250W MH light cooling question

Hi everyone, so today I got a new light. Its a 250w mercury halide, self ballasted. I got this because I cant afford a ballast right now and this was for a good price so I decided to buy it. Here it is: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130771394901 . I hooked it up to the mains using a spare plug, live wire to the bottom , neutral to the screw thread, and it switches on, but the glass becomes hot instantly and after about a second it is virtually impossible for me to hold it without burning my hand off.

Now I knew I would need cooling, but not this much. This is getting very warm, and well yeah. How would you guys recommend I cool this guy? Would a 12v cpu fan work, or will I need some super fans? I want to keep the cost as low as possible, so cheapest option is best for me.

Any help much appreciated.

is it in a reflector or just a stand alone bulb? cpu fan aint gonna do shit...those bulbs are going to run hot naturally.
you need like a 4 or 6 inch inline fan. the cheapest ones i could find were the "REBEL" fans at monstergardens.com

For now its a stand alone, but I am not using it, just tested it real quick. Got materials coming in soon to make my own reflector (mainly aluminium sheeting) . I seriously cant buy a $80 fan. Might aswell just buy the weed off the streets, only growing 3 plants. Is there any place you can get like 80cfm fans that are about $10 ish.?

MH and HPS bulbs normally run extremely hot (much too hot to handle when on) and take at least 20-30min to cool dwn after they shut off, be sure to clean your finger prints off the bulb the oil from your fingers will cook and bust the bulb. I run a 250w HPS (open reflector) becuz even as hot as it gets its much cooler than a 400w or higher, a cooling unit is not required but pointing a fan twd it will help prevent heat build up in your grow area and let you get the bulb that much closer to the plant tops, a cheap box fan (about the same price you paid for the bulb) will be fine



heres a cheap fan on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUEST-16-STAND-FAN-NEW-BOXED-/171055427475?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Hearing_Cooling_Air&hash=item27d3b2af93

Thanks^ I'll just pickup a small version of those from a electronic store close by, should be fine. I can put my hand about 8inches away from the bulb without feeling heat, so it shouldnt be too hard to keep my plants cool. I just dont want it to overheat and blow up or somethin.

Right so I switched my light on for about a minute, after that minute, it had gotten so hot, that it began heating up the air like 20 cm away from it, and also, when I touched it (im new to these lights) I managed to burn myself instantly, very hot. Is it normal for it to be like this? I have no cooling, but am getting some super high airflow fans soon so I will use 2 of those aimed directly at the light. Until then, is it safe to run it for like 4 hours without worrying about it exploding due to heat or something?

i tried to warn ya , they will run fine as long as needed as long as ya keep em clean (no water splash, no fingerprints, etc). i generally point my pedestal fan between the plant tops and the bulb, not to cool the bulb but to let the tops get a little closer, and a box fan blowing air out the door. now that you've burned yourself you'll know to watch your tops from getting too close .

Thanks for that mate, I just wanted reassurance that it wont damage itself due to the ridiculous amount of heat produced. I'v been wiping it off before use to get rid of fingerprints like you said, so all should be fine