Aircooling? cooltubes? questions!!

[Mindovermatter]

hey guys im a new guy so hear me out, I think you were supposed to either exhaust your fan from the highest point of the closet, OR use an extra dedicated fan for cooltubes.But when I look around at the grows, I see many growers just draw the exhaust fan straight to a tube (which is open on the other side), like this for example. So now Im somewhat confused about it all. Should I use this method instead and draw the hot air AND the cabinet air through my fan?

 

[JollyGreenGiant]

How big of a grow area are you using? If it is a small area I see no problem with exhausting by pulling air through the cool tube.. Most of the time the cool tube is located up high anyways so kill two bird with one stone.

or something

 

[NiteTiger]

What you're looking at is air cooled lighting, many growers swear by it, including me.

The reason you exhaust from the highest point in a non air cooled garden is that heat rises. However, most of the heat generated in the growroom comes from the lighting.

Air cooled lighting works by drawing heat away at the source, hence no need to chase it down in the upper reaches of the growroom. Then, just like any other exhaust air, it is filtered before being released.

Did that help?

 

[Mindovermatter]

thanks guys this was of great help. my area is about 4*1,5*6=36 cf w 400w lights.
I have hooked it with a 270 cfm fan. should I get a simax glass from the store and make it so it pulls through the tube instead? How much lower temps can be achieved by this you reckon?

 

[Mindovermatter]

so its a really small place, I guess it makes sense to aircool it right? Just buy some simax glass at the hardware store?

 

[Chronic Newfie]

Thanks for posting that pic. I'm currently fabricating my own hood. Just gave me an awesome idea dude. Thanks! K++ Hope its a heavy yeilder!

 

[Mindovermatter]

some more questions:
-how much closer can you have the light to the plants with aircooled? I have a small space so this could help a lot.
-how much lumens (lumen meter anyone?) is lost due to the tube? I read some dude lost 50% lumens when installing a cooltube!

 

[NiteTiger]

How much Closer? How about touching?

Here's a pic of one of my 1kw HPSs @ about 1.5 to 2 inches from the plant. It actually touched the tube on several occasions for days at a time with no ill effects. Temps in my room are 2-3 degrees Farenheit above ambient.




In short, air cooled lighting can make all the difference in the world

 

[Mindovermatter]

but what about the lumens? How much do you loose by using that tube? which glass is best suited for letting light through?

 

[Mindovermatter]

Any effects on yield and potency when you compare an non aircooled to an aircooled?