pc box fire?

just set one up. i got three lights in there. 2 26w cfls and one 45w. im worried about the heat causing a fire. its off to the side in a corner so no real breeze goes around it to keep it naturally cool from the air around it. what are the chances this may start a fire? ive never dealt with one of these before.

thanks very much.

point a fan at it. It's not like you're using HPS

that shit aint going to catch fire bro. idk why everyone thinks shits gonna catch fire like that.i dont think i have ever ran across a thread about someone catching fire.its usually ghetto ass wiring work that cause a spark which leads to fire.

It'll be fine. 1. computer cases are designed to hold components running at upto 100C and pumping out heat. 2. A hunch tells me the ignition point of the surface it is way above and beyond what the lights can build up.

don't worry, cfls are cool enough to hold. you will need an intake vent or fan and definately an extraction fan. a shop near me sells pairs of pc fans for £9.99 (around $15) you are gonna need ventilation.

Nice to hear someone else say what you're already thinking...

I had them all on for a little bit and the top was HOT. that's why I was paranoid. And I dunno why everyone says cfls are cool enough to hold. They're not at all. Yes it's cool very close to them. Less than an inch away is cool. But the actual bulb itself does get pretty warm.

I was planning on going to radio shack or something and getting a couple of fans today anyway. I put this thing together on an impulse with no money and about an hour of non devoted time. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for the responses

The only time i got worried about fire was with my ballast, that physically burns if skin is exposed for a prolongued period. I bought a sturdy metal speaker stand to sit the ballast on top. And agreed on DFL's not being cool enough to hold, i certainloy can't hold mine after they've been on a while, more like juggle.

i used to do cfls in rubbermaid boxes and bulbs would be touching plastic and never had a problem your good man relax
when i first switched to hps i was scared everytime i left house i would come back to a burned down house lol

Well if it ain't burning plastic it ain't burning a pc box. My worries are no more. Thanks guys.

While I'm here... For those that have used these pc boxes before. How do you like them?

i used rubbermaid at first and hated it why have to fight your plants i love it now that i have room so i cant even imagine a pc case but some get good results

don't listen to anybody who says: don't worry, that shit won't catch fire. careful is always best.

we know the pc case won't catch fire 'bro. it's the apartment/house burning down that we're afraid of.

any multiplug in there may overheat, even the weakest current wire cross can melt plastic which can ignite... there's countless things insidethe box that may somehow cause a short circuit all the way back to the wall, which DOES have enough current to cause a spark.....

the best way is to make sure any and all wiring work in which a live cable is visible is capped. no wire should be overly exposed when you got a finished box. if no caps are available then electrical tape (sometimes can melt and cause problems, it caused me to ruin a 12vdc converter that powered my fans). i don't know why you would have to do such wiring work more than for the fans though.......

and although the box can hold temps of upwards of 100 degrees no problem, it'll toast the plants. you need it to be cool in there. get some pc fans. newegg.com has some killer deals on 120mm fans.

not trying to argue redivider but i interpeted his ? to be if light bulbs would catch it on fire now if he is referring to wiring and all that then yes it can if connections are not correct
sounds like u have some exp with pc growing if so maybe u are the one that could help the OP

to clear things up i was referring to the heat from the bulbs. not wiring. but thanks for the input anyway guys. it does seem like a dumb question to me now but at the time i was high and that box was HOT. but i got a fan and everything is running smoothly.

sounds great

The flash point of paper is 350 degrees C or 662 degrees F.

The ignition temperature of paper is 450 degrees C or 842 degrees F.