Opinions wanted... Plastic cab+150watt hps vs 252watt cfl

[Yggdrasil]

first things first temporary flowering set up is in a found plastic cabinet, this thing: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-4-Shelf-Storage-Cabinet/8206253 Only using the bottom half of it for flowering purposes, don't have the fans to run both levels (plus gear storage is always nice) what are your opinions on running a little hps in this thing? did a 6 (or so) hour test run and didn't run any higher than 85 degrees @ 6" from the light (granted with a black topped thermometer)... Going to mess around with the fans a little when lights come on.

Btw i feel it worth mentioning that this was a cheapo security light, and i have yet to remote ballast it, do you think it would make a 5+ degree difference if i moved the ballast out of the cabinet?

regards
Ygg

 

[Yggdrasil]

I guess i'm just a little sketched out with such a hot light inside a "durable resin" (lol) cabinet, sounds a little too much like melty badness to me...
Ygg

 

[311devon]

If I were going to mount a hps in a cab like that i would make sure no part of the bulb/fixture/balast was direct contact with the cab. Hang the fixture/bulb some how with something that does not transmit heat. Remote mount the balast for sure. Potential for Melty Badness indeed. And a long chat with the local LEO's.

 

[A is 4 PiMp]

Lol I was just thinking about growing in one of those the other day when I was walking through walmart!

Personally I would be just a little too nervous using an hps inside a plastic cab like that, i'd use cfl's but then again thats just me

 

[WasntMe]

First I would be wondering if I would be having an off gassing issue with the cabinet's material. Depends on the plastic used.

 

[hazydreams]

see my sig for a 400w MH soon to be 400w HPS in a plastic cab. HID in a plastic box? it can be done but extra precautions need to be taken. i used heat shielding/sheet metal to armor the sides of the cab from HEAT and to a lesser extent ultraviolet rays that the light throws. plastics don't like UV and will degrade in short order. off gassing will always be a worry but you will know from the first crop if its happening. just look at the any of the off gassing threads. the signs are tell tale.

To pull off an 150w hps your going to need at least a good fan. plan to spend 30-50 bucks on a good fan! not some crap duct booster, and honestly im not sold on computer fans either unless they are the high end models. Dayton makes good axial fans and you pay decent money for them. i have a 239cfm 6inch model that is on a speed controller cooling my 13x13x30 250w HPS veg chamber. it howls like a mother f***** at full blast that's why i turned it down, but it will move enough air for my 250w at 75% power, something a little less extreme like the 105cfm 4" should take care of your 150 with room to spare for a carbon filter.

you probably wont need a cooltube if you do what i suggest above, but if the money for the fan isn't there ill suggest it because it makes cooling the entire thing easier. search for Pontiac's DIY link o rama. make button clicking love to it. and build one. this is where computer fans can help you to duct the 150w and possibly save you some coin on a larger fan if you can scrounge the stuff together.

remote mounting the ballast will make a difference in overall temp. 5 degrees is possible. .

good luck my man. you can make it work either way!

 

[Sgt.Stedenko]

You really need to check out HazyDreams plastic cab. He put a 400w HPS in for flower and I think a 250 for veg.
The plastic cab will glow with that much light inside. Think of it as a night light for your closet.
Hazy lined the inside of his cab with sheet metal but you could use Refletix to keep the glow down.
Personally, I think a 150w HPS will run cooler than 250w of cfl. Put her in a cool tube and your golden.
If it were me, I'd get a melamine coated particle board cab. It's heavier, but you dont have to fuck with painting or lining.

Hazy and I must have been typing the same time. He types fast. lol

 

[Yggdrasil]

well i guess for science sake i'll do an experiment, from this morning it's been going a good 8 hrs, temps haven't climed above 85, even with my soddering iron it was a royal bitch to punch through these things, might try relining it with Panda film instead of mylar here soon to get those degrees down a few points. I HAVE noticed definite growth burst since putting it in mid day yesterday, IDK thinking with a few more fans on/around the light (IE BC's Cab) i should be able to redirect the heat towards the exhaust a little more efficiently. Also if need be i can dedicate the S&P to it exclusively (currently venting this and a smaller one for veg), still have a few things to tinker with... Keep ya guys posted

Ygg

On off gassing, i've been using these for vegging in for almost three months, not a problem so far, Primary reason i used these was the relative inconspicuousness of them, have a cabinet (the beta cab i posted the design for a while ago) sitting unused at a buddys house, but can't really use it at the moment due to relative conspicuousness of it... some day

 

[Yggdrasil]

might have to bite the bullet and get another fan, thinking a 200+ cfm dayton speed controlled gives quite a bit of leg room for control of environment. Any comment as to how loud they are compared to a S&P td100? that things almost as quiet as my computer if not for the rush of air, had servers louder, do you think speed controlled 200 would be on par?

Right now to combat the glowing i've caulked all the seams, put black poly up then a layer of mylar, pretty much works apart from the doors. Doors on these things are a pain to seal, i suppose if you were willing to compromise stealth you could run some black duct tape outside of it, apart from that i don't see how it could be done, maybe if i go nuts with more foam weatherstripping i can work it out. So a little light leekage on the sides, but other than that none 'tall.

Sarge, my thoughts exactly on the 150 vs CFL, been searching for weeks really isn't a good comparison so i reckon i'll give it a whirl.

I have also considered just throwing togeather another cab, still tossing it around in my head, gonna tinker before i take that plunge...

Thanks for the responses guys!

Ygg

 

[Yggdrasil]

update, got a bigger fan, temps MUCH more stable, things coming along nicely! Next run i'm going to try just CFL for comparison.