How many 26w cfls for a 2-3 oz harvest?

danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
Hey all! I am looking to flower 2-5 clones using all cfls in a dresser. I want to yield around 75 dry grams from a harvest. My dresser measures 2x3x3 feet and will be in a basement that stays under 60*. My main question is how many watts can i squeeze in there? And will I be able to hit my dry goal weight? I don't plan on having ventilation but I will open the dresser daily. Also on a side note would it be more beneficial to have fewer larger watt cfls for this type of plan or use the smaller 26 watt more efficiently. Just trying to make sure this will be worth it and i wont come up with a 1/4 oz of fluff!
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
Thanks man good advice, I plan on FIM once and LST the rest of the way. So you would say about 4x26=104 watts PER plant?
 
george xxx

george xxx

Active Member
At 4 a plant you can do it but without venting heat will be a serious issue. CFLs are anything but cool. Try holding one that is hot and imagine what 12 will do to a small space.
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
I was trying to imagine this lol! That is why i don't want to find out the hard way on this one haha. This grow is just for fun but I would like to have a goal and a plan in mind. How many watts can I run in there and keep it under 85*
 
Jloi

Jloi

Well-Known Member
You going to spend more money on lots of small wattage cfls, ie plugs and hangers. Buy a few 85 watt cfls. Cfls' that "USE" 85 watts you'll save money and space. If you cant vent, your going to run into problems with any bulb. Remember with you flower non light can hit them during the "night" time of the 12 hours. That might set you back since you'll open the dresser daily
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
Thanks I was thinking that may be the way to do it, but at the same time not so much lol. My main concern with a bigger light is heat. Is my space big enough for say 3-4 85 watt cfls 2x3x3 feet? I already have a bunch of smaller cfls and the sweet lil outlet converter plugs all i need is some Y splitters and Im growing :) unless i get convinced to pick up some higher watt cfls? I have heard that 26 is most efficient and I have 12 outlet converters to plug into and more cfls than i can count but highest watt is 26.
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
P.S. I understand how a cfl light works at least on the smaller watts and I like to think I will be able to maximize my light output
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
Dank, you're good with 26w CFL's...If you have 12 outlet plug converters, and you have power strips and 26w CFL's, then by all means, grab those "Y" splitters and start growing! You DEFINATELY need to vent the dresser somehow, and you can probably work it out with a bunch of larger PC fans if you have to. 26w CFL's are the shit! They're cheap, you can get them closer to the plants, and they're easy to replace every 3 or 4 months when they start to lose lumens.
 
Metasynth

Metasynth

Well-Known Member
And you cannot avoid venting the dresser somehow...CFL's put off more heat than you would think, especially in higher numbers.
 
HotShot7414

HotShot7414

Well-Known Member
Well i grow in a space somewhat similar 3x2.5x8 but i only use about 3-4ft in height light included and i have had heat problems BUT im using 400w mh/hps.

I only use 1 small fan and a pc fan and things are good.But imma say its all about how you set it up.
 
mufastaa

mufastaa

Active Member
if you get a good fan or two blowing directly on the cfls you should be fine... they might burn out otherwise especially if you have them in hoods.

the key with cfls is to keep them as close to the plant as possible, they get much dimmer past 3-5 inches. in my veg cab they are always less than 2 inches away with a fan close by to get tight internodes. lst is your friend.

i agree that a bigger cfl, meant for growing would be way better, and more easily cover the space. check out a grow shop they are really chill.
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the great advice! I intend to open the dresser everyday for fresh air and have some fans inside but i do not plan on intake or exchange air, just moving the same air around for awhile. I do realize they will get hot I am just wondering how many I can have without venting thats basically my limiting factor on this run!
 
HotShot7414

HotShot7414

Well-Known Member
danknugg said:
Thanks for the great advice! I intend to open the dresser everyday for fresh air and have some fans inside but i do not plan on intake or exchange air, just moving the same air around for awhile. I do realize they will get hot I am just wondering how many I can have without venting thats basically my limiting factor on this run!
Click to expand...
If you only get 1 fan i say u got 2 options blow over canopy (same hot air blowing around) or put low as you can for cooler air
 
danknugg

danknugg

Well-Known Member
i actually have a box fan that just barely squeezes in and moves quite a bit of air so i kinda covers the whole grow lol its basically the back wall
 
Jloi

Jloi

Well-Known Member
danknugg said:
Thanks I was thinking that may be the way to do it, but at the same time not so much lol. My main concern with a bigger light is heat. Is my space big enough for say 3-4 85 watt cfls 2x3x3 feet? I already have a bunch of smaller cfls and the sweet lil outlet converter plugs all i need is some Y splitters and Im growing :) unless i get convinced to pick up some higher watt cfls? I have heard that 26 is most efficient and I have 12 outlet converters to plug into and more cfls than i can count but highest watt is 26.
Click to expand...
If you got 2, 50 watt bulbs there going to burn just as hot as a 100 watt single bulb. Remember it's still the same amount of watts burning. But since your concerned about your heat you will need a way to vent it out. Maybe cutting a hole in the back to get the heat out or fresh air in. With out it your creating a oven so to say. My 85's are about as round as a baseball and about 9" long. they free up more space because you dont need all the "y" spliters. I have them horizontally so I got more height to grow in height. If you got the majority of it go for it and try it out. You'll learn what to do differently next time with your grow area.
 
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