When is the light TOO much?

To make a long story short, I'm dealing with 8.25 square feet and in order to get 4000 lumens/sq.ft. I'm going to need 33000 total lumens. Now, 250w systems give me too little (28000) while 400w gives me 50,000 lumens which comes to a little over 6,000 lumens/sq.ft. Is this too much light, and more importantly, what is the MAX level of lumens per square foot that is acceptable?

I'm aware of MH for my particular problem, but I'm just concerned with the HPS systems and my setup. Can anyone spread the love?

I don't think there is a "too many lumens" maximum. ..but is a "too much heat" maximum...about 85 degrees F.

You can grow some serious buds with 250/400 watt HID light...:thumbsup:

OK, thanks for the info.

You should be fine.

But you can definitely have too much light. If you have too much you'll bleach the plants, turning them white.

That's what I thought, too much of anything can cramp your style. You don't happen to know how many lumens/square foot that problems start to occur, do you? I'm positive that I won't reach that maximum limit, but my brain is like a sponge and needs to feed.......

It's a matter of 'hot spots'. You'll see evidence of them as a slight but noticeable up-curling of the leaf margins, and possibly even pale stripes between the veins.
Intense heat and light will cause nute burn problems to show faster because the plant's metabolism speeds up, so be very alert for signs of tip-burn, and be certain that your air movement and exhaust are both adequate.

Thanks for the tips Stinky, as well as everyone else.:thumbsup: