heat problem help

[evertking]

my cabinet is 4 ft high 2.5 ft wide 2.5 ft deep thats 20 cubit feet right? the ballast is outside the box.. i use a 250 watts hps. i use two 55 cfm fans one for intake and one at the top sucking out hot air. the temps outside the room are 75-85 in the box 95-100!!! if i done the math right it should not be getting hot!!! and tips???? should in move both fans to the top?

 

[EZB581]

You are right! mount both fans on top to suck/draw air out of the cab. Make the intake (passive) as big as possible. See if this helps, With the uncooled 250 ,your probably need a bigger fan!

 

[Guest]

you really should get some more air flowing through there overall


take ezbakes advice and add a passive intake and switch both those fans to exhaust the heat out

 

[evertking]

do you think just putting in a dayton 140 would kill the problem forever and would it fit up there with the refector?

 

[badgr]

I have found that if my cool tube is not sucking in 72*F air or below then the whole cab heats up real fast. Its weird. Lets say my room is 70* then the cab will sit at around 73*. If the room temp is 75*+ the cab will rise in temp almost a degree an hour and level out at about 80 to 83. I think it's b/c the components and ballasts etc.. all need cool air to run cool and keep the heat only a few degrees above room temp. My a/c is busted right now so me plants and I are forced to stick it out with temps around 80.
Keep the room intake air colder and life will be much easer. If that doesn't work you either need more cfms for exhaust or you need to create more hole for intake. Just make sure no light or stink can come out. You should be able to put a piece of paper against the intake and have it suction up against. I didn't leave any chance of under powered exhaust with my cab. One Stanley blower just for the cool tube and another one for the cab. When I hold a piece of paper against my intake it gets sucked in to the hole.

 

[evertking]

no way to cool the room the cabinet is in... so 75-85 is going to be the norm.

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I suggest then you get more cfm through your cab then. Run your 12/12 during the coolest time.

minds_I

PS: if the pic shows where you are taking your temp readings at will be higher due to radiant heat from the bulb....shield the sensor form direct light

 

[roor69]

My advice would be to use a bigger fan such as a Dayton 265 cfm fan and only use it as and exhaust fan near the top. The more air that you move the better, bottom line.

 

[stevr59]

from what i see ur going to need a bigger fan, bigger intake and exuast and would help to either go with a cool tube or a air cooled hood me i would go with a 200 cmf vortex or what ever inline fan in that cab. i don't think i would use a dayton for one it just plain ass noises. i know i use one. the exuast i would make 4" and and a lest 6" for the intake check with minds_i he came up with a great adjustable intake with a home made dark room vent. which i will try to work into my cab at a later date, and like minds said get the temp gauge a way from that light and keep it out of the direct light or it going to give you a higer reading. but in till you can up grade the thing you might try leaving the door cracked a bit it will let you to draw in more air ,it help my cab but then i need to enlarge my intake on my cab just have not got around to it.

 

[evertking]

thats going to be tight up there with the reflector...

 

[evertking]

just found a 4in 172 cfm vortex fan for under a 120 bucks shipping and all thats a good deal.... ive seen them from 170-200 bucks plantlightinghydroponics.com

 

[evertking]

what size passive intake would i need to cut for that fan?

 

[EZB581]

evertking, Make the intakes as big as possible. I have a similar open 250w lite & reflector in my cab. I use a Stanley blower. If you can mount the Stanley on top of your cab, IMO it would be more than anough for your size cab.