So I have a basement grow going on.
I have 4 FrescaSol (http://www.bestcoastgrowers.com/Fresca-Sol---Water-Cooled-Light.html) fixtures with 1Kw HPS bulbs in the flower side which measures 13'x9'
then in my veg area I have 1 FrescaSol fixture with a 1Kw MH bulb, it measures 4'x8'
So my whole setup is water cooled, much MUCH better than air cooled by far. I love being able to get the light 6-8" from the plants.
I have a 200 gallon water res and use a 1/2HP AO Smith well pump to pump all the water to the fixtures as well as a radiator for a full size Ford pickup to disperse the heat elsewhere (in the winter it helps heat part of my house even). For the last 2 years this has been a rock solid setup.
I can't say enough good things about the FrescaSol fixtures, the only down side really is just when it's time to clean them, that is a pain, BUT the yield and the heat it removes from the grow area far outweighs the drawbacks BY FAR. Not to mention that I don't have a ton more of duct work going everywhere.
I do NOT use rubber hoses, instead I have rigged mine up with PEX piping, there is NO chance of a water leak using PEX.
On my FrescaSol fixtures they are all fitted with the largest reflectors you can get for them (Magnum)
you can fit around 16-18 plants under a single fixture (I use 5 gallon buckets in my setup).
Even in the even of a pump failure like I got to see the first few weeks of running one, everything will still be ok, it may burn the plants and all but the fixture itself can more than deal with water failure. Note that it takes a good 30mins for a light to heat the water in a fixture to boiling (without water flow), so you can make repairs and service it while it's online.
Another great thing here is if a bulb explodes (a MH bulb blew up in my fixture, it was designed for a electronic ballast and that ballast died so I used a regular mag ballast for a few months until BOOM) anyway, it keeps all that hazardous waste inside the fixture rather than blowing it wherever the ventilation would sent it (mercury isn't good for anything).
One thing I guess that is annoying is that 1/2horse well pump is LOUD 24/7, some day I will build a box to put it in so it will run more quietly.
My basement is only 6' high or a little less, so a FrescaSol is ideal for cramped situations.
It is a bit costly BUT it more than pays off!
I'll get some pictures up in a few weeks.
For filtration I use a CANFILTER 150 with a 8" MaxFan HO (it really should have a 10" fan, I'll upgrade sometime) for my main and then I have 3 other 50# can style 6" filters.
Also for hydro gardeners the Fresca Sol will keep down your nute temps, I grow in soil myself but there is a HUGE difference in temps, there isn't a better solution.
If you do use the Fresca Sols I strongly recommend going to a Advanced Auto Parts and buying a truck radiator to bust the heat from your water, the small 6 and 8" radiators they sell for this purpose is a WASTE OF MONEY!
A radiator for a F150 will run you about $150, it's huge and will do it's job, it will take some rigging to make it work, but it does work, and WELL!
I have 4 FrescaSol (http://www.bestcoastgrowers.com/Fresca-Sol---Water-Cooled-Light.html) fixtures with 1Kw HPS bulbs in the flower side which measures 13'x9'
then in my veg area I have 1 FrescaSol fixture with a 1Kw MH bulb, it measures 4'x8'
So my whole setup is water cooled, much MUCH better than air cooled by far. I love being able to get the light 6-8" from the plants.
I have a 200 gallon water res and use a 1/2HP AO Smith well pump to pump all the water to the fixtures as well as a radiator for a full size Ford pickup to disperse the heat elsewhere (in the winter it helps heat part of my house even). For the last 2 years this has been a rock solid setup.
I can't say enough good things about the FrescaSol fixtures, the only down side really is just when it's time to clean them, that is a pain, BUT the yield and the heat it removes from the grow area far outweighs the drawbacks BY FAR. Not to mention that I don't have a ton more of duct work going everywhere.
I do NOT use rubber hoses, instead I have rigged mine up with PEX piping, there is NO chance of a water leak using PEX.
On my FrescaSol fixtures they are all fitted with the largest reflectors you can get for them (Magnum)
you can fit around 16-18 plants under a single fixture (I use 5 gallon buckets in my setup).
Even in the even of a pump failure like I got to see the first few weeks of running one, everything will still be ok, it may burn the plants and all but the fixture itself can more than deal with water failure. Note that it takes a good 30mins for a light to heat the water in a fixture to boiling (without water flow), so you can make repairs and service it while it's online.
Another great thing here is if a bulb explodes (a MH bulb blew up in my fixture, it was designed for a electronic ballast and that ballast died so I used a regular mag ballast for a few months until BOOM) anyway, it keeps all that hazardous waste inside the fixture rather than blowing it wherever the ventilation would sent it (mercury isn't good for anything).
One thing I guess that is annoying is that 1/2horse well pump is LOUD 24/7, some day I will build a box to put it in so it will run more quietly.
My basement is only 6' high or a little less, so a FrescaSol is ideal for cramped situations.
It is a bit costly BUT it more than pays off!
I'll get some pictures up in a few weeks.
For filtration I use a CANFILTER 150 with a 8" MaxFan HO (it really should have a 10" fan, I'll upgrade sometime) for my main and then I have 3 other 50# can style 6" filters.
Also for hydro gardeners the Fresca Sol will keep down your nute temps, I grow in soil myself but there is a HUGE difference in temps, there isn't a better solution.
If you do use the Fresca Sols I strongly recommend going to a Advanced Auto Parts and buying a truck radiator to bust the heat from your water, the small 6 and 8" radiators they sell for this purpose is a WASTE OF MONEY!
A radiator for a F150 will run you about $150, it's huge and will do it's job, it will take some rigging to make it work, but it does work, and WELL!
