porch light that is sufficiently bright, unfortunately due to the color (too much blue/UV) it attracts a lot of bugs.
> 
> Can anyone give any recommendations for resolving this? Can I directly coat the bulb with paint, or would that be bad? What options are there for a light filter to cut the blue/UV out?
> 
> ...


 
High and low pressure sodium require their own ballasts, you cannot just switch bulbs. High prssure sodium still attracts bugs just not as many. I have several low pressure sodium lights and they are the most efficient and attract very very few bugs. keep checking ebay and one will show up eventually.


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## Xzn (Jul 3, 2006)

Switch to a metal halide light


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## IsaacHayes (Jul 3, 2006)

sodium is puke dim orange looking though. At least to me.


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## Handlobraesing (Jul 3, 2006)

Lights of America makes an yellow CFL that supposedly has less tendy to attract bugs. It has a yellow outer glass bulb. You could use a bunch of this. 

Low pressure sodium is more or less monochromatic and everything appears in shades of amber.


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## Icebreak (Jul 3, 2006)

You could install a near UV lamp post across the street.


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## bfg9000 (Jul 3, 2006)

There are CFL bulbs designed to retrofit mercury lamp housings, but I've never seen a yellow bug-light version. And my yellow CFL bug-lights still seem to attract enough bugs that very fat spiders build webs on them anyway.

A better solution would be to surround it with the housing from a bug zapper and place a koi pond below. You get to keep your light, enjoy a pond, + have less bugs in the yard, with no cleaning and no feeding necessary.

Only downside would be the persistent bzzt! noises...


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## red_robby (Jul 3, 2006)

Icebreak said:


> You could install a near UV lamp post across the street.


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## mdocod (Jul 3, 2006)

you could get yourself and friends a few badmitten rackets, a few beers, and find a new level of fun on account of your light


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## mattheww50 (Jul 3, 2006)

Frangible said:


> I have a 175w Mercury Vapor porch light that is sufficiently bright, unfortunately due to the color (too much blue/UV) it attracts a lot of bugs.
> 
> Can anyone give any recommendations for resolving this? Can I directly coat the bulb with paint, or would that be bad? What options are there for a light filter to cut the blue/UV out?
> 
> ...



In general Sodium Vapor lamps need a different ballast.
However GE makes some lamps that are direct replacements for Mercury vapor lamps. They are called I-line Multi-vapor, and will run in existing sockets with existing Mercury Vapor ballasts.


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## snowleopard (Aug 3, 2006)

I had been wondering about bugs and yellow lights:
http://www.gelighting.com/na/business_lighting/faqs/incandescent.htm#5



> *How does the Yellow Bug-Lite Work?* Insects and humans have different visual perceptions. This allows for people to have better control of nocturnal insect nuisances by adjusting the color of lighting.
> 
> The human visual system is activated by radiant energy in the color range from deep blue to dark red, which we call light. The vision of flying insects, however, is shifted away from long-wavelength red toward the shorter blue and near ultraviolet (black light) wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. Sources which radiate ultraviolet energy and blue light are most attractive to flying insects, while those with a deficiency of ultraviolet and blue are less attractive. Insects see black light fluorescent, mercury, and metal halide best. Lamps which insects have a difficult time seeing include incandescent, high-pressure sodium, and bug light incandescent (yellow).
> 
> ...



Logically a red light would be best, but that would have connotations that the neighbors might not like. My only yellow light is a CMG Infinity (original) and it is too dim to attract anything. One of the advantages of relapsing into a flashoholic is that I leave my outside light off and use a flashlight instead; no more gauntlet of mosquitos.

--Walter


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