Light cooling during cold climate winter

I'm getting a 600w hps ballast/bulb/reflector soon, and had an idea for making that light produce very little or no heat. The reflector (http://www.ebay.com/itm/600W-HPS-MH-6-AIR-COOLED-GROW-LIGHT-REFLECTOR-KIT-DIGITAL-BALLAST-DELUXE-/280743714563?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415da11f03) is sealed with glass pane and has input / output holes for ventilation. I was thinking of connecting a tube to the input with an inline fan fitted into a cracked window, a tube to the output titted into the other side of the cracked window, and filling in the hole with 4 layers of cardboard fitted to the tubes and tape. Would 20F to -10F air be too cold to blow directly on a 600w HPS or MH bulb?
 
Actually, to think of it, the room will probably keep cool enough to use the air in the room, then vent the warmed air into the house to reduce heating. Though I'd still like to know if blowing super-cooled air directly through a reflector chamber with a 400 - 1000w hps or mh bulb would harm the bulb?
 

mike91sr

Well-Known Member
I dont like the idea of using variables such as temp/rh of outside into the controlled environment of a grow room. Not to mention bugs. I'm not sure if the temps would hurt the bulb though.
 
just hook up a exhaust system just for the lights and then a room exhaust and it should be around par. I live on the coast in oregon and humidity its a nightmare. Pulling wet\cold air into the hood directly on the bulb is bad news. just use exhaust.
 

Moses.Lyons

Active Member
I pull nice ice cold winter air into both my light hoods.
I start my fans 15 min before lights on to cool the hoods
and bulbs so when they do start they will have to heat up
in the cold enviroment, kinda like your defrost on your car.

I also run a separate ventilation system for my lights and my room
I also HEPA filter my intake/exhaust air into the lighting ventilation
system.

never had a problem with it this way
 

llamas

Well-Known Member
Actually, to think of it, the room will probably keep cool enough to use the air in the room, then vent the warmed air into the house to reduce heating. Though I'd still like to know if blowing super-cooled air directly through a reflector chamber with a 400 - 1000w hps or mh bulb would harm the bulb?
Yes you should use the warm air to help reduce your heating bill, always the smart choice!
 
I dont like the idea of using variables such as temp/rh of outside into the controlled environment of a grow room. Not to mention bugs. I'm not sure if the temps would hurt the bulb though.
In this case the outside air would only pass through the reflector chamber the light is in, then be exhausted back outside, to specifically cool the bulb/reflector without affecting the temp or air of the room.

I was thinking of doing this, and having a hose which could be connected to a hole in the wall going into an adjacent room as a warm exhaust, when taking air directly from the grow room into the hood, and a vent to another adjacent (usually cool <60F) room to provide low temp airflow.
 
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