Need Help Cooling 250 Watt HPS!

businessmen

Active Member
So Im trying my first Indo crop. Cabinet with a veg shelf on top, and flower cab on bottom. Top shelf is 17" tall x 23"x23". 150 watts of CF there, circulation fan. Bottom I have a 250 watt self ballasted HPS Super Sun. Its a bit of an older model, 2003. Theres no ventilation at all in this hood. And its really heating up my cab!

I have a 4" passive intake in each shelf at the bottom, and one 6 inch 150 cfm exhaust fan with a 4" reducer and a Y to pull from both cabs at the top.

I ordered some 1/8" tempered glass cut today. I want to have this light about 6 inches from the tops of my plants. Is that crazy? I think I will have to use a hole saw and modify the hood to hook up an exhaust. I was hoping the glass would be enough to keep my cabinet cool. It worked for the fluorescents, that shelf was hot! And my buddy told me to put the plastic cover back under the ballast, and it cooled it way down.

Some hydro store clerk said Id blow up my bulb or ballast with glass on and no exhaust. I think it would shut off first...
Thanks for the help
 

full of purple

Well-Known Member
So Im trying my first Indo crop. Cabinet with a veg shelf on top, and flower cab on bottom. Top shelf is 17" tall x 23"x23". 150 watts of CF there, circulation fan. Bottom I have a 250 watt self ballasted HPS Super Sun. Its a bit of an older model, 2003. Theres no ventilation at all in this hood. And its really heating up my cab!

I have a 4" passive intake in each shelf at the bottom, and one 6 inch 150 cfm exhaust fan with a 4" reducer and a Y to pull from both cabs at the top.

I ordered some 1/8" tempered glass cut today. I want to have this light about 6 inches from the tops of my plants. Is that crazy? I think I will have to use a hole saw and modify the hood to hook up an exhaust. I was hoping the glass would be enough to keep my cabinet cool. It worked for the fluorescents, that shelf was hot! And my buddy told me to put the plastic cover back under the ballast, and it cooled it way down.

Some hydro store clerk said Id blow up my bulb or ballast with glass on and no exhaust. I think it would shut off first...
Thanks for the help
try to freeze some water bottles and get a better fan because your ballast is in the same room your room is going to be hotter regardless, maybe do a passive intake? and 6inchs is a little close id say 9inchs at the least but its different regardless for every one you gotta experement
 

ledgrowing

Well-Known Member
cool tube it man clow air in from out side over light and suck it out the other side using your can fan
 

kid cannabis

Well-Known Member
i have to agree if you can just cool tube it. but if you use the cover then makesure theres some form of intake. can you modify the shelf so the top is the tall one and the bottom is the short one if so you should consider making the top your flower room? heat rises so your temps in the high one might be affected by the lower. plus if the top is easier to cool because you can pull air out of the top to cool it.
 

businessmen

Active Member
Thanks for the response. So, I do have a passive intake in each shelf. Forgot to mention the bottom hps cab is about 5 ft tall x 23"x23" incase your wondering... Sounds like your thinking what Im thinking. If I wana use this lamp I gotta cut a hole in it and mount some flanges. Then I'll hook up my active exhaust to it. Im glad you mentioned the cool tube, I at least need to make sure Ive got some sort of passive intake into the hood. And I should be set! Is 6" from my plants asking to much outa my system?
 

kid cannabis

Well-Known Member
it depends on how strong a fan you have. its gonna be close. but the best way to know is put a thermometer 6 in from the light and check the temp. thats the best way to know.
 

businessmen

Active Member
I actually bought two cheap inline fans. 150 cfm. Was gonna use one for intake, one for exhaust. Decided to try and just keep one for backup and skip the hassle setting it up if I could. And Ive read its better to have two exhaust fans and passive intake then one exhaust one intake fan. Ive got a thermo near there tops at 6". Trying to keep it in the 70s. But cant yet without the door slightly open. We will see tomorrow after I get glass and probably cut a hole in the hood.
 

goatslayer

Active Member
I got a box like your talking about. All I did was exhaust the light and the grow space and have intakes for both. The glass will get hot but it should work my runs at 75.3 most of the time unless my wife turns the heat up in the house.
 
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