Setting Up Air Cooled Grow Lights

Setting Up Air Cooled Grow Lights

Maximum Cool: Blow Four in a Row

by Casey Jones Fraser

www.GardenGroveOrganics.com

When applying this professional ventilation method to your air cooled reflectors, your indoor garden can become cool enough to run more lights

When setting up a ventilation system for air cooled grow lights, some growers make a common mistake. They send one stream of air straight through a series of reflectors. The problem with this setup is that only the first light receives cool air.

As the air passes through each reflector, it drastically increases in temperature. The final reflector is receiving hot air, which is inefficient for cooling the lamp when setting up air cooled grow lights.

The cure for this problem is central cooling. Modern buildings use central cooling. These systems have two vents in each room: one vent that blows (the send), and another vent that sucks (the return). If your house has properly installed central air, you will find two vents in every room.

Central heating and air conditioning systems use one large blower (inline fan) to push air into each room. Air is then forced into each return vent via pressure created from the same blower. This is much more efficient than blowing air into one room, then the next, then the next, etc. Instead, each room gets air straight from the heater or air conditioner.

When applying this professional ventilation method to your air cooled reflectors, your indoor garden can become cool enough to run more lights. Don’t forget to seal all seams and connections with aluminum HVAC tape or silicone duct sealant. This extra step will keep the hot air inside the ducts and prevent smelly air from blowing outside.

For this system to work smoothly, use reflectors with 6 inch cooling connected to 8 inch, 10 inch, or 12 inch ventilation. For my setup I used premium 10 inch insulated flex duct, and 10 inch tees with 6 inch reducers facing downward. The reflectors are connected to the reducers with 6 inch flex duct. The 6 inch flex duct hangs down from the reducers, and the reflectors can be raised or lowered with little effect on the ventilation.

Another benefit of insulated ducting is no condensation. Cool winter air will chill your flex duct. If that cold flex duct is in a warm, humid grow room, it will begin to drip with condensation. The steady drips can ruin equipment and create an environment for mold and mildew if water lands leaves and flowers. Insulation may cost a bit more, but damaged crops or ruined equipment is much more costly.

With four 1,000 watt HID lights over a 4ft x 17ft garden, this system works great. In fact, I have to use a thermostat on the fan to slow it down. The room was getting too cool. Now that’s an efficient blow job!