Hot!

[Junk_Bandit]

So I just purchased a 400 watt HPS setup today, and I got it up and running. I have to say that I am pretty blown away at the difference in power from what I was using (4-26 watt CFL's). I nearly get blind from looking at my plant! Unfortunately, my temps have risen about 8 degrees also. Now my closet is 93 degrees, and I need a way to cool it!

Junk_Bandit Reviewed by Junk_Bandit on 07-07-2007. Hot! So I just purchased a 400 watt HPS setup today, and I got it up and running. I have to say that I am pretty blown away at the difference in power from what I was using (4-26 watt CFL's). I nearly get blind from looking at my plant! Unfortunately, my temps have risen about 8 degrees also. Now my closet is 93 degrees, and I need a way to cool it! Rating: 5

[jahjahjahjah]

If you dont mind me asking, how big is your grow space ?
Maybe you could get a fan, but you got pretty high lights there pal.

[evertking]

yeah.. you would need to find the cubic feet of your space and your fan should move 2~4 times that much. And the air coming in should be cool air.. ..low ambient temps will help!

[rhizome]

Actually, I would'nt call a single 400 beefy at all. Great starter light.

You will probabley have to set up some kind of active air extraction from the space- could be as simple as a fan blowing out the door.

Couple of questions before we can give specific advice-

What are the dimensions of the closet, including height?
How important is stealth?
What's your budget?
Is anybody going to freak out if you modify the closet door or walls?
Do you have a window?

Ventilation design goes hand in hand with odor control. How critical is odor control inside your living space? Outside?

How long do you think you'll be running just the one 400? Keep in mind that this is a hobby that often results in a condition referred to as GAS ( Gear Aquisition Syndrome). Does it make sense to build in a bunch of headroom?

Other than that, all I can tell you is that you'll need to move hot air out of the space, and draw cooler air in, almost inevitabley with some kind of fan. It's generally more efficent to push or pull air out of the space than to push air into the space- nature abhors a vacuum , more than a high pressure zone.

Hope that helps.

[deftdrummer]

rh1zome is on the right track, however you could go the less expensive / noisy route and get a heat extraction fan for removing heat from your light only. If your light has a duct attachment you should get that (or put it on) and get a good strong 4" or 6" fan to vent out all the hot air from the light right away. This alone should keep your temps down near the acceptable range depending on your other environmental factors. You could get a bigger fan to handle the heat from the light and the ambient heat in the grow space, but having them independent I think is a good idea.

[Junk_Bandit]

wow, you guys hooked me up with some great advice! here are my exact specs and everything. i am growing in about a 2x2x5 foot closet, in a spare bedroom in my place. light stealth is not an issue; smell inside is not an issue, but outside possibly could be. i try to keep the closet pretty much open during the day to keep temps down and to keep good ventilation. i am renting, so major modifications are not possible (minor ones maybe, i already screwed up my security deposit). i have a window about 7 feet away from the closet. my budget right now is at about 100 dollars, but next month i could spend a couple hundred. i just bought a hundred dollar window A/C from wal-mart, but it isn't even cooling the room too well. i bought the econo-wing reflector (batwing style), so cooling the lamp isn't much of an option. any further advice would be much appreciated! thanks guys!

[PharmaCan]

If you have a spare bedroom, why are you confining your grow to the closet?

Your problem right now is that you have to get the heat from that lamp out of the closet and (probably) out of that room. If you built a poly-film enclosure over by the window (or maybe even with the window inside the enclosure) you could solve your ventilation problems a lot easier.

If you absolutely must stay in the closet, take a look over in the FAQ section at the cool tube DIYs, then do a search on CanCom for verticle grows and see if a verticle cool tube grow is something that strikes your fancy. I have 400 watt cool tubes and they are actually cooler than a cfl, so the plants can grow right up to the light no problem.

If your ballast is in the closet, move it outside.

Good luck!!!

PC :thumbsup:

[rhizome]

Wow- minimal stealth requirements.

Kool- makes it easy.

You just need a decent fan mounted near the ceiling of the closet, blowing out thru the door- just make sure you close the door during your dark period.

If you want to lightproof for flowering reasons, pick up a " duct booster" fan @ Lowe's or the depot, and some flexi duct in the same size. Also a piece of heavy plastic ( ie Panda) large enought to cover the whole door.

Hang the fan in the closet. Attach maybe 5' duct.

Tack plastic over door ( tack from the outside, so you can pull it off when you want to go in.). Some of that sticky-backed velcro would work really well.

Cut a hole in the plastic up by the door header, large enough to pass duct thru. Pass duct thru, and tape up . Let the duct hang down at least 45 degrees to prevent light leaks.

Leave the bottom maybe 6" of the plastic free, so that air can get around it. Make sure that it's hitting the floor, though, so you don't get light entering there.

Run the fan 24/7. You might want to put a thermostat/humistat on it when things cool down this winter.

[Junk_Bandit]

thanks again for the great advice guys! i think i found my solution. i just picked up a nice used inline fan that i am going to put in the top corner of my closet, and connect to a hole that flows into my attic. i think this should provide enough circulation to keep my temps down. i'm just going to have to pick up a carbon filter so my neighbors don't smell my garden when it begins to flower.

[deftdrummer]

it shouldn't be an issue if you only have a few plants and its venting into your attic. Trust me they won't smell it unless they are really nosy assholes, but think about it ...what they don't know for sure can't be held against you so they can fuk off ya know? Happy growing.