Using Reflectix for a reflector hood?

subb

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I built a light fixture out of 8 Cree bulbs, 9w. It's a small box frame (I'll have to post pics later). I wanted to put a curved piece of Reflectix (the bubble kind) over the whole frame but wasn't sure if it would pose a fire hazard. There isn't a lot of room between the bulbs and the top of the veg chamber.

Ventilation is good, not worried about heat, just the material in close proximity (although I believe these bulbs don't get too hot and your plant can even touch them)

Only problem is there isn't much spacing between the bulbs so I'm not sure how much light would even get reflected back, so my other option is removing the glass domes so more light can get reflected back. I'm just not sure if light dispersion will be worse without the globes on. I understand the shock risks involved with removing these globes.

And for my third question, if all this is a go-ahead, which is better for a reflective hood, a curved bend or an angular bend? Like a "C" compared to a "\_/" shape. Or would a simple flat piece of Reflectix above the light fixture work decently? Or what about a dome? Simple curved shape would be easiest for me to make obviously, but I think if I got one of those Home Depot dome light reflectors I could line that with reflectix.. although they may bee too tall.. The frame even has mounting brackets in the 4 corners so I could easily get a long piece of tin, bend it to the right shape and height, attach the Reflectix and screw it into the brackets.

Thoughts? Thanks guys!
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Reflectix will do just fine for any config you mention, those cree bulbs don't throw off much heat and certainly not enough to worry about burning the reflectix. You can look at these as well, the surface on the light fixtures is a chrome/mirror finish, cheap and easy to build. Originally posted it for cfl's but I use both CFL's and LED bulbs depending on what I'm using them for.
 

subb

Well-Known Member
Ok awesome, that's what I thought, I just wanted to make sure! And thanks for that link, definitely have seen those, didn't even think of that.. maybe I could check those out and modify it. I don't have much room above the lights, though, I think I might just put reflectix on the ceiling above the lights. The space is pretty tight as well so I might get 2x 40mm PC fans and stick them on opposite sides of the fixture blowing outwards toward the passive exhaust going into my flower chamber... that should take care of the heat just fine I bet... and yeah those bulbs really don't get too hot, but they do warm up the shelf (on the other side, where my flower plants would sit) as of now, but I think the reflectix will get rid of that, plus I've been checking the temps without my ventilation set up, so I may not need those little 40mm fans at all once my fan is pumping!

Thanks!
 

GroErr

Well-Known Member
I use a similar surface on the walls/ceiling of my flower room, insulation called DuroFoam which has a reflective side. Both have small indents in the reflective surface when you look at them close-up, no different than the pattern on many commercial hoods/reflectors. Step back a foot from either one of those surfaces and it's like a mirror and even reflection, no hot spots imo.
 

subb

Well-Known Member
^yup, Reflectix is a pretty common material for growing... pretty much the same diffusing pattern as hoods themselves... I was just mostly concerned with the materal being too close to the warm/hot bulbs (those Crees really don't get too hot, though)

Ah well, should work out alright - thanks guys!
 
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