Air cooled light shads

[Stufart]

I have done a search on this site along with our friend google, and yet there seems to be no hard and fast consensus on either. Now Im about to set up my new tent late next week and Im considering whether I should also invest in an air cooled light shade. My current one has a 5 inch fan blowing across the light bulb 24/7 which has helped a great deal. Im going to set up my new fan on the outlet only so the air is pulled in to the tent then out the top so Im wondering if an air cooled reflector would be needed. Im going to have at least two fans going in the tent, one blowing across the tops of the plants, one across the light and the other drawing the air out of the tent. I have looked at heaps of tent set ups and all are different, however they seem to follow a similar model.

I just thought creating a low pressure inside the tent via the 6inch exhaust fan installed in the outlet should mean all heat is extracted in no time flat.

Stufart

 

[AluminumMonster]

In theory that sounds good... but you are forgetting about radiant heat from the bulb. No matter how much airflow you have the bulb will still hit high temps. Inside a aircooled hood the radiant heat is contained. I can touch my hoods directly below the bulb and not get burned. Try that with a bare bulb, even with tons of air flow and you will still get burned.

 

[Hushpuppy]

:yeah that: Unless you are running low wattage bulb (which would then be ineffective for flowering), you will be generating considerable heat.

Your best bet is either a vented hood or cool tube that is open on one end and connected via flex hose on the other end, to your 6" exhaust fan. This will pull the warm air from the top of the tent through the vented hood and out of the tent. This will, at the same time, pull the heat of the bulb out and pull fresh air into the tent at the bottom where the plants are growing
I personally have 6 of these fixtures and highly recommend them over a standard cool tube: hxxp://www.hpsgrowlightstore.com/hps1510/best-grow-light-systems/reflectors-lighting-fixtures/ipower-grow-lights-6-cool-tube-xl.html
Don't forget to change the hxxp to http before you search it

 

[ross]

How big is the tent? The way I exhaust my tents is have the fans pull thru the light hoods with carbon filters attached to the hoods. Depending on the size of your tent you can eliminate a fan by exhausting the hood and tent with the same fan.

 

[johnnylongjohns]

I run (2) 600 w vertical bare bulbs and move air, not cool it.

 

[Stufart]

Thanks guys, a cool tube of sorts is on the order list. We Aussies dont have to much in the way of you guys to choose from. Well there is I guess but you they are asking a kidney and a lung.