CFL Questions - PC GROW

[greenatik]

So I have a full tower pc that I gutted and lined with white, and I went to home depot to check out the cfl selection and have a few questions..

is it better to have a higher wattage higher output bulb or multiple small ones?

Also, for veg, blue packaging, green packaging, red packaging? I am guessing red is for flower but someone send me in the right direction :)

What is a simple way of hooking these babies up? I saw a thread on icmag in which 4 cfls were mounted to a 2 x 4 and it was very simplistic, nothing bulky.

Please help me! My pineapple x lav needs to produce bud soon :D

[Roughrider]

I would consider getting a three bulb bar light. They're usually made for bathrooms, and they're less than $20. Put three Y-sockets in there, and you've got 6 CFLs. That's going to be plenty for a tower. You may even want to go for a two bulb bar so you've got 4 CFLs.

Because of the small space, I would recommend small CFLs...not too small...just keep them under 40 or 50w actual watts. Using one big CFL sounds good, but it isn't any more efficient, and I think the ballasts get hotter. Go to Wal-Mart and get 26w 6500k Daylight bulbs for Veg, and 23w 2700k Warm Whites for flower. Including the bar light (and the plug you'll need get and wire for it), the bulbs, and the Y-sockets, you'll probably be out less than $50 for everything.

[greenatik]

:woohoo:

i love gettin the exact answer I was looking for!

But, lets say I want to to attach the bulb to the end of a long piece of hanger so i can bend it real close to the plants. Are there individual sockets I can get and maybe go to a y split so I have 2 hangers with 4 cfls?

could you explain what you meant by plug and the wire..

thanks again im horrible with anything electrical

:stoned:

[Roughrider]

Well, you've got two options if you don't want to do any wiring or anything.

1) Get an extension cord. Get a plug/socket adapter (one end is a plug, one is a light socket). Put a Y-socket in the light scoket, and install two bulbs. That should do it. If you really wanted to, you could probably get a surge protector, and put a plug/socket adapter on each end, and use Y-sockets to get 4 or even 6 bulbs at a time. Then you could just lower the power strip as a whole.

2) Buy a clamp light and remove the reflector. Install a Y-socket.

I would go with #1. If you've got for reflection in the cabinet, I wouldn't worry about trying to bend anything close for plants. 4 or 6 CFLs in a small area is going to give you plenty of light.

[greenatik]

wow thanks rough, you have been of great help. I will be using the power strip idea. do you think 4 26 watt cfls will do the trick? I will only be growing 1-2 plants 12/12 from clone size.

[Roughrider]

It's all about space. My computer tower is about 7" x 17"--small. That's about .8 of a square foot.

Four 23/26w CFLs will put out around 6500-7000 lumens. You need 5000 lumens per sq. ft. for best results, so that's enough to do a good job in up to about 1.35 square feet. That's an area of about, say, 9.5" x 20". Good luck!

[greenatik]

wow thanks again for the great answer, im thinking 4 will do fine the dimensions are slightly smaller then 1.35 sq feet

here's another question for ya, this case i picked up is oldschool, obviously from the 90's. the drive bays seem welded into the case... have you heard of this?