Hey everybody first timer over here looking for some advice, Let me fill ya in on some back round info, I build a box 18X36X72. I'm running a 400 W digital ballast. I have my fan pulling through a carbon filter then through the light then out into my closet(i added a duct from the end of the fan to vent into my room). So I started seedlings under a florescent about a week after i switched to MH and soon to find out that my temp in the box would start pushing 98 but steadily around 91(from all i've read way to hot for MJ). So Any advice would be helpful, I also live in AZ with the summers here are ridiculous so i might be thinking i picked the wrong time of year to start? Thanks again.
Newbie Heat Trouble
- Thread starter tcoop480
- Start date
hiroshima
Active Member
one way you could consider, presuming you already have a sealed glass tube reflector or similar, is to make two holes either side the top of your unit. take the ducting from outside, through the reflector, and then straight outside the other side of the unit. this way the air does not mix with the unit. you can run this as fast as you like to draw as much heat away from the bulb as you like.
have another hole at the top for exhaust, with the carbon filter on.
have another hole at the bottom with a fan on it to blow cool air in linked to a thermostat to trigger it when it reaches a certain threshold. some people use air conditioners blowing in when ambient temperature is very high.
should be some food for thought
if your stuck, shout and il find you some diagrams
desertrat
Well-Known Member
kinda ironic that "hiroshima" is helping with too much heat (think atomic bomb)
things that will help:
1. do as hiroshima says as keep a dedicated duct for the lights: inlet-->duct-->fan-->duct -->light-->duct-->outlet
2. place the carbon filter at the top of the box. have fan to pull through through the filter and out the box.
3. make sure the room the box is in gets adequate air.
4. make sure you're reading the air temps right. the target of 75 f is for a thermometer at the top of the plants but shaded from direct light. if you don't shade the thermometer it will measure radiant and air temp and give you too high a reading.
things that will help:
1. do as hiroshima says as keep a dedicated duct for the lights: inlet-->duct-->fan-->duct -->light-->duct-->outlet
2. place the carbon filter at the top of the box. have fan to pull through through the filter and out the box.
3. make sure the room the box is in gets adequate air.
4. make sure you're reading the air temps right. the target of 75 f is for a thermometer at the top of the plants but shaded from direct light. if you don't shade the thermometer it will measure radiant and air temp and give you too high a reading.