My first CFL cabinet grow

i just finshed setting up my cabinet (will post pics later), but one thing i'm worried about is starting a fire. Has anyone ever had trouble with CFLs getting too hot or anything like that? I gave it a test run last night for a couple of hours and everything in there (besides the bulbs ofcourse) was cool to the touch, but it was a little warm in there. Would it be adequate to just place a small fan in there?

The cabinet is about 1'Wx2'Lx3'H so its not that big.. plus it has a door so i can close it completely and thats when im scared it will make a fire... i have 1 45W CFL for the center, and 3 26W CFL hanging on the sides. total about 7500 lumens...
I know this thread is usless without pics so i will try and get them up asap.
Thanks

Dont worry about fires with CFLs. I used to have a 600w HPS in a closet that was 2x2x5, and yep it got hot but there was never a fire... not even singed wood, and the reflector was touching the wood on all sides.
If you really are worrying, buy a cheap fire extinguisher for a tenner.

yes and keep a smoke alarm that works nearby. but cfls won't singe paper YMMV, but better safe than sorry right?

Hi. I also am in a cabinet. 5ft tall , 21 in wide, 15 inch deep... you will be fine. it'd be a good idea to have a little fan in there anyway just to move around the air. You should be fine and have no fires... just make sure the lamps wiring isnt exposed or something like that... or there isnt a tear in the cord... Goodluck

-bringer

CLF's are cool compared to other bulbs, i mean you should have a fan on the plants anyway so this shoudl be good enough, just make sure you have enough of them and place them aroudn the plant, i am using them now and they are doign well but remember you could do better (more yiled) with a better light, don't let anyone tell you that you can't grow with a CFL, you can look at my plants, and i'm a first timer!!!!!!!

GG23

Sounds like you're doing great. Hang in there and before you know it you'll expand to a closet - or more! I've gotten some great results with my current grow using 2,000 watts of extra light from CLF's. It will be interesting to see how much bud it yields. Next grow I'm not using the HPS's during vegging the electric bill is killing me!

I'm using CLf's this time with 2 HPS and am getting much better results this time. Next grow I'll just use the CLF's only for the vegging stage.
Good luck, it will be interesting to follow your progress.

Heres a picture. I added one more 1600 lumen CFL on the front side today. Thats the only picture that is small enough to upload. The drawer is pulled out, but i can push it back in and its directly under the light. I dont think i should worry about fires, all the extension cords are brand new as are the light bulbs and pretty much everything else i used. I'm having trouble germinating tho, i failed the last two tries. i dunno all i do i soak a paper towel with tap water, put the seed inside, put it in a plastic bag, and put in my drawer... but doesn't want to wake up...

PS. what would happen if this sites servers got confiscated like overgrow? could i get in trouble if i post pictures? I really doesnt matter i guess... cuz nothing ive said was true and these arent even my pictures!

germinating with tap water may be the problem, I remember hearing rain water or water that was left sitting out for a day or two is better to use with wetting the towel.

is that tin foil?

well, theres tin foil in the drawer, but for the top i used one of those things you put in ur windshield to block the sun...

tap water is fine for germinating a seed.. you can germinate a seed with kool aid...lol...

keep the soil moist... 24/7... and warm... but not mudding or wet... it can often take up to 14 days for a seed to germinate...

iloveyou


you will want to lower the lights when the seed germinates...

turn your cfls on and hold them in your hand... do they burn?

you are love

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Garden Knowm

tap water is fine for germinating a seed.. you can germinate a seed with kool aid...lol...

keep the soil moist... 24/7... and warm... but not mudding or wet... it can often take up to 14 days for a seed to germinate...

iloveyou


you will want to lower the lights when the seed germinates...

turn your cfls on and hold them in your hand... do they burn?

you are love

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Yea they get pretty darn hot, but only the lightbulbs, everything else around the bulbs (walls, wood, pot...etc) are cool to the touch. Should i use all the lights on the seedling or just the main light until she grows alittle?