Need help with cool set-up

[specialeddy]

High All,
I decided to turn a 5’w x 3’d x 6’h closet into a grow space and see what happens. My only problem is that I absolutely cannot use anything hot like an HPS. After some research it seems that my only option is to flower with a T5 and some 3000k bulbs, or risk the newer LED route. I have seen videos of seemingly decent results using both and I understand that the yield is not to be expected to match what an HPS can do.
I’d like to use two 15” Hydrofarm pots with a 2’ x 2’ scrog screen over each. That would be a 4’ x 2’ grow area which would closely resemble the light footprint of a 4’ T5 set-up. If I go the LED route it will likely be a Hydrogrow 126w model or a ( Desert Hydroponics )Calyx LED 300w model which are similar in price and will cast an oval of light that might not cover the whole grow area that well. If not, I can always try to let them spread less and grow higher so the majority of the plants are within the footprint when the light is at an optimum distance. If I go the T5 route I’m thinking maybe the 4’ Tek-Light with 6 bulbs and the external ballast mounted outside the closet to further reduce any heat.
Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tron]

Why can't you run an exhaust??? I don't care what the box will say, a T5 can be hot... I have an 8 bulb and I have to run a 4 inch inline to make it 78 in a 3 x 5 veg tent. There is no external ballast on a T5.

 

[specialeddy]

Thank you for the prompt replies. The reason why I want to try cooler lights is to ease the fear of other family members about possible fire hazards. My main concern would be what might happen should something come into contact with the reflector shield or bulb with an HPS. I know the 8 bulb T5 can produce heat and warm the grow area too much, but I haven’t heard about it being too hot to the touch. Also, an 8 bulb T5 can produce 40,000 lumens of 3000k light with a total draw of 440 watts. That’s about 10,000 or so less lumens than a 400 watt HPS. I thought that perhaps the larger T5 will literally shine straight down on a 4x2 scrog screen and be close enough to lose no lumens from having to be set further away like an HPS does. In other words, I was hoping that spreading the plants into a scrog would alleviate the problem with less penetration and take advantage of the large footprint of the T5…thus making it more comparable to an HPS as long as the scrog method is used.
Can a 250 Watt or 400 Watt HPS be cooled enough with a vented hood and fan so that it won’t burn something it might come into contact with? Does a glass panel below the bulb increase safety as well?

 

[motherlode]

yes with a proper fan for the size light you can put your hand on the glass

it should be actually cooler to the touch then a t5

600 watts can yield you a pound easily and doesnt use too much electricity

 

[casmel]

Cool hood or Cool tube thats the solution to HPS heat . I made myself very easy , put some insulating material on the outside of the hood and pipes both end and a larger PC fan and voila

 

[specialeddy]

Thanks…I didn’t realize that an HPS unit could be cooled to that extent. I am thinking about making an adjustable duct system that can draw in both interior grow room air to exhaust the heat out, and air from the outside that can better cool the bulb. I was also wondering how long a typical charcoal odor filter will last and whether or not it needs to be installed throughout the entire flowering process. Any homemade odor remedies out there?
Thanks again.

 

[casmel]

Hehe ,thats right, the coolhood is so effective that it was almost too cool in my grow room . Only thing what heats up is the glass and i used certain fireproof fireplace black glue to fasten the glass and the other problem is the humidity , how are you going to control that . ?

 

[specialeddy]

I plan on setting up a square window fan with oscillating fins to blow air across the plants and towards a top vent at the end of the closet. If the air is warm it should rise up and out with the help of the fan. Hopefully that’ll take care of the heat and moisture issues. I see that Activated Charcoal is somewhat cheap in bulk so I may experiment with making A/C filled ceiling tiles to replace the ones in the closet. That might suck up some of the smell. The 6” cage fan will draw outside air so it’s cooler before it hits the hood.
Thanks again for all the help. Now that I am settled on an HPS, I can look into making my own Hydro Buckets to grow in.

 

[motherlode]

ceiling tiles will not suck up the smell - lol

you need a scrubber at least

 

[specialeddy]

LOL! No…I’m going to replace the ceiling tiles with homemade versions that are filled with activated charcoal. It’s natural that the warmer interior air will linger along the ceiling so I’ll try to vent it through the homemade tiles and hopefully some of the smell will get absorbed by the activated charcoal. I may try an inline scrubber as well, but I first want to try a cheaper solution. The scrubbers seem to be around a $100 and I’m not sure how long they will last.