Lighting Saftey?

[SwisherSweets]

I have an old house and the wire'n is up to code, but im worried about lighting and how safe is this stuff.. i went on ebay, and they got some good deals on some 250 w mh/hp systems with ballast and timers for around 130 bucks from htg supplies. doesnt sound bad, but im worried the heat that comes off these things.. how easily can they start a fire.. or the bulbs burst or break? Last time i grew i just had 1 big spot grow bulb and it worked pretty damn good on one plant.. and the cost of running it wasnt out the roof. should i all in saftey.. just go with that method again?

 

[timdog4]

Thes lights are very safe if they are hooked up and used properly. They run on standard household outlets(110). The cost or running them is going to be more than flourescents but most people say they are alot better. Depending on the size of your grow and space will determine which lights are best for you.

 

[SwisherSweets]

Well personally i just want to grow one plant. But i have herd hps and mh lights are the best for good results. So is it possible to get a small wattage hps mh system? and what should be the smallest i should go b4 its not enough.

 

[Mutt]

You can get 70W all the way up to 1kw (even 5kw but you don't even wanna think of those)
Its the area (length times width) we need to know to size you light.

 

[SwisherSweets]

well lets just say for example a 4x4x4 area

 

[SwisherSweets]

and mylar for reflectiveness

 

[timdog4]

Thats an awful big space for 1 plant, you would need 400 watts at least for 16 square feet. You can get one cheap from htg (109 plus shipping), but if your only growing one plant I would make the area alot smaller, and then you could go with a smaller light. If you plan to grow more later than I would go with the 400 watt.

 

[SwisherSweets]

that was just an example for area not a real area. just looking for inputs on smaller lighting systems that involve hp and mh lights. and there saftey requirements on them. like for ex.. i've herd if even a speck of water gets on them lights they explode. i would hate to be misting and boom..

 

[SwisherSweets]

and also perfect size area's for just 1 or 2 plants at most. i dont have an area or a set system.. im just inquiring on what people feel about it.

 

[timdog4]

Yes if you spray water on a hot bulb it could break. You shouldnt mist plants with the lights on unless you raise the lights and be careful. A 400 watt system is not much more than 150 watt, so IMO the 400 watt would be better and give you more options (more plants) down the road. As far as size or space goes that would be depend how big you want them to get. Not to mention there are flouros which might be better for you, but I dont have any experience with them.

 

[Growdude]

These light are perfectly safe, use common sence and dont let anything touch the bulb when its on.
Bulbs very rarley explode unless sprayed or mishandled and cracked.

The most inportant thing is to make sure you dont over load your circuit
(and 400 watt wont), but dont put to much on the same circuit.

 

[SwisherSweets]

allrighty.. im not opting to go with a 400 i was thinking smaller, like 250w. to even less. but i'll take all what i have been told so far n use that knowledge , right now im indecisive even if i want to do indoor.. hopefully for me we get someone like ron paul or mike gravel to be president, so we can have legalized weed lol. then i'd just do it outside. but i appreciate the attention from people cos the more thoughts the better i will feel about handling this kind of lighting.