Super low cost fan cooled BALLAST box $8.oo

[gurnt]

If you buy your BALLAST kit to make your lite set up. And like a cheep metal box with louvers for heat removal with a fan and a power cord . At this time Wall mart has on sale A box heater 750 watts & 1500 watts for $8.oo U.S . I pull out the coils the part that get hot then wire it all together the fan helps to keep the BALLAST cool .IT even has the wire nuts

 

[Guest]

That's a great one; never thought of this for a ballast box thanks for that tip.

 

[scifreak69]

go digital no heat

 

[impeachme2]

Is it necessary to keep ballasts cool? I was planning to place mine in my attic, but it gets ~80-90F in there in the summer.

 

[Microwido]

That is a great idea!!


I used the cardboard box that it came with, and duck taped the capacitor and igniter to the outside. It works. The ballast magnet it self gets VERY hot. Mine is not actively cooled and I have no plan on cooling it. I am in a basement and its fairly cold in my basement year round so I can get away with it. In an attic, I think the ballast would work, but if not cooled it will make your grow room 3-4 degrees hotter.

Look at my ballast in the upper left hand of picture

 

[gurnt]

It help to keep as cool as you can the hotter they get the more elc they use. If you keep cool they last longer there a small very small chants they can start a fire .you want to keep the BALLAST cover so no mouse try to eat it are cat steps on it

 

[boroboro]

Thanks for the tip. I bought a $5 mailbox to put mine in, but still haven't mounted it...

 

[apple]

go digital no heat

Shoot I don't know what you're talking about, my lumatek 600's get hot as shit.

 

[Mr Celsius]

go digital no heat

My magnetics are just as hot as my digitals... maybe its just the brand.

 

[SoEx]

Is it necessary to keep ballasts cool? I was planning to place mine in my attic, but it gets ~80-90F in there in the summer.

No, not really (at least for magnetic ballasts). The ballast itself is a big transformer, and as long as you're within safe temperatures it couldn't care less how hot it is (obviously within reason).

Now, digitals on the other hand may be a bit more important to adequately cool.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

Have an electronic ballast but later this year am gonna get a magnetic core and coil ballast and go CMH. So this will come in handy!

Thanks Gurnt! :smile:

Namaste, mess