Help on how to cool down new grow light

Germama

Well-Known Member
I just set up my new virtual sun tent and 400 watt ipower air cooled light and it is runnin a little too hot. I have no air conditioning in room the tent is in so I need the tent to be as cool as possible. The light is my first of this type and I am not sure how to cool it down. If you can see in one of the pics there are two 6" sleeves on each side of light in suntent if your familiar with those you know what I'm talkin about. If they are hooked over the ends of the light for air to run through it doesn't cool the light down enough for me to grow in the summer I am not sure how to hook up an exhaust fan to end of light with the sleeves because it will not be pulling from within the tent am I supposed to close one side off of the tent and exhaust out other side? Would that help any more than just a fan on end of light blowing through? Any suggestions welcome thanks.
 

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saiyaneye

Well-Known Member
And if you want to keep the light in that position make sure you adjust your plants height accordingly to the light. Milk Crates?

Attatching the fan you can use self tapping screws or some flex ducting between the fan and cooltube with some hose clamps. $2 each at lowes/menards
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
Ok but when I hook it up do I want the air pulling just thought the light itself or one end open so it pulls air out from inside the tent also?
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
And if I leave one end open inside tent I will be able to lower and raise the light also.
 

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
I don't really understand, but check this out:

I'm not sure if you have a fan connected to the cooltube? Just because you have one end of the cooltube connected to the tent that won't do shit. You need to connect a fan. Do something like this : outside of the tent---> FAN ----> connected to ducting ---> connected to the cooltube. This way the fan will be sucking all that hot air from the bulb and pulling it outside of the tent.

Type cooltube in google to get an idea of what I'm talking about. You can leave one end of the cooltube open so that it will be also acting as an exhaust, pulling the air from the tent as well.

If you want to move the light that's simple, just get more ducting. Measure the height the light would be at its lowest and just cut accordingly.

I had similar problems not long ago, because I was installing my first ever cooltube.

I'll draw you some pictures.
 
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Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
Yeah I know, I'm a master at painting.

This is the version were you leave one end open. If you have a good fan then it acts also as an exhaust, recurculating the air in the tent.

This is a passive intake by the way, so you need that sleeve open on the right side of the tent. I would open more if you can, I don't know how many sleeves you tent has got.
 

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Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
Your second option. This is a better one because the whole system is enclosed, but it requires more work, more money spent (because you will need a second fan to bring air into the tent)
 

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Germama

Well-Known Member
So there would be one exhaust fan on end and on other side an intake fan hooked to ducting one blowing thru one suckling out that would not be taking out any of the air from inside the tent tho right?
 

saiyaneye

Well-Known Member
I would go Outside---->Fan--->Cooltube----->Outside

Think of the stress the heat from the lights does to the fan motor
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
I had a bathroom exhaust fan hooked up blowing pretty good thru one end of light but wasn't enough needs to cool down another 5-8 degrees at least
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
Just don't want to put a lot of money in this and still be too hot. I wish I would have went with the enclosed air collet light for another 30$ but don't no how much cooler that one is.
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
I understand how to hook it up and I have great straps that came with light to lower and raise so main prob is how to get cooler air inside the tent or remove enough heat from light to not have to worry. When the temp go up this summer in florida and I'm at work I don't want to worry about the heat.
 

HydroRed

Well-Known Member
Here is a quick drawing to help you set your tent up correctly. Keep in mind, the tent can only stay as cool as the air you pull into it.
Untitled.png
 

saiyaneye

Well-Known Member
eBay search

CAP Valuline 6" 435 CFM Hydroponic Centrifugal Inline Fan Air Blower | VLF-6

You would not have a heat issue especially if you vent the lights outside the room
 

Gregor Eisenhorn

Well-Known Member
Listen man I had the same problems. I spent cash on the cooltube and ducting but I was using my little 60cfm fan and that did shit. I had to get an oscilating fan to keep the temps at 30C!

I then spent a shitload of money on a 240CFM fan and that brought the temps to 30C, so I had to get a little comtuer fan blowing under the light and over the canopy and the temps dropped to 24C.

saiyaneye is right, you need a stronger fan.
 

Germama

Well-Known Member
Ok so the exhaust fan should pull all the heat from that the lights making and I have a box fan on the side blowing air in through the side on bottom of tent around 74 deg and tent is staying around 85 with light on 75% want it under 80
 
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