Fire Hazard

[BCc0vert]

I'm currently constructing a stealth cabinet and my wife is paranoid about the whole thing going up in flames. Im wondering if anyone has ever had electrical/fire problems or if there's anything i can fireproof my cab with. Any thoughts would be great, thanks.

 

[Australia]

Make sure all your wiring is in good condition and your plugs are all plugged in correctly. Make sure lights can't fall over or touch anything that could catch alight (e.g. plants), and make sure nothing can get stuck in any fans you might have.

 

[Calijuana]

Hi, BC, are you living at the home currently? I'm guessing someone isn't there at all times so like Australia said, just make sure nothing can be jammed and also I think IF you keep the inside at the proper temperature (put several small fans in maybe instead of 1 large, that way if one for some reason jams you still will have 1/2 of the cooling.) What's the cabinet made of?

 

[naturalfreak]

I had the same fears so I bought a reptile cage thermostat. I plugged my lights into it and it into my timer. It has a temperature gauge and will shut off the power if it gets too hot inside my cabinet (hopefully avoiding fire). It won't guarantee no fire, but gives me a little piece of mind when I am out of town.

Also, make sure you wire everything with junction boxes, wire nuts, and tape.

Petsr4u - Zoo Med Thermostat, Reptile Heating / Misters / Foggers

 

[rkm]

See if this helps.
https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/86992-safety-first.html

 

[rkm]

I had the same fears so I bought a reptile cage thermostat. I plugged my lights into it and it into my timer. It has a temperature gauge and will shut off the power if it gets too hot inside my cabinet (hopefully avoiding fire). It won't guarantee no fire, but gives me a little piece of mind when I am out of town.

Also, make sure you wire everything with junction boxes, wire nuts, and tape.

Petsr4u - Zoo Med Thermostat, Reptile Heating / Misters / Foggers

If you hook your lights into a thermostat are you sure you want to take the chance of the lights going on and off? Especially during flowering? Remember, paper itself does not burn until 451 degrees. I am all for safety but there are other ways that work a lot better. Or did you set your thermostat at a very high temp like at 200 degrees?

 

[BCc0vert]

Thanks for the responses guys. Proper wiring will be key, leave it to the noob not to read the safety sticky
I'm basing my cab off FullMetalJacket's stealth Super Cab. I'll get some pics up soon. Grow Journal to follow

thanks again!

 

[dknob]

I sprayed my box with high temp engine paint. However it says it needs to be baked for the full protection. I found some fireproof paint on youtube, but its mega expensive. Next harvest ill prolly end up shelling out. 375 a gallon I think.

Thanks for the responses guys. Proper wiring will be key, leave it to the noob not to read the safety sticky
I'm basing my cab off FullMetalJacket's stealth Super Cab. I'll get some pics up soon. Grow Journal to follow

thanks again!

 

[rkm]

I sprayed my box with high temp engine paint. However it says it needs to be baked for the full protection. I found some fireproof paint on youtube, but its mega expensive. Next harvest ill prolly end up shelling out. 375 a gallon I think.

Are you nuts? What is your box made of? If by some chance your box got to the point of igniting, the paint will not help in this case. The paint may not burn but the box still will. That engine paint is not designed to be a fire retardant, it is designed to stick to the engine components high heat.

 

[dknob]

Yes im nuts. Its made of wood. Well I used 5 cans of this paint on the box just incase a bulb bursts. This paint might help, im not really sure, but it is somewhat fire retardant, and id rather use this than nothing.

Are you nuts? What is your box made of? If by some chance your box got to the point of igniting, the paint will not help in this case. The paint may not burn but the box still will. That engine paint is not designed to be a fire retardant, it is designed to stick to the engine components high heat.

 

[GrowTech]

I've seen houses burn down due to poorly managed and configured grow ops.

 

[bigblue]

I use CFL's in a wooden box painted flat white on the inside. The wood is about 1/2" thick and even with the door closed all night the top of the box is barely warm to the touch.

 

[lorenzo08]

I use CFL's in a wooden box painted flat white on the inside. The wood is about 1/2" thick and even with the door closed all night the top of the box is barely warm to the touch.

just use an oil based paint, no latex. I used flat white spray paint on the cfl hoods I made. the bulbs are less then a 1/2 inch from the metal and paint, and I haven't had a single problem with heat. latex paint will melt or burn if it gets to close to a bulb.

 

[rkm]

Yes im nuts. Its made of wood. Well I used 5 cans of this paint on the box just incase a bulb bursts. This paint might help, im not really sure, but it is somewhat fire retardant, and id rather use this than nothing.

To each their own I guess. But what if the fire starts on the outside of the box? Or even if a fire started on the inside and it got hot enough to ignite something on the outside. That box will burn regardless of that paint. Do you put that paint on other things around your home in case a bulb busts? Sorry, just having problems comprehending this.

 

[lorenzo08]

To each their own I guess. But what if the fire starts on the outside of the box? Or even if a fire started on the inside and it got hot enough to ignite something on the outside. That box will burn regardless of that paint. Do you put that paint on other things around your home in case a bulb busts? Sorry, just having problems comprehending this.

it's not so much fire suppression as it is fire prevention. he's trying to prevent a fire from ketching.

 

[dknob]

If the fire starts outside the box then it wasn't caused by the light. I don't know if I want the box to survive if my house burns down... lol.

And I only try to fireproof bulbs that are capable of sending 2000c quartz flying everywhere. If the bulb breaks in the box, im guessing it will burn a hole, but the paint may prevent fire from spreading from within the box.

Comprehend?

To each their own I guess. But what if the fire starts on the outside of the box? Or even if a fire started on the inside and it got hot enough to ignite something on the outside. That box will burn regardless of that paint. Do you put that paint on other things around your home in case a bulb busts? Sorry, just having problems comprehending this.

 

[rkm]

If the fire starts outside the box then it wasn't caused by the light. I don't know if I want the box to survive if my house burns down... lol.

And I only try to fireproof bulbs that are capable of sending 2000c quartz flying everywhere. If the bulb breaks in the box, im guessing it will burn a hole, but the paint may prevent fire from spreading from within the box.

Comprehend?

I see your reasoning. However, would you think that the sudden blast of 2000c heat may not immediately catch the inside of the box on fire, but the heat alone would flash ignite anything around it, including the outside skin of the box? That heat has to go somewhere.

 

[dknob]

Flash igniting the outside of the box? I don't even know what flash igniting is. So many things can happen, the police state could burst through my door call me a terrorist and ship me to a camp. I don't have solutions for every possible scenario, I did what I could with what I could find. Next harvest im probably buying this 300 dollar paint that you can take a blow torch to.

I see your reasoning. However, would you think that the sudden blast of 2000c heat may not immediately catch the inside of the box on fire, but the heat alone would flash ignite anything around it, including the outside skin of the box? That heat has to go somewhere.

 

[bubblegumgreen]

Why not just put some sheet rock over it??

 

[dknob]

cause I dint know =)

Im not sure what im going to do anymore. Im getting a 1000w cooltube with the glass which would protect any explosion. Plus I know MH can explode, but not sure about HPS. I even heard I could have bought fireproof wood and just made my box of that.