Transitioning Lights In Grow Closet

Background: (12) seedlings started braking ground 14 days ago under 2 - 4Ft/40Watt/6500K/2325L fluorescent fixtures (9300L total). Tomorrow the sockets arrive for my build out of CFL's and I plan on building two 4 ft light strips each with 4 bulb cluster bakelite style sockets; this will allow 16 23W CFL's (half 2700 & half 6500 is plan) or 25,600 per light 4ft strip. Both strips together will generate 51200 lumen for a grow closet approximately 11 sqft (floor) with a height of 6 ft. Should give me about 4500 lumen per sqft. The seedlings are doing fine and as normal they broke ground over a 3 1/2 day period meaning not all at the same time so they range from the largest (#1) that is 3.5" high with leaf spread of 5" to the smallest (#12) about 1.75" high with leaf spread of 2.75".

Questions:

(1) Should I only install one of the new CFL strips (25600L) at this time? Wait till I transplant from 18 oz soho cups to 3 gal containers in 10 days increasing spacing and plants being bigger to add the second CFL strip? Or go for using both putting 51200 lumen on the babies? Read you can't have too much light as long as the ventilation is right to keep heat below 80F. Which brings me to the second thought...

(2) Kind of wondering if those two old 4FT/40W tubers may be actually generating more heat than both CFL strips of 23W (32 total) bulbs will produce? The old fixtures are hold overs from the 1970's and they burn hot so I have a vent hold in the top of the closet to attic (using convection current of hot air rising) inside with a 16" fan blowing room air conditioned air under door (cut 3/4" off door bottom). Enough breeze that the plants dance 24/7. Temps during high heat of the day right now are around 84F to 86F. Evening temperatures are 78F-79F. Anyone seen any math formulas for calculating heat build up using CFL's per watt?

Note: my cost of parts to build each 4 ft strip generating the 25600 lumen is $40.15 each for all parts including CFL's and then my time which I figure it will take me about 30 minutes to wire each and then add the reflector. For the reflector I'm using mill finished aluminum flashing which I have spray painted with Rust-Oleum High Temperature Flat White. Power wire using 16/2 15 amp extension cord by cutting off 3 outlet female end and attached wires using Ideal Push In Connectors as they cost only $1.47 while brand lamp wire is 18/2 and cost $5.98 (GE) or $6.98 (Westinghouse). i.e. the 16/2 is is a step up in handling the amps than the 18/2 and $4 to $5 cheaper. Each 4 ft strip will draw 1.52 amps and the sockets come with 12" black/white pigtails soldered in. Then again, I could solder the connections and then shrink tube the connections closed.

Thank you and have a great week everyone.

do not bother to solder the connections, that's old fashioned. Just make sure the terminations are secure.
The lighting project sounds very good. I would consider using the lamps in a different ratio than 1:1 2700k and 6500k. I'd use more 6500k for vegging and change to more 2700k for flowering. Maybe try a ratio of 4:1 or 5:1? Good luck

You are probably correct Shovel but as I pretty much have an unlimited supply of 2700K bulbs at $.50 a bulb and the 6500K run anywhere from $4.00 - $6.50 a bulb and the 5000K I can pick up for $2.50 a bulb. Call me cheap and I am! To that end it'd probably be cheaper to buy a newer 4 ft 40 watt tuber (the ballast have to be way cooler than my almost 40 year fixtures I started with - maybe I'll see if I can cook an egg on it!) Get the newer fixture and use the 6500K tubes I used to germinate the seedlings.

Just cut and painted the aluminum flashing for my reflectors and it looks great. Will have a lunch (1 hour for paint to dry) and then wire the first one up and install it.

I used T-12 dual bulb, 4 foot, 40 watts shop lights for years on my seedlings (6500K) :thumbsup:

I bought my T-5HO 4' (4) lamp fixture, w/lamps on ebay for $40, uninstalled, new.

Did the wiring after lunch and it lite up first time with no problems other than I got a headache from too bright of lights shining in my face! I had stood the strip up in corner of room for initial plug-in using surge protector with on/off switch. Damn it was bright. Took 2 Advil and grabbed my sunglasses.

Only installed one set in grow closet as that alone almost tripled the lumen from the seedling 40W tubers. 12 babies in 18 oz soho's don't need all 52,000 lumen yet. They are running hotter than the old 40W ballast tubers which surprised me frankly. Lowered the A/C upstairs but as I said to my wife look on the bright side during winter you can have a warm room with lots of light to hang in...On serious side will probably pick up a cheap window A/C unit since no one lives upstairs - why cool the whole upstairs when no one lives up there; master bedroom down! Children grown and gone. Why cool 1200 sqft when you really need to cool 11 sqft of closet. For now I opened the closet door with a 16" fan on low blowing air for circulation and there is a ceiling fan in the room. Again, not too worried about the loss of light as the plant are small still but they appear to be liking the light.

Side note: do any of you flush your plants on a semi-regular basis? I normally do what I call a semi-flush for watering once a week but then again I punched 3 drain holes in the cup bottom and put 4 slits in the sides 1" long up from bottom so the water just runs out and doesn't just sit in the bottom. Just the way I've done things through the years and it has always given good results.

What ever works, Freddie. Good idea to have holes in the bottom of the pots.

Know what hit me this morning on my bike ride. Why use the closet when no one lives upstairs and there are three empty bedrooms including the one I fixed up the closet for growing. That means I'll probably move the plants out of the closet, build a 4 sided cubical with the top open so the ceiling fan will help vent everything. Not to worried about light escaping the top as the fixtures have reflectors that get within 2" of each wall side.

Now in the beginning of the third week - there's that smell...Not to worry there either I already know what I'll do which is exactly what we've always done when we were smoking in the house downstairs and someone shows up unexpectedly; like one of the kids coming home early. This is funny but it works - keep a lodge cast iron skillet on the stove with the canola oil in it I use for frying chicken. Turn it on and the heat releases that fried chicken smell within 60 seconds.

Ditto for how I started my seedlings...

those Glade plug in air fresheners work well to cover the smell. You just have to find a 'flavor' that's tolerable.

I talked with my wife about using those but as we had a woman's gift and antique store for 10 years and sold Yankee Candle meaning we have loads of tart warmers we'll probably use those.