Re: Mercury Vapor Outdoor Lights
Mercury Vapor lites are being phased out. They are very inefficient to todays standards. The light cycling on and off usually means that the bulb is getting weak and on its way out.
If it is trying to cycle during the daylight, then something is wrong with the photo cell. Make sure the voltage is right. Photo cells do come in several voltages.
My suggestion is to replace the whole light head with a new one. High Pressure Sodium is my choice. They may produce an orangish yellow lite, but burn about half the electricity as merc vapor does.
For the best brightness/white light, metal halide would be the way to go IMHO. They burn about the same amount of electric as Merc Vapor but with better output of light.
I manage 3 new car lot light systems as well as the companies stores that I work for. About 500 light heads in all. Of all of those, there is about 4 fixtures that I can think of that has not been converted from mercury vapor. Some suppliers around this area have already quit suppling mercury vapor bulbs.
BTW, Do Not intall a regular bulb into the socket of a ballast controlled light fixture. This will create a dead short and destroy the ballast and or capacitors. Good Luck in what you do,,,,,and be careful.........SS