Would a layer of water between MH and plant help heat issues?

[frou frou]

Not sure if it would help, but would a few inches of water between the metal halide lamp and the plants help reduce heat significantly? While not reducing light intensity by much?

Would it help if the water was kept cool?

Any advice would help.

[amsterdamage]

How would you keep the water up there?

you'd have to keep the water topped up coz it'd evaporate.
As it evaporates it absorbs heat.

I don't really think it's possible but what exactly did you have in mind?

[frou frou]

Oh I was thinking maybe just put an aquarium with water in it between the lamp and plant.

Is water a good absorber of IR and bad absorber of visible light?

[WolverineGrower]

just buying a fan = less hassle. but draw up what you are thinking of doing, i wanna see how the hell this would look.

[frou frou]

It's just an idea, if a fan isn't enough. It seems like it may not be enough in the hot summer.

[indoor organic]

only flaw i see in this is water evaporating and condensing on the hot light causing it to break but if you had your water in a pan with a humidity dome on top of the water but below the light then it might work out, just my 2 cents

[frou frou]

Originally Posted by indoor organic

only flaw i see in this is water evaporating and condensing on the hot light causing it to break but if you had your water in a pan with a humidity dome on top of the water but below the light then it might work out, just my 2 cents

Would it condense on the bulb? Doesn't the hot bulb prevent condensation on it?

I guess what I really want to know is if scientifically this is a sound idea.

If I lose 50% of the light because of the water, then probably not very useful, might as well just raise the light.

If most of the infra-red rays go right through and reach the plant, then probably not useful too.

I guess I'm trying to duplicate low-E glass, where IR is mostly reflected and visible is mostly not reflected. Don't know where to get cheap low-E glass.

[ratatata]

Originally Posted by frou frou

Would it condense on the bulb? Doesn't the hot bulb prevent condensation on it?

Heat can prevent condensation to the degree of maximum humidity. I don't know the correct term in english but basically it's the maximum amount of H2O vapor a given volume of air can hold.

Think of a water boiler. If you hold it under the bulb while boiling it will most definitely leave some water on the bulb. Since the bulb is hot and there is no boiling water beneath it in your example, that condensed water would sit on the bulb only for seconds.

Still I don't see a point in using water between lamp and plants. Not only it filters the light, it can also act as magnifying glass and fuck up a lot.

[Hashmouf]

That idea is stupid. Not to be a dick but ignorance is ugly.

[frou frou]

Originally Posted by Hashmouf

That idea is stupid. Not to be a dick but ignorance is ugly.

... I thought the point was to educate the ignorant. Pointing it out but not giving the reason is kind of pointless, I'm still ignorant, and I guess, ugly too.

[Hashmouf]

Originally Posted by frou frou

... I thought the point was to educate the ignorant. Pointing it out but not giving the reason is kind of pointless, I'm still ignorant, and I guess, ugly too.

It is common sense water evaporates and increases humidity, humidity raises heat levels and not just that but placing a large amount of water above the plants will decrease light intensity and is also a major electrical risk. Just think shit through before you post. I am not dissin' you just educating you.

[frou frou]

Originally Posted by Hashmouf

It is common sense water evaporates and increases humidity, humidity raises heat levels and not just that but placing a large amount of water above the plants will decrease light intensity and is also a major electrical risk. Just think shit through before you post. I am not dissin' you just educating you.

My current humidity is 10-20% (winter), I'm not sure raising it is going to hurt. Unless it gets to 80-100%. I have a hygrometer to make sure.

So how does humidity raise heat levels? Better heat conduction in air? Decrease in evaporation rate??? Water evaporating will decrease temperatures.

I was basically asking how much decrease in light intensity, do you know? Can you give a value? I don't have a PAR meter to test this.

Why would it be a major electrical risk? People keep aquariums with tons of electric powered items. I've kept a huge reef aquarium with tons of electrical appliances (heater, chiller, pumps, MH, powerheads). A GFCI goes a long long way in saving your life.

[Hashmouf]

Originally Posted by frou frou

My current humidity is 10-20% (winter), I'm not sure raising it is going to hurt. Unless it gets to 80-100%. I have a hygrometer to make sure.

So how does humidity raise heat levels? Better heat conduction in air? Decrease in evaporation rate??? Water evaporating will decrease temperatures.

I was basically asking how much decrease in light intensity, do you know? Can you give a value? I don't have a PAR meter to test this.

Why would it be a major electrical risk? People keep aquariums with tons of electric powered items. I've kept a huge reef aquarium with tons of electrics. A GFCI goes a long long way in saving your life.

Hey you know what fuck it.... go for it bro, but dont say I didn't warn you.

[frou frou]

Originally Posted by Hashmouf

Hey you know what fuck it.... go for it bro, but dont say I didn't warn you.

You could help me by actually stating something reliable, or answering my questions properly.

Like
A. Anecdotal evidence: I did something similar, bad things happened because ...
B. Scientific evidence: It won't work because of XYZ principle.

Instead, you either brush me off, or make wild claims without backing it up with any basic premise.

[Hashmouf]

Originally Posted by frou frou

You could help me by actually stating something reliable, or answering my questions properly.

Like
A. Anecdotal evidence: I did something similar, bad things happened because ...
B. Scientific evidence: It won't work because of XYZ principle.

Instead, you either brush me off, or make wild claims without backing it up with any basic premise.

Just let it go bro you are not the first to come up with a unpractical idea for controlling heat levels in a indoor garden.

Just save your self some time and money and invest in proper equipment.

heres a helpful link. http://www.compactappliance.com/xq/J.../PLM14000E.htm