600w hps + small closet = no go?

[cthulhu]

Not trying to hijack but......

I was in Menards the other day and was wandering around the lighting section. I came upon some HPS bulbs and was looking around. I found some bulbs where the wattage went from 35w up to 250w I believe.

Here is my question....say I have a friend who used 6 - 4ft. flouros for their last grow. Well, I was thinking he could buy 4 - 100w HPS bulbs to use instead. I asked the lady working and she said the bulbs can be used in a regular light socket. Being how they are only 100w I didn't see why not.

Cause obviously 4 - 100w HPS would put out more lumen's than the flouros, correct? His basement stays cool and ventilation is good. The area is 5ft x 2 1/2 ft and about 3 ft. tall.

What you guys think since we are on the topic?

personally, I've never thought of that. it would save all the money needed for a ballast and lamp setup. you'd also be able to get more control over the lighting with individual bulbs (you wouldn't have to have all the light centralized). but I still doubt you'd match the 400 Watt bulb lumen for lumen, although you could probably come pretty damn close. HID bulbs are very efficient when it comes to comparing energy consumption against lumen output, and their efficiency increases in higher wattages.

of course the difference in lumens could be made up for by adding a single 20 Watt CFL. so in reality you'd be operating at 420 Watts (huhu, what a coincidence :420thought: ), but you'd probably be exceeding the lumen output of the 400 Watt bulb.

[daihashi]

I asked the lady working and she said the bulbs can be used in a regular light socket. Being how they are only 100w I didn't see why not.

She told you wrong, you need a ballast.

[Lit Up]

Word daihashi, I just called the store and he said that they would work but they would wear out pretty fast over an extended period of time.

[daihashi]

Maybe cool it behind glass or in a cool tube? I've also heard of people running thermostats on their lights so if the temperature exceeds 98* or whatever you set it to, the lights cut out. Might be neat.

Why would you want your light cutting out? The real solution would be to resolve your heat issues either with better ventilation or less light/heat.

Cutting out your lights would just be another stressor to add on top of a heat problem.

I wouldn't recommend this method. That's just me though.

[RewTheJew]

you very much can.. i ran a 600 watt in a 2X2X8 foot room.. 160 CFM fan vented to attic, and a similar fan sucking air in from the attic. Light was in a cool tube, which barely fit at an angle in the closet. I was doing this in the winter time, starting in october and shutting down in the end of april.
No way no how could this be done in the summer, temps would be astronomical.
It sucked being limited in space, but as long as i could grow i was a happy camper.

[Revanche21]

My 600 HPS grow was done in a 2x2 area with 6 ft of height space

check out my log in my sig

[PlantHeadJ]

Litup, The biggest problem I see is the 3' height...

[patalc]

I dunno if this is old, but I dont usaully post here. I use a 600w HPS in a space 2widex5longx9tall, its hooked to a 6" valuline, it connects thru the top of the hood with a homemade adapter (think oldder sun systems hood with air kit), I removed the glass as well cause I figured my space wold be small enuf to use one fan for venting, then ran that to the ceiling and vented it to the mini attic. My plants can grow to within 10" of the BULB with no stress. All I got running is two small 9" fans to strenthen stems with that blower and I can leave the door closed temps @ 78 here in summer in cali.

[leadmagnet]

Once upon a time in a similar situation my response was to cut a hole in the drywall and add in a shower fan pullling air in from an air-condition room with the fan connected to a thermostatic switch. The switch was around thirty bucks and the fan was around sixty. More effective higher powered fans are nice but can really raise the sound levels.