Cooling problem. 2x2x4 cabinet, 4 - 42 watt cfls

bobhamm

Active Member
I'm having a cooling problem...
cabinet is 2x2x4 feet(LxWxH) = 16 cubic feet
2 120mm pc fans @ 44cfm each - top rear of cabinet
2 intake holes 7 inch diameter, one on each side, front, near the bottom
Lights: 4x42 watt 2700K cfls
no filters, no light proofing at all of the intake or exhaust.
Thermometer/hygrometer is wireless, placed about 3" underneath lights,
it is placed facing up, sits upon a stack of a small suitcase on end and then a large cardboard box and then a smaller cardboard box, I thought this would be a good approximation
of a couple of bushy plants restricting airflow
its in a small room(10 feet x 10 feet) with an airconditioning duct a few feet away from one of the intakes (at one point I measured the intake air on that side at 67 degreesF !) room temp at the top of the cabinet was 77
so with 4 - 6 42 watt cfls (only seemed to make about 1-2 degrees diff at most if that)
the temp in the cab is 84. Now 7 degrees doesnt seem unreasonable difference but like I said the intake on one side was 67! the other side I think I measured a couple degrees higher,
but nothing major... suggestions? the intake is twice the ehaust... just try to double the exhaust speed? Theoretically I have the cab being exhausted 5 times per minute...
should the measuring part of the thermometer face the lights? I know for outside use it states to put it in shade , that way you are measuring the air temp, what I founs odd was that changing the bulbs from 4-42 watters by adding 2 - 23 watters(5000K) or adding 2 more 42 watters didnt seem to make a noticeable difference in the temp...
help?
 
I use supplemental cfl lighting . One of my lamps is an 68 w that puts off some heat ! i have a fan positioned underneath it facing up to dissipate the heat . Mabey try uping your exhaust cfm and add another fan that blows souly across your cfls if possible . I personally have found the hottest spot to be at the soil line in the pot heat seems to collect here for me so i position my temp sensor here and i face so that the temp senseing area is facing the stalk area . the thermometer placed at the canopy level collects excess heat as the light shines on it it raises higher than the actual air temp .down at the base its far enough away so it doesnt get the direct heat off the light more so the actual air temp .
 
thats kind of what I was wondering if you want to measure the AIR temp at the canopy or the, uhhh... "direct light/heat" temp. To measure the air temp you should face the sensor away from the light, but then , thinmking, the leaves themselves are absorbing the radiation so shouldn't the sensor? yeah I guess I'll try facing it away from the light see if what that temp is and Ill try a fan blowing directly over the lights(toward the exhaust?)
 
I think I'll also try making a tube out of posterboard and trying to exhaust air closer to the bulbs just in case its some weird air flow thing... anyone?
 
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