Things You'll Need:
- Number, size and wattage of lamps needed
- Ballasts for metal halide lamps or a conversion kit
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Step 1
Figure out and note how many lamps you will need to buy at what wattage or lumens output to meet your lighting requirements. Know the diameter size of the screw socket connection in your ballast and the wattage capacity of your ballast so an appropriate bulb choice can be made.
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Step 2
Research the cost range of the specific wattage, size and shape of the bulbs that you will require in order to establish a realistic budget for the purchase and as a tool for deciding the brand of bulb and where best to make the purchase. Metal halide lamps are most commonly made in 175, 400, 1,000 and 1,500 watt bulbs, though many brands make other wattages.
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Step 3
Select a reputable online or bricks-and-mortar specialty retailer and make your purchase. Metal halide lamps can be found at some big-box home-improvement retailers such as Home Depot, but the widest selection of bulb sizes and wattages will be found at specialty lightbulb and lamp retailers such as 1000bulbs.com. Metal halide bulbs are designed to last for approximately 20,000 hours of burn time, so buying multiple sets is not usually required, though one or two extra will come in handy should a bulb fail or shatter.
