Cooling lights

[orstalk]

I plan on having a few HPS lights that you can air cool with those tubing ducts and a fan inside to push the air out.

Will I need more than one fan, or can I just use one fan and have it pass through the lights like a snake//chain?

thanks everyone.

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

I'm sure it will work with a nice fan.

 

[orstalk]

so just a nice fan and I can link all the lights together to a single exhaust?

This is what I thought, I just wanted to check with you guys to make sure.

 

[Hick]

so just a nice fan and I can link all the lights together to a single exhaust?

This is what I thought, I just wanted to check with you guys to make sure.

A LOT is going to depend not only on the cfm of the fan, but the number of turns/corners in your ducting. Each time you obstruct the airflow with an elbow, it decreases the efficiency of the fan.
I "used" to have a link to a page that instructed, explained how to calculate the amount of cfm's deminish through corners, ect.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I think we need to know the wattage of your lights. You are probably not going to be able to keep 2 1000W HPS cool with 1 fan, but 2 150W HPS can easily be cooled with1 fan. Hick has also brought up a good point that many forget. I use rigid exhaust pipe whenever I can and make long sweep turns on all my bends.

 

[Disco94]

Man am I baked.. I thought this was a section thread about lights that cool as they work. Wow! Kinda cool idea tho

 

[orstalk]

Thank you guys...

I think I'm going to have a few 1000w

Would each light need it's own fan?

I'm trying to figure out how to do this..
Since I want it all to be exhausted to the same source of a window.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

A few 1000Ws is going to be a bigger job to cool. You are probably going to need numerous fans or one large one just to cool the lights. You will need a source for cool air to cool the lights. You will need fresh air intakes. In addition to cooling the lights, you will need fan(s) to exchange the air in the room 3-4 times a minute.

 

[DomsChron]

If you tubed one 1000 watt to another, you would be taking cool air and cooling the 1st one and making the air hot. Then that hot air will heat up your 2nd already hot bulb and overheat it, probably exploding it.

They need to each have 1 fan, then it would work.

As for the rest of the room, get 2 fans, one intake one outtake. I'm not a fan of passive airflow.

 

[orstalk]

Alright, thanks for the advice.

I just don't understand how to get 3 air ducts to go out of the same location//hole in the window covering.

Cool air is not a problem, I will run ducts from an air conditioner to the floor in 2 places and have a fan in the room.

But, if I have fans blowing through air ducts through the lights how do I connect them to run them to the same output source?

Sorry if this is confusing, I'm just trying to grasp this design.

 

[NorCalHal]

Negitive man. You can cool 4 1000w lights fairly easy with PROPER fans and ductwork. Easy meaning you have $$ to drop on proper hoods and a good fan/blower. I do this at every spot I do.

If you are going to rock 4000w, then get 8" aircooled hoods. 6" will work, but 8" is better.

Depending on what size hoods you get, you awill need the appropriate Fan. I would recommend a 6" or 8" Can Fan high output.

On any "bend", it is wise to install a hard 90degree elbow on the lights, that way your actual ducting run will be str8. Don't use the ducting to make the bends, use hard elbows. I recomend Self-Tapping screws and attach the elbows to the light flanges. Home Depot $6 an elbow.

Also, use insulated ducting. Home Depot, $25-30 bucks for 25 feet. Usuing insulated ducting will drop temps by 3-5 degrees alone.

Allways pull air thru your lights, then exhaust. Your exhaust fan should be close to your exhaust hole. You want to pull rather then push. If you push, you will "push" any hot air theu any little crack,hole or oriface back into your grow area. Defeats the purpose. But if you pull air theu, this is not an issue.

I wouldn't cool more then 4000w with one fan. Spend the money and get a GOOD fan with a high CFM rating. DO NOT get an inline "booster" fan for $25 bucks from a hardware store. They will not work.