I am using an HLG 260W QB V2 rspec. I am growing in a closet and my house is a rental so I can’t make any modifications such as running ducts through the walls or ceiling. So far my light is only half way up and the room gets up to the upper 70’s even with the door open. My driver is very hot to the touch. As hot weather is approaching where I live I am planning ahead in case I have to remote mount my driver. Really the only option I have is to set the driver on the floor right outside the closet. I have seen heat sinks on Amazon and was thinking of setting one on the floor under the driver and another one on top of the driver. This would hopefully give the driver some breathing space instead of sitting on carpet.
I am also confused about the posts I have read that state it is necessary to ground the driver when remote mounting. The power cord for the driver is plugged into a 3 prong grounded outlet. That should be all that is needed for ground. Thanks.
As far as ground goes, they are probably talking about giving your fixture a ground reference. But the driver should sense if wire touches frame and power down. It would just be important that if your light was ever not in when it was suppose to be that you unplugged it before touching. If driver goes into protect mode it will come on as soon as the condition clears.
I’m not sure what to tell you about driver. You could probably wall mount it with a screw or two? I’m assuming you’re allowed to hang pictures and stuff like that right? I’m curious as to what you are doing for exhaust?
There’s nothing wrong with doing that, but I don’t think it increases driver efficiency any. Meanwell data sheets don’t indicate any increase in output or efficiency based on case temps. They do suggest driver will run a little more efficient when loaded to heavier side of acceptable range and when higher input voltage is used.
Ventilation is a problem for me. I am running a 10" fan to circulate air in the closet. I have an 8" AC Infinity fan with filter for when the plant starts to stink. Really my only option for exhaust is to run the duct from the fan out the closet door.
I am allowed to hang things on the wall. Would there be any benefit to mounting it to the wall outside the closet instead of setting it on the floor on top of a heat sink? I do need to be able to hide any sign of growing on the rare occasion a maintenance or repair person needs to come into the home, although they shouldn’t have much reason to come into one of the bedrooms. It would be very easy to unplug my surge protector from the outlet right outside the closet door and shut the closet door if someone did need to come in that room.
I would just find some sort of wire mesh to set it on. I wouldnt set it right on the ground, as that will act as an insulator for the heat. In the closet…do you have a normal closet light at the top?
If you have a closet light mounted to the ceiling, you could take it down temporarily and there should be a pre cut hole for the junction box and wiring. Just unscrew the J box and set a duct fan over the hole to draw air into the attic. If you do go this route, I would get a wireless smart plug that way you can control the fan speed from your phone rather then going up in the attic to adjust the fan.
There’s no advantage to putting it on a heatsink other than the heatsink will get hot too. Problem I see with exhaust is that you are looking at strictly from a smell and heat standpoint. You need to introduce fresh air in order to replenish co2 for plants to process the light energy.
Great idea. Unfortunately there is a narrow 24" fluorescent light fixture in the ceiling. Also I am willing to bet this area of the attic would have feet of blown in insulation up there. If I were to exhaust through the ceiling it would be with the 8" duct from my AC Infinity fan. Even standard size light fixture holes aren’t 8" and this narrow light tube probably has a hole that is 3" at most.
I have a fan blowing air toward the closet door and there is a gap under the door for airflow. I am also opening the door probably 100 times a day to watch my baby. You know how first time growers are.
Welcome to the Forum @smokysmurf. This is one of the best places to get great help. I am a big on DIY. You might think about going to the local hardware store and get a cheep replacement door and cut hole in top to exhaust with filter and an additional opening on bottom for intake. It will help with air flow and temp/humidity. And if you have enough advanced notice just simply swap the door back to original.
Might take some ingenuity opening and closing door.
Driver temp won’t have anything to do with how efficient light is running if it’s not mounted to light. If it is, they would maybe share some heat.
Meanwell data sheet doesn’t support this as it applies to mounting to additional heatsink. It should run for suggested lifespan just the way it comes.
Remote mounting will, but that doesn’t justify mounting to additional heatsink. Which is more or less what I was commenting on. I have no issues with remote mounting driver, just don’t see the need to buy additional heatsink for it.
@smokysmurf, have you thought about your air flow issurs and remote mounting drivers to help with heat control.
Just to bring us back to original point you were trying to make.
I like the random offshoots that happen on these threads. Part of the reason i keep coming back alwasy somthing to read.
