light and ventilation setup, is it safe?

[generalchaos]

Im doing a cabinet grow this time around, and that means I need to get a smaller light and worry about ventilation.

My cabinet has a shelf on top that I was thinking of hooking to chains (it has screws underneath but id rather be safe) so its adjustable. What I was thinking about doing, instead of buying or building a nice air cooled reflector for a 250/400w hps, is cutting a hole in the board for the light to shine through, put a peice of lexan glass over the hole (keep heat out) and then just run a lot of ventilation out the top of the cabinet to keep that upper area cool.

I think this could work well with what I have in mind, however, being a peice of cheap cabinet would, I fear it may catch on fire from the lights heat. is there something I could place on the wood to prevent this, or maybe I could just get a peice of lexan cut it the size of the top shelf and just hang that up and set the light on it?

any thoughts appreciated

generalchaos Reviewed by generalchaos on 08-12-2008. light and ventilation setup, is it safe? Im doing a cabinet grow this time around, and that means I need to get a smaller light and worry about ventilation. My cabinet has a shelf on top that I was thinking of hooking to chains (it has screws underneath but id rather be safe) so its adjustable. What I was thinking about doing, instead of buying or building a nice air cooled reflector for a 250/400w hps, is cutting a hole in the board for the light to shine through, put a peice of lexan glass over the hole (keep heat out) and then Rating: 5

[Dyranty]

I have some ideas, but do you have a picture of the cabinet ? or the brand?
What material is it made out of even?

Without knowing the only thing I could think of is fire walling it if it's wood. That would at least resist/retard the fire assuming there was one.

But it's hard to say if it'd be too hot, depends on what type of material (paper/metal/wood/plastic) it is.

[generalchaos]

it is a closetmaid cabinet from home depot, its made out of cheap wood with white laminate. I could get a picture of it later tonight if needed.

[stickinnc]

mount the light on the bottom of the wood.

[Magoo2003]

I have somethign similer to what you have. I got a 6 foot tall wood cabnit from home depot. I put the 400W hps at the top with a reflector. No cool tube nothing. I have 2 fans moving hot air out. One is to the left of the light and is a 6in fan. It pulls alot of air. The other is on the cieling and is just one of those little crappy fans. Anyway i cool the unit with A Ac wall unit (99$ walmart) i put it in the side in the middle. It works for me ive gotten some good dank out of it.