GE 12636 MVR175/VBU/MEDPA 175W Metal Halide Bulb

The GE Pulse Start Metal Halide 12636 (MVR175/VBU/MED) Lamp is a commercial-grade, high-intensity discharge (HID) quartz metal halide bulb engineered for warehouse lighting, industrial manufacturing plants, commercial shopping arenas, and outdoor perimeter security canisters. Delivering 17,500 initial lumens of crisp 4000K cool white illumination, this high-performance 175-watt lamp utilizes advanced pulse start tech to secure faster warm-up cycles, rapid hot-restrike timings, and superior color consistency over standard probe start bulbs. Outfitted with an industry-standard E26 medium screw base and a durable clear BD17 hard glass envelope, it provides an extended 15,000-hour rated average service life when driven by approved ANSI M137 control gear.

ADL Supply Expert Application & Replacement Guide

The GE MVR175/VBU/MED high-intensity discharge lamp is a preferred commercial maintenance standard specified widely for high-bay warehouse boxes, distribution hubs, manufacturing perimeters, and canopy safety housings. Operating at a crisp 4000K color profile, it balances high lumens with clean visibility across workspace planes, avoiding the dim, fatiguing amber cast typical in low-CRI high pressure sodium lights.

Critical Ballast Tuning and Mandatory Base-Up Mounting Constraints: Maintenance managers executing large-scale retrofits must carefully examine structural lighting layouts prior to cart checkout. This 175-watt module runs strictly on approved ANSI M137 pulse start control ballasts. Driving this capsule via older probe start magnetic chokes (such as legacy ANSI M57 ballasts) will lead to immediate starting failures or high-voltage arc drop-outs, as probe systems lack the secondary pulse transformer ignitors required to strike the high-pressure gas column.

Furthermore, installers must strictly follow the **Vertical Base Up ±15° (VBU) burning orientation restriction**. Running this lamp horizontally or upside down forces the intense internal plasma arc path to bow toward the outer quartz burner envelope, prompting rapid tube devitrification, visual color shifting, and sudden package shattering. Thread the standard E26 brass medium screw sleeve firmly into ceramic sockets to absorb constant line current vibration.

Detailed Product Specifications

• Brand Name: GE Lighting (Current Lighting Solutions Group / Multi-Vapor® Family)
• Product Series Line: Pulse Start High Efficacy Metal Halide Series
• GE Factory Product Order Code SKU: 12636
• Manufacturer Description Nomenclature: MVR175/VBU/MED
• Official Trade Industry ANSI Identifier: M137 / E Certified (Enclosed Luminaires Mandatory)
• UPC Barcode Number (GTIN-12): 043168126366
• Core Technology Class: High-Intensity Discharge (HID) — Pulse Start Metal Halide
• Primary Control Requirement: 175W Pulse Start ANSI M137 Core-and-Coil Ballast
• Operational Power: 175 Watts
• Initial Luminous Brightness (VBU): 17,500 Lumens (Post standard 100-hour seasoning burn)
• Design Mean Luminous Flux: 13,000 Lumens (Evaluated at 40% of standard service life)
• Luminous Efficacy Ratio: 100 Lumens per Watt (LPW)
• Color Temperature Configuration: 4000K Cool White (Clear Glass Finish)
• Color Rendering Index (CRI): 75 Ra
• Base Type Configuration: E26 Medium Screw Base (Standard 26mm diameter brass thread sleeve)
• Glass Bulb Profile Envelope: Hard Clear Borosilicate Glass BD17 Shape (Bulbous-Deformed Compact)
• Maximum Overall Length (MOL): 5.75" Inches (146.0mm actual length tip-to-tip)
• Bulb Nominal Diameter (DIA): 2.125" Inches (54.0mm actual glass face width)
• Rated Average Service Lifespan: 15,000 Hours (Under constant voltage regulation)
• Chassis Burn Position Limit: Vertical Base Up ±15° (VBU) Orientation Restrictions

Operation, Safety & Mounting Compliance

High-Pressure Arc Stabilization and Hot Restrike Intermission Windows

Following initial cold system ignition strikes via the high-voltage ballast circuit, this quartz capsule requires an initialization window of 3 to 5 minutes to fully gasify internal metal halide elements and settle into its stable 4000K cool white spectrum. If a brief grid voltage sag or temporary power interruption drops the circuit track loop during operation, an automated hot restrike cool-down intermission block of 10 to 15 minutes must be strictly observed. This enables internal arc chamber pressures to relax entirely before the pulse ignitor can safely strike the xenon gas column again.

Mercury Content Dosing and Safe Bulk Disposal Protocols

This gas-discharge tube incorporates a metered heavy-metal mercury fill dose within its inner quartz arc tube to execute its high-efficacy lighting pathway. While engineered to minimize tracking degradation and maintain stable mean lumen metrics over extended service life, it remains a hazardous heavy-metal component. National safety codes dictate processing spent lamps through certified commercial bulk recycling repositories during facility maintenance sweeps rather than discharging them into standard residential or municipal solid waste streams.

Certified Commercial Ballast Equipment Matrix

This high-output 175W pulse start module couples perfectly with the following matching component codes:

• GE Factory Control Assemblies: 86876 GEP17548TAC3-5 / 86885 GEP175MLTAC3-5 / 78525 GEP175TRIAC3-5
• Philips Advance Match: 71A5570 / Core-and-Coil ANSI M137 Replacement HID Ballast Kits
• Sylvania Quicktronic Alternative: QHP 1x175MH/UNV Magnetic Replacement Blocks

Bulk Commercial Lighting Supply & Project Support

ADL Supply handles volume distribution shipments, multi-pack logistics, and contractor project quotes for procurement teams, schools, and warehouse facilities nationwide.

For specialized contractor pricing tiers, job-site pallet deliveries, or comprehensive submittal documentation, contact our support team directly at 1-800-235-3489. We are your commercial supply partners as an authorized wholesale Lighting Distributor In Doral, Florida.

Specification Sheet: View Manufacturer Spec Sheet