I've been debating recently whether to flower with a 400w HPS or a series of CFL bulbs. Right now, I am leaning more towards the HPS. One of the only problems I am facing is the heat issue that comes with HPS bulbs. I will have 3 120mm fans that will serve as the exhaust fans. Will these fans be enough to keep my cab relatively cool? Or will I need to buy/create a duct cooling system (something that I would like to avoid if possible). The dimensions of my grow cab are: 3' Width x 4' High x 2' Deep Any help is appreciated. Thanks
Well, HPS will definately be better for flowering because tons more lumens. CFLs can only compare if you have a whole bunch of them. The 120mm fans are good, but they probably won't keep the cab cool with a 400W bulb, although it depends on how well they're keeping it cool now. One suggestion would be to buy an AC reflector, like the Daystar AC reflector. It has built-in flanges which make it easy to connect a duct system if you want. Or you can just connect a fan directly to the flange. I have the 6" flange version, and I have a cheap, $20 inline duct fan (250-300CFM) attached directly to the flange itself. No ducting required.
You should go with the HPS light. But, you have to deal with a bit of heat. If you can ventilate, then you should be OK. If you can't ventilate, you should try a Fluorescent light like this: http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=331&navid=40 I used to use those, and they worked pretty well. I then stepped up to the 400w Air-cooled, and I got better results (about 30% larger)
Where did you buy your AC reflector with the 6" Inline. I found one on ebay HERE but it's a bit expensive and wondering if you had any other suggestions. Thanks
Sorry for the double post but... Disregard what I just said. I think I just found the perfect setup though. I'm almost positive I am getting THIS now Looks like the perfect setup for my price range Any thoughts?