Air cooled Vs Non Air cooled lights

[JustBlazed]

Could people who have had both air cooled and non-air cooled lights Make a Pro and con list of both? I know if you have a small enclosed grow area air-cooled is the way to go, but why? I would like more knowledge on this subject. I know this is a very broad topic but startblucks is about to close and I dont have more time to write in more detail. Thanks in advance.

 

[RNDZL]

many relative factors involved in that question


Also the type of air cooling is a factor. Cool Tubes are far different then other types of hoods

perhaps you could list a few more factors involving the grow space would help narrow it down

 

[selfprofider]

Hi, here is my 2 cents worth !!

air cooled hood
PROs
In the heat of summer air cooling lowers temps and causes less useof ac
You can get your lights closer to your plants without burning them up
you don'tburn yourself if accidental touch unit
cons
IMO you do lose light intensity being in an enclosed space
Bulbs seem to burn out faster being enclosed

nON cooled hoods
Pros
In winter time keeps my room just right temps without an added heater *except when lights are off)
I seem to get more intensity without having to go through the glass
Bulblife in increased
Cons
Summer time have to use ac 24/7
Increased burn risk for accidental touching
More fans and venting is also needed
my thoughts
later

 

[Guest 18340]

Well said selfprofider...

 

[Philosophelon]

Here is my regarding A/C reflectors.

Pros:
Lower A/C electrical consumption
(or lower exhaust volume to maintain a given temp if your room isn't sealed)
Can place reflectors a bit closer to the canopy

Cons:
A good deal more labor than non-A/C reflectors
Must be sealed well to avoid smell and CO2 leakage
Serious PITA (but doable) if used with light movers

---- if power consumption is your limiting factor in yield, A/C reflectors will help you max out your yield working with a static amount of power.

---- If power consumption isn't your limiting factor in yield, imo A/C reflectors are not worth the headache. Just maintain vigorous air circulation within the room.

 

[Metalhead419]

Air cooled is the only way to go in my opinion, for whatever thats worth, lol.

Pros: folier feeding, dont have to worry about spraying the bulb, and if it did explode its contained.
You can put the lights substantially closer to the top of the plants, negating whatever you would gain in intensity without aircooling.
You can later on upgrade to co2 and already have the right lights.
It looks cool.

Cons: philo pretty well summed it up. more work more time more money.

You should use new bulbs every grow, so bulb life shouldnt be an issue.

 

[myc]

new bulbs every grow? may I ask why?

can anyone talk about the diff's between cooltubes and other types of hoods (as mentioned by RNDZL)?

thanks!

 

[filo6942]

Some say you lose spectrum from the bulb every grow. So to maximize yields new bulbs is BEST.

 

[Philosophelon]

I don't mean to pick a fight here, but if you replace your bulbs every grow cycle (~2 months for flower, less than that for veg), you will be wasting a shitload of money. Yes, it's true that HID lamps loose intensity as they age, but they don't lose that much that quickly. I generally relamp every 6 months w/MH (20:4) , and 10-12 months w/ HPS (12:12). Sooner if I notice a reduction in yield, of course.

Think of it like this (for example): 10x 1Kw Horti = ~$1200

If one were to replace those bulbs every grow (2 mo.), it would run ~$7200 a year. If one replaced them every 5 grows (10 mo.), it would run ~$1440 a year. If you run more bulbs, the difference is even bigger.

Also, the difference between cool tubes and other A/C hoods is that cool tubes are supposed to remove heat more effectively than other A/C hoods, but I think that they produce a shitty footprint when used horizontally. If you insulate the outside of a traditional (non-cool tube) reflector and the ducting, it will be MUCH more effective at removing heat.

 

[sednal]

I don't mean to pick a fight here, but if you replace your bulbs every grow cycle (~2 months for flower, less than that for veg), you will be wasting a shitload of money. I generally relamp every 6 months w/MH , and 10-12 months w/ HPS. Sooner if I notice a reduction in yield, of course.

good reply!

Also, the difference between cool tubes and other A/C hoods is that cool tubes are supposed to remove heat more effectively than other A/C hoods, but I think that they produce a shitty footprint when used horizontally. If you insulate the outside of a traditional (non-cool tube) reflector, it will help keep your temps lower.

Cooltubes are more efficient being a/c because its...a straight shot tube...and air is pushed or pulled through it more easly then say what i have a Yeild Master II Supreme where it is a sealed glass gasketed hood with 6" A/C flanges.

As for new bulbs every grow? this is my first indoor flowering with a HPS but as ive read 5-6 months is the bulb life of a 400w hps...

 

[Mist]

In my opinion it doesn't matter what type of grow space it is, open room, closet or grow tent like I have. Air cooled lights are the way to go. It just takes the heat factor from the light out of the equation. I have done it both ways and will never go back to a setup without an AC hood.
You can keep the lights closer to the plants without the worry of burning them, you will not have the excess heat making your nutrients warmer if you are doing hydro and it will also cut down the heat signiture of your grow space for more stealth.

 

[Philosophelon]

As for new bulbs every grow? this is my first indoor flowering with a HPS but as ive read 5-6 months is the bulb life of a 400w hps...

I should be more specific. Honestly, if I only had one (or a few) bulb(s) to replace I might do that too -- it's really all about how much yield is lost vs. the increased overhead. If you will lose more revenue than you would add operating expense, it's worth the investment.

And as far as cool tubes go, I don't think they run cooler than well-insulated traditional A/C reflectors. I've tried them in place of std. A/C reflectors, and I didn't notice a change in my utility bill. If you have a burly fan, I don't think that the eddies created in the corners are that big a deal. The critically important part is to insulate everything but the glass -- if properly insulated, about the same amount (or less) of hot surface area (glass) is exposed on a traditional A/C reflector as a cool tube. Just my experience, and it only applies to horizontal cool tubes.

 

[JohnnyToke]

my grow closet is exhausted 24/7. I originally started growing with aircooled SS2 which worked fine however didnt like have to run dual vortex's nor did I like all the ducting in my closet. I vented the closet with one and the light reflector with the other.

I bought an adjust-a-wing to try. I installed it, removed the extra vortex and ducting and amazingly, my closet stayed within 3 degrees of using the sealed exhausted SS2.

I am still using the adjust-a-wing today. I have a 1000 bulb in it about 12" above the tops and the ladies love it. my temps with lights on stay in the low 80's in the summer and mid 70's in winter.

my grow pulls air from an adjacent central a/c - heated room.

JT

 

[JustBlazed]

Johnny, you are who i have been looking for. I am very interested in the AAW(Adjust-A-Wing) specifically. I i am thinking that they are the way to go when I get back to the US. Right now Im out the country and when I get back I plan on doin a small grow, just 2 600w HPS AAWs, and a 400w MH AAW Aero grow with a 2 week veg and perpetual harvest. After 1st or second crop I plan on doubling up then I should have some good stuff going on. I have been researching for like 3 months on and off and think I know enough plus I got peeps who already grow but soil who could help me out with Q's and strains and stuff. Thanks every one who has added to this topic so far and hope more ppl will put in input.

 

[Bdt1981]

Here is what i have learned for my current setup

Here is what i have learned for my current setup

Air cooled
Pros
I guess u can get the lights closer
Cons
Harder to cool room because of the big hot metal hood loss of light intensity, lots of ducting and lots of extra heat to deal with as well as more equipment.

Non air cooled
Pros
Better maintained room temp, less equipment, more intense light
Cons
Must have plenty btu ac, remember not to touch the light bulb...

Recently i had started a grow in a closet at home and i had 1000 hps an ice box attached to the hood a res outside the room tryin to cool a light with a 1/4 hp chiller. Gool luck on that... Impossible... I had to trade my hood chiller pumps ice box all for a 10000 portable ac ducted into my attic.. The temps and humidity stayed 75 35to45 humidity..
Get plenty ac and you have no problem. I pointed the light straight into the bulb even 2 at one point... Temps were perfect. Way easier than ducting up a hood and tryin to get rid of all the heat.
Not sure how old this post is but i had to share

 

[Lazyman]

One big caveat to this discussion is single ended vs double ended bulbs.

Single ended you can remove 50% of the heat, or 2k of a 4k btu output 1000w hps. In cool to cold climates, this can be a disadvantage, as the dry heat produced by bulbs keeps the room warm at night and reduces humidity by kicking the fans on more regularly. If you aren't exhausting your room because it's not warm, your plants aren't as happy as they would be at 78*, or you have have odor problems (unless you have a separate scrubber filter.

DE AC fixtures can remove no more than 20% of the heat, so it doesn't fuck up the color rendering index (CRI) of the bulb. They also put out 5k btu each (1150w lamps) instead of 4k for SEs. So, an air cooled DE lamp outs out 4k. Not worth it.

 

[dr.disrespect]

anyone still using cooltubes these days?