I've read that higher amounts of cfls are hotter than an hps light, so would it be safe to assume the Rubbermaid box can handle it with proper venting and cooling?
idk much about the rubbermaid boxes although i almost did it.. i would imagine if you have an exhuast fan and a cooling fan you should be fine. mines in my closet with quite a bit of space compared to a box.. only two 26watters (100w equiv each) and i honestly dont feel much heat.. warm would be a better word.. i can hold the bulb in my hand right after a full cycle and i can take it for a good few seconds before i start to notice anything more than "warm" i reallly wish i remembered which air, hot vs cold, rises and the other falls, it would help me a lot with my explanation. as long as you create a decent space for your baby you should be fine. mines ghetto as hell and its b e a u tiful http://forum.grasscity.com/lighting/670263-two-only-two-26w-cfls.html
Heat rises to answer that. The rubbermaid's are going to be fine with a few CFL's in them. They warm up the room, but the bulb itself stays relatively cool. so IDK.. I'm actually thinking of starting one of these for my bedroom. It's simple and easy. I say go for it. It's perfect for 1-2 decent plants. perfect for personal stashes. Definitely have the fans. One circulating. one drawing air out. and one just open hole.
bah. thats askin a lot out of a rubber tub. Im sure it is possibel tho if you keep that light cool to the touch. if you can touch it. im sure the rubbermaid can.
CFLs would definitely be safer, but if you were to go HPS, a 250 is way overkill. A 150 watt HPS can get you a quarter pound per harvest, and you'll have a WAAYYYY easier time keeping it cool. If you want to run a 250, your looking at more like a small closet or something. Personally I would go with 4x42 watt CFLs. Theres a guy on ICMAG running that setup who pulled 6 ounces per box.
this is what i did. u can add another fan or bigger one if u want more plants. but mine is a 2 plant clone/veg chamber. works perfect. and im sure u can scrog these easy mode.
I've had no problems with heat at all. This is an older setup of mine but it only got up to about 82 with 306w of cfl's.
thats pretty sick. I just destroyed my chamber and built one into my box. that is a nice little rubbermaid set up tho for sure