Help! I dont want to burn my house down!

Yo! Okay, so I have a walk-in closet in my room. Nobody ever really comes in my room besides me and my friends so its a good place. My plan is to eventually have two separate grow rooms: one for the growth cycle, one for the flower cycle. I have it all planned out and I only have a few more things to get. I do however, have a few concerns. See I have a 400 watt HPS lamp for the flower room but I don't have my flourescent hood lamps for the growth room due to lack of funds... so I cant have 2 rooms yet. I already have a grown, healthy plant and four clones, so I decided I would use the 400 watt HPS for the growth AND flower process just for this first yield or until I get enough money for the rest of my equipment. Personally, I like to give my plants 24 hours of light in the growth cycle. My only concern is that my closet is air tight right now and it has no ventilation... just a standard rotating fan on high. I keep the ballast outside my closet on a wooden stool about two feet tall because my closet is pretty warm just with the lamp in there. Also, I was worried about the ballast overheating... even just sitting outside the closet, its so warm but I have really no way of ventilating it... the air in my room in generally pretty still. I dont want to burn my house down - I was hoping someone could tell me if I should be worried about my lamp overheating or starting a fire. About how hot should the ballast be? Also, from what I understand, the ballast cuts down some of the power the lamp uses... I was wondering if a 400 watt HPS lamp would make a noticable difference in our electric bill.

Never heard of a ballast goin up in flames due to just heat. Im sure that when they are made they were built with a "safety kill switch" <<< for lack of correct words. But im sure if it got too hot it would cut off instead.

And if it stays on 24/7, then yes. Bill will def go up some.

SayNoToDrugs said:

Never heard of a ballast goin up in flames due to just heat. Im sure that when they are made they were built with a "safety kill switch" <<< for lack of correct words. But im sure if it got too hot it would cut off instead.

And if it stays on 24/7, then yes. Bill will def go up some.

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like 10 dollas for each of your type of light.

but you know its going to smell really really bad..

it will smell really really good, and that's bad.

quadrophine said:

it will smell really really good, and that's bad.

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LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!

And i used to have a high school algebra teacher that was a straight up pot head. I saw him one day in the hydro store, he said he was visiting his friend!!! But anyway everyday in class i would walk in and it smelled like he was growin pot somewhere. It smelled straight up like wet bud!!!! hahaha. I loved it!

99% of fires are caused by badly rigged electrical work/theft or falling lights.
If your worried about it buy a small fire extinguisher and fit a smoke alarm somewhere near the closet and make sure your lights are very securely attached to where you hang them.