quantum t5 bad boy question

I was curious if anyone has used a 16 bulb t5 unit or similar, and if so, have you had any issues with heat? I'm trying to think of ways to cool the ballasts down as my veg area is getting up to 85 degrees f. I'm open to ideas that anyone knows of that has worked. Just a little info on my grow space is i do have a 12000 btu window unit that cools down my flower room and it works fine but doesn't cool down my veg area, its split up by a temp wall but does have a 40" opening. I tried putting a floor standing fan to blow cool air into my veg area from the ac air coming from my flower side but only have minimal results. Thanks for any input

Cococola36 said:

I was curious if anyone has used a 16 bulb t5 unit or similar, and if so, have you had any issues with heat? I'm trying to think of ways to cool the ballasts down as my veg area is getting up to 85 degrees f. I'm open to ideas that anyone knows of that has worked. Just a little info on my grow space is i do have a 12000 btu window unit that cools down my flower room and it works fine but doesn't cool down my veg area, its split up by a temp wall but does have a 40" opening. I tried putting a floor standing fan to blow cool air into my veg area from the ac air coming from my flower side but only have minimal results. Thanks for any input

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I'm not familiar with that light exactly but I have a friend who was having a similar issue. His light allowed me to pull the balast right out extend the wires going to it and put it above the cieling. It took a little work but once I extended the wires going to the light sockets We built a box arround the ballast using some kind of FP material then just had a fan in and a fan out hole. Worked great. We now have 2 balasts in that box.

Also, I reckomend some sort of coreline/flex or wire guard if you are going to extend the wires with any wire type without a secondary insulation.


Hope this helps a little.

UnfusedGrowth said:

I'm not familiar with that light exactly but I have a friend who was having a similar issue. His light allowed me to pull the balast right out extend the wires going to it and put it above the cieling. It took a little work but once I extended the wires going to the light sockets We built a box arround the ballast using some kind of FP material then just had a fan in and a fan out hole. Worked great. We now have 2 balasts in that box.

Also, I reckomend some sort of coreline/flex or wire guard if you are going to extend the wires with any wire type without a secondary insulation.


Hope this helps a little.

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Thanks that sounds possible , definitely and idea that didn't cross my mind thank you

if you force warm air with a fan from the veg area to the flower area it will force cool air into the veg area through your opening.

UnfusedGrowth said:

I'm not familiar with that light exactly but I have a friend who was having a similar issue. His light allowed me to pull the balast right out extend the wires going to it and put it above the cieling. It took a little work but once I extended the wires going to the light sockets We built a box arround the ballast using some kind of FP material then just had a fan in and a fan out hole. Worked great. We now have 2 balasts in that box.

Also, I reckomend some sort of coreline/flex or wire guard if you are going to extend the wires with any wire type without a secondary insulation.


Hope this helps a little.

Click to expand...

I have been considering this as well myself... I have 2 x 8 bulb T5 BadBoys... I had also though of trying to build an air-cooled 'hood' / enclosure for the whole deal (i.e. plexiglass bottom and a shroud around the enclosure with a 6" in/out connection...

How long were you able to extend those leads? Any science behind your determination of how long you could get away with? I was going to contact Fulham (maker of their ballasts) and ask how long the leads could be without any trouble/issues/risk (i.e. fire hazard). I also wonder if there's any deterioration in their performance when doing so...

Otherwise I"m in the same camp where I could simply extend leads and place ballasts above ceiling in attic... with or without assisted cooling... This approach still leaves the heat radiated out from the bulbs themselves whereas a 'hood' would address both potentially.... but I wonder about the PAR/lumen loss from passing through any type of glass/plexiglass.... And what materials would be best are still things I haven't quite figured out...

NewGrower2011 said:

I have been considering this as well myself... I have 2 x 8 bulb T5 BadBoys... I had also though of trying to build an air-cooled 'hood' / enclosure for the whole deal (i.e. plexiglass bottom and a shroud around the enclosure with a 6" in/out connection...

How long were you able to extend those leads? Any science behind your determination of how long you could get away with? I was going to contact Fulham (maker of their ballasts) and ask how long the leads could be without any trouble/issues/risk (i.e. fire hazard). I also wonder if there's any deterioration in their performance when doing so...

Otherwise I"m in the same camp where I could simply extend leads and place ballasts above ceiling in attic... with or without assisted cooling... This approach still leaves the heat radiated out from the bulbs themselves whereas a 'hood' would address both potentially.... but I wonder about the PAR/lumen loss from passing through any type of glass/plexiglass.... And what materials would be best are still things I haven't quite figured out...

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As far as extending the wires goes if you've ever changed a balast in a regular fluro light in a comercial building ect.. The new balast comes with wires about 5 feet long. So it can handle that no problem. I never worried about it but since you asked I went over to my friends house to do some research and brough my trusty multimeter/ thermo gun. By extending the wires 17feet I still had no increase in heat/resistance. I checked current and it was also the same..

(Since there was not enough added wire to change the resistance ) 17feet is all wire my friend had at his place. So I know you are good to atleast that. If this does not answer your question give me a shout. I'll run back over and bring some wire with me and I'll try with longer pieces.

Just extend with 14 or 12 gauge wire. (14 is comon house wire) Also, use copper not Alum because the leads from balast are copper and everyone in the electrical world knows never to put copper and alum together.

Good luck

Just curious did you check the amp draw,on the Circuit?Got some Elec.experience.Looking to get 1 like his only have the T5HO 4bulb for veggin and want more...

SOMEBEECH said:

Just curious did you check the amp draw,on the Circuit?Got some Elec.experience.Looking to get 1 like his only have the T5HO 4bulb for veggin and want more...

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Yes.. I did a current (AMP) check. No changes. However I can switch over to mA rather that just Amp is you would like a more specific check. However, if it didn't read a difference on the Amp setting anything the mA setting finds will be so small that it will be entirely non relevant.

Cool?

UnfusedGrowth said:

Yes.. I did a current (AMP) check. No changes. However I can switch over to mA rather that just Amp is you would like a more specific check. However, if it didn't read a difference on the Amp setting anything the mA setting finds will be so small that it will be entirely non relevant.

Cool?

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Yeppers,what was it and lenght and gage of wire you guys make run out of?Sry for all this as im about tapped out on my secondary Panel.And have a damn zinsco box and breakers are very high,for it..

SOMEBEECH said:

Yeppers,what was it and lenght and gage of wire you guys make run out of?Sry for all this as im about tapped out on my secondary Panel.And have a damn zinsco box and breakers are very high,for it..

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Well the wire he used was the 5feet or so that came with the fixture I believe that is #18awg (american wire gauge). The rest we used some old #12awg wich is what he had lying arround. All his lights together push about 4 amps. He had a similar issue with his panel being full so what I did was the following. (I don't recomend doing it unless you have electrical experience)

1. Take off panel cover.
2. Remove cover from service section of panel accessing the line side of your panel. (Wires going to main breaker)
3. Losen off those lugs slightly on the main breaker holding the main wires. (CAUTION: These wires and lugs will be live)
4. Take your new wire and strip the ends put them into the area where the main is but don't tie them down yet.
5. Have about 3feet of wire coming out of your panel then install a juction box.
6. Add a 15 - 20 AMP inline fuse (to prevent overcurrent) then come back out of the junction box and finish running the wire to where ever you want it in your house.
7. Add a receptical box and plug to the end of the wire and secure it firmly to the wall or where ever.
8. Once the load side of this project is complete return to the service hatch of your panel.
9. Put the ground wire on the ground bar, put the white wire on the neutral bus. Then... Remember it's live, put the black wire on either one of the 120V phase lugs.
10. Tighten down all the lugs and close your panel back up.
11. Remember not to do this unless you have electrical training. IF YOU DON'T. GET A FRIEND TO HELP YOU WHO DOES.

I will work on visual aids encase needed.

No need to read Master electrician,Think i know what im doing lol.

Geez. What is with the questions then? Making me type all that shit out man. I'm kinda high and have several of each key. Make my life hard.

I was an electricien for years. I'm now a lineman for a small utility in northern ontario.

Big mistake ppl make when runnin lights and extending wire is not check AMP draw,When you have a 20ft run and not on a dedicated circuit,and small gauge wire asking for trouble not to mention cost by not going to a bigger gauge wire,Fire hazerd....

SOMEBEECH said:

Big mistake ppl make when runnin lights and extending wire is not check AMP draw,When you have a 20ft run and not on a dedicated circuit,and small gauge wire asking for trouble not to mention cost by not going to a bigger gauge wire,Fire hazerd....

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Oh, yeah.. Would not have gone with anything less then 14.

bigger wire =less amp draw on long runs.

SOMEBEECH said:

bigger wire =less amp draw on long runs.

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Actually.. Since you are here. Random question. My buddy was thinking of expanding to a way bigger setup and has been looking into ways to make it more cost effective long run.

I suggested maybe getting a phase inverter and getting his lighting under 3phase. That would cut longterm run prices way down right? We were going to eventually change out his service to a 400AMP to his garage then run 200 into the house from the garage. When we did that we were going to run a 50 AMP pony panel right into the basement wich is where his grow will be if he expands all the way.

What do you think about 3phase lighting? Or do you think the initial cost will outdo the end gain?

Firast of all i just ask for the AMP draw!!!Do you have access to 3 phase as down here there is very few res.That have 3 phase mostly commercial buldings.As cost versus reward i dunno,I do know it wont be cheap for a 3 phase panel.Id just do 240,220 or what ever you guys have in canada, 3 phase in imo is over kill unless your gonna baller like 10,000 watts.