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Do Cooltubes need fans?

waltwalt

Member
I've got a room 5'x9'x6', approximately 270 cubic feet. This room is only for flowering and has two 1000w HPS with cooltubes.
The room also has a 12,500btu minisplit air conditioner which I've found can get the room down to about 2 degrees Celsius if I let it.
The room is completely sealed because I'm adding CO2 to it.
Do I need to attach a fan to the cooltubes to prevent the bulbs from burning out or can I just leave them in the tubes? The AC will have no problem maintaining air temperatures, I'm just worried about the bulbs being in cooltubes without air flow. I have the ability to add an inline fan and duct the cooltubes directly outside, but would prefer not to run anything I don't have to.

-ww
 

Maj.PotHead

End Cannibis Prohibition Now Realize Legalize !!
Mentor
Veteran

waltwalt

Member
Yeah I've got about 20' of ducting still along with the vent caps for the holes and the holes drilled in the wall (room is built inside an unfinished garage) but due to a budget snafu have found myself with an inline fan for the whole system.
I can have a fan for it soon if I need it, but for now I'm just wondering if the lack of air-flow over the bulbs will cause them to burnout.

-ww
 

FreezerBoy

Was blind but now IC Puckbunny in Training
Veteran
Without a fan, what's the point? Fanless, all the tube does is collect heat. Severely increasing temps around the lamp can't do anything any good.
 
M

mexilandrace

those lights are meant to run very very hot, so no they won't burn out, but not cooling them will create a ridiculously hot space around your bulbs
 

Dr Dog

Sharks have a week dedicated to me
Veteran
for the best performance, orient the fan so that it sucks from the socket side of the tube

I dont know bro I have tried to do that at home and it did shit

You need to save your coin and get a vortex, only thing that works great. Have it suck air from like the basement through your cooltube and then vent it out if that room, You will be able to have your hand on the glass
 
G

Guest 18340

I've got a room 5'x9'x6', approximately 270 cubic feet. This room is only for flowering and has two 1000w HPS with cooltubes.
The room also has a 12,500btu minisplit air conditioner which I've found can get the room down to about 2 degrees Celsius if I let it.
The room is completely sealed because I'm adding CO2 to it.
Do I need to attach a fan to the cooltubes to prevent the bulbs from burning out or can I just leave them in the tubes? The AC will have no problem maintaining air temperatures, I'm just worried about the bulbs being in cooltubes without air flow. I have the ability to add an inline fan and duct the cooltubes directly outside, but would prefer not to run anything I don't have to.

-ww

Does your mini split have use an inverter? The reason I ask is this, it seems likely your AC will cool the room TOO well. Thats a problem because the compressor will be kicking on/off too quickly.
If it has an inverter (my 9k btu mini split has an inverter and its in a 10x5x5 sealed room with 2x600watts) then once it reaches the set temp the compressor goes into a low power mode and the ac will maintain the set temp. Am I making any sense?
If the AC doesnt have an inverter then you will more than likely have to actually ADD a heat source (not cooling your lights) in order to keeps the AC compressor going.
Thats why its VERY important to properly size an AC for your grow room.

PS, Your bulbs will be fine in those cooltubes without a fan ;)
 
Last edited:

waltwalt

Member
How quickly is too quickly? Flicking on and off every minute or every 15 minutes? My unit does not have an inverter, it is the Ramsond 37GWX. It's because of this over-sizedness that I am asking this question, if I don't need to or for temperature reasons can't, then I don't want to run the ductwork through the walls.

-ww
 
G

Guest 18340

How quickly is too quickly? Flicking on and off every minute or every 15 minutes? My unit does not have an inverter, it is the Ramsond 37GWX. It's because of this over-sizedness that I am asking this question, if I don't need to or for temperature reasons can't, then I don't want to run the ductwork through the walls.

-ww


To answer your question on how quickly is too quickly, when the compressor shuts off does it get really hot before the air conditioner starts cooling again or does it keep it in a nice comfortable range for the plants? With out an inverter the compressor completely shuts off and it has to kick on too quickly it doesn't get a chance to cool off. So basically a pretty big temp swing from the time when the compressor shuts off until it kicks back on and blows cold air. then you will have to run a heat source (Your lamps uncool) to keep the compressor running.( cooling your room).
 

waltwalt

Member
I actually haven't fired up the lights yet, so its hard to tell. With just me and my friend in the room it keeps the room at 22c no problem. The room does not warm up at all before the compressor turns on and chills it a bit more, constantly maintaining the room at or around 22c.
Now if you meant does the compressor warm up between uses, I don't know, I haven't been checking the compressor heat.
 
G

Guest 18340

If the room is maintaining the temp then that is good. But the true test is to turn the lamps on. How long does it maintaining the temp? I think you misunderstood me about the compressor it is not the actual heat on the compressor that i am talking about. It seems like it is running the way it should.(maintaining temp). But, the true test will be when you turn the lights on. If the temp remains steady or is in an acceptable range than you are good to go. That's with the lights uncooled. If this is a little confusing I'm actually dictating this to my wife over the phone. I'm at work right now. I'll pm you when I come home in a couple of hours.
 

waltwalt

Member
Lol! Thanks Wife!

One last hiccup in the operation the chain fasteners are the wrong size so I'll have to pickup some tomorrow so I can mount/turn on the lights.

-ww
 

hkush

Member
Yes, you probably don't want the lights that hot even if it doesn't affect the light it has to be more of a fire hazard having something hot enough to combust anything that might touch it. Of course adding an electric fan also adds some risk of fire. Maybe take it out of the cool tube if you aren't using it as a cool tube.
 
G

Guest 18340

Ok, home from work.
What I meant when I asked if things got hot when the compressor kicked off was the air temp in the room, not the actual temp of the compressor.
Your bulbs will be fine without cooling them and it is not a fire hazard at all. Guys hang bare bulbs all the time, let alone a bulb in an un-cooled cooltube.
From your description of the AC maintaining the temp with you and your friend in the room, it sound like the AC will do fine. You'll know if the AC is too big if theirs a big temp swing between when the compressor shuts off and kicks back on again.
Sorry if I repeated what my wife typed, lol. I had to go to work and I didnt wanna leave you hanging so I had her on the cellphone typing out what I was saying to her.
Do me a fav if ya don't mind, I'm curious as to how your set up will workout so can you post an update after you get your lights running?
Try it un-cooled first, if that doesnt work out then you can always go ahead and cool them.
Btw, while cooltubes arent the best for light distribution (check out pico's thread on testing hoods) they are the best for cooling a lamp because of their "straight thru" design.
Good luck. Evl...
 

waltwalt

Member
Hopefully everything will be up and running tonight. I have a thermometer/hygrometer, but not a min/max one. I will pick up one of those as well tonight and post some updates soon.

Thanks for the help evlme2.
-ww
 

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