Down lights & CFL's

[Ausguy]

First up, how does one tell if ones CFL light is going to blow? I have a few CFL lights but by the sound of them (quiet room cant hear anything) other than the light its self making a slight hissing noise or somewhat. How do i tell if in the near future it might just conk out and cause damage to my babies?

Also, down lights? I know they produce ALOT of heat, but my house is pretty much run by them :P and they are easy to get my hands on for free. So is it possible to grow with downlights? Whats the deal?

Cheers :)

[psteve]

First up, how does one tell if ones CFL light is going to blow? I have a few CFL lights but by the sound of them (quiet room cant hear anything) other than the light its self making a slight hissing noise or somewhat. How do i tell if in the near future it might just conk out and cause damage to my babies?
Exploding CFL's are not something that happens regularly. Your bulb should just go dark.


Also, down lights? I know they produce ALOT of heat, but my house is pretty much run by them :P and they are easy to get my hands on for free. So is it possible to grow with downlights? Whats the deal?

Cheers :)What's a 'downlight'? I've never heard of them.

[Ausguy]

What's a 'downlight'? I've never heard of them.


Oh, they are small lights.. They look like LED's but not. I really dont know much about them except they can cause fires if not installed correctly (heat above the light) but if you have ever seen them before here is a google image search.
Down light - Google Image Search (http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=Down+light&gbv=2)

cheers

[TheGanjaKing420]

I've known those as recessed lights, or can lights. And yes, heat buildup is a major problem with them. However that is usually only the case when they are in the ceiling and have insulation packed in too close and too tight.

As for growing with them, I can't say. I've never tried it or knew of anyone who did. On hand hand, I'd say they might be useful since alot of the light coming from them seems to be directed at a particular area, instead of going everywhere, and in certain growing situations this could be useful. But on the other hand, they are rather pricey, alot more than just a standard light socket, and again you have the heat buildup issue. Personally, I'd not recommend them to grow with.