Do I Need Exhuast Cooling

Well, if for some reason this doesn't make sense, its probably cus I'm high...But here goes


I'm in a regular sized one person room, and I have a setup of 4 plants. All in the veg state. Right now being powered by 1 65watt CFL, soon to add another this week, to hold us off till we have enough money for the 250 Watt HPS light.

Well, our setup is pretty much an octagon of walls covered in tin foil(neatly, so it shines quite well), so you have about 8 sides reflecting, and on top we have a 65watt CFL bulb.


We soon plan on placing a 250 watt HPS Hood light above the plants. But I am not able to supply the whole setup of a fan with exhaust tubes leading to the ceiling and all that crazy stuff.


Is a simple fan blowing on or near the light sufficient? It's not like its in a closet, it's in a regular sized single person room.


Or is it gonna be too hot?

Thanks guys

if the rooms ambient temperture stays at a decent level then a good fan blowing between the light and plant canopy will do allright...just keep the light at least 12" from plant canopy..

tin foil will burn your girls. use mylar or white paint

Ideal temps are around 75. Up to 80 is ok. Don't go over 85. If you're in that range you're ok.

And don't use foil, it's not very reflective and some say it can cause hotspots that burn your plants. Whether or not that's true its still not reflective, even if it looks shiny. Mylar is best, but flat white paint is very good and rather cheap. Just paint the walls flat white (not glossy).

eelloopp said:

tin foil will burn your girls. use mylar or white paint

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why are you spreading rumors...foil creates hot spots which are pockets of hot air in the grow space...it does not burn your plants.....

lol rumors lol sorry tin foil will "burn" your plants geezzzzzzz

so its very possible not to have to go into all the exhaust setup stuff for a 250watt HPS? A simple fan or 2 blowing between it and the plants, and keeping it 12" above the plants will do just fine?

ok ok im sick of the tin foil myth, yes there are better reflective materials out there but in 15 years of growing i have used foil on the walls, used it for reflectors in a pinch and have never seen one burnt plant because of it, yes you are supposed to use the dull side because it spreads the light more even but the shiny side wil not burn a plant...especially with low power cfl's

eelloopp said:

lol rumors lol sorry tin foil will "burn" your plants geezzzzzzz

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how does tin foil burn plants..please explain professor

fat sam said:

ok ok im sick of the tin foil myth, yes there are better reflective materials out there but in 15 years of growing i have used foil on the walls, used it for reflectors in a pinch and have never seen one burnt plant because of it, yes you are supposed to use the dull side because it spreads the light more even but the shiny side wil not burn a plant...especially with low power cfl's

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spoken like someone who knows their shtuff.....

MikeTarr said:

so its very possible not to have to go into all the exhaust setup stuff for a 250watt HPS? A simple fan or 2 blowing between it and the plants, and keeping it 12" above the plants will do just fine?

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nope probably not, unless you like freezing at night. I have my tent ventilated separately bringing cold air in and exhausting heat threw a scrubber into my room. That way I have a nice room temp and my plants are happy at 75. Balls up and drop the dough, it comes all right back if you do it right

its not about money, it's about it looking more complex than I already will have it looking. the second my dad see's exhuast tubes going to the attic or something, he's gonna think I'm getting big time into this and he's not gonna like that, he's ok with my just growing 2 - 3 plants and that's it. He's hard to explain things too, and I already know when he see's all this complex stuff he's gonna think I'm getting WAY into it, which he doesnt want to see.