Serious Cooling Issue w/ 1000W MH in 7X6X7 ft space

Gamberro

Well-Known Member
So I have a 1000W MH/HPS set up in this closet, I was using CFL's for the seedlings and now I've transplanted many of them to the DWC setup, but the heating issues are WAY worse than I had expected. Here's the (very) basic layout of the room

=========WINDOW========
= L =
= I =
= G =====
= H OOOOO=
= T OOOOO=
==========DOOR=============

The O's are my seedling area.

I was trying to keep the temperature around 81º and it was going fine with the CFL's (of course) and a space heater, but when I turned on the light it hit almost 92º*before I freaked out and shut it off-- after some 15 minutes of being on. I took a small fan and hooked it up to the window side of the fan to push air towards the door, and then I took a larger fan and put it on the door side of the light to PULL the hot air from the light out the door, but the temperature STILL goes skyrocketing whenever I turn on the light. I also have a shitty old AC in the window, which clearly isn't doing its job, so I'm going to switch it for another air conditioner. Further, I have an oscillating ionizer pushing air full speed just above the transplanted seedlings, and a small cool-mist humidifier also going full-bore.

Plants are in limbo, so PLEASE HELP ME! I made a huge investment into this and now I don't know what to do.:wall:


EDIT
The diagram didn't translate into the post, but you get the idea. Light in the middle of the room, window on one side, door on the other. I have also been pulling the light up higher and higher.
 

aidosmoke

Active Member
I had much the same issue with my setup, and I use a 400 watt HPS. I dont know where you live, can you switch to a night grow, would it help, have your lights on during the night instead. Maybe your fans would have a better chance of cooling down your grow room. You need to pulling in nice clean cool air, I dont know where your exchaust air goes. By the way can you leave the grow room door open while the light is on?

But it really does sound like you need to add a cool tube to your bulb, they work really well.

Cool tube....http://www.thebigshop.com/coolshade-reflectors-p-589.html
 

GoldenGanja13

Well-Known Member
Well make sure your plants are on the side of lights rays and not directly under. That will help. Now you just need to pull heat off bulb and out. With out pics that all I can say, even if you knw this already.
 

Gamberro

Well-Known Member
Well the idea is pretty simple, and yes I am leaving the door open for draft, but, well... I'll add some pictures and see if that helps with ideas. The cooltube would be nice, but that shit is pricey, and a night grow is a no-no not only for the fact of gaining attention in the neighbourhood, but also for the fact that ATM I need an absolute minimum of 18 hours of light per day.
 

Gamberro

Well-Known Member
037.jpgA picture of my seedling space off to the side (that dismantled dresser is being turned into a clone box).036.jpgPicture of light hovering over air conditioner... as you can see I have a variety of options for my AC.038.jpgSpace heater to far left ($37 at Evil Mart and works great!), ionizer near center and DWC equipment to the right. The door is to the left, also.
035.jpgA picture of the space from just outside the door, with the door open.
040.jpgHumidifier... that is not the active ballast in there but another ballast I plan to put in the next room.039.jpgMy light... I attached this teeny ass "personal fan" (equivalent of the CPU fans you see being used on here) to the front to push air toward the door, and I have another duel fan I can attach to the door side of the light, but it's not of too much use, as I did try that as well...
 

Deerhunter617

Well-Known Member
Bro a 1000w light is kinda big for a 6' ceiling shoulda got ya a 600 you could keep it closer
to the plants with less heating issues which would actually give you a bigger yield then the 1000 if you can't afford a cooltube with a fan to draw the heat out you'd be surprised how many plants you could veg with a smaller light and just move the bigloght in when you start to flower
 

Oldreefer

Well-Known Member
Duct some fresh air into the space, a LOT of fresh air.......1000watters are gonna get warm quickly.....
 

Gamberro

Well-Known Member
Well, keep in mind that it is winter and I'm in a temperate region. I'm typing this as I sit in the grow room, and I just installed my 5,000 BTU air conditioner in the window. Also, the last number in that series is the height... length X width X height. IDK where you are from but that's how they do it in my region. So the height is 7'. I now have the bulb rigged to about six feet above the plants, and I can hear my AC battling the metal halide. WHO SHALL SURVIVE!!???

In any case, this test run is with the door closed. The room next door is 15 X 8 X 7.5, and has a small porter window as well as a door to the rest of my house (obviously). If this doesn't manage to cool it down, I can try opening the door, although this would be a shame because it would nullify the humidifier, which has done a righteous job of keeping the room at a BOUT 50% humidity despite the low-30's humidity outside.

My new question would be, does an air conditioner draw air from the outside? Because I want to make sure that, during flowering, my plants have enough CO2 for a LIL something.

Update: The temperature IS somewhat under control, but I'm going to rest and monitor it... and research for my 10-page essay on Ayn Randism due tomorrow. What a multitasker!
 

Gamberro

Well-Known Member
VICTORYYYYYYYYYY!!!
My little 5,000 BTU A/C has vanquished the 1000W metal halide, and in some 350 cubic feet of space! Not only that, but it's an "energy saver" model I got on sale for like 80 bucks at HH Greg. I was terrified, but now I am so happy :D thanks for your help guys but this goes to prove for me that sometimes the best solution is the simplest one.
 
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