Heat Issue Solved

So, my WhiteRose lights are individual strips. Each with their own ballast on top. Can buy them individually (WRG150), in a set of 3 (WRG450), or set of 6 (WRG150X6). Over the course of a couple years, and now with two 5x5 tents, I have 10 light strips total. 5 strips in each tent. Pic of light strip below with ballast removed.

Like most grow lights, they get hot. Heat is the byproduct. And mine are no exception. The light strips themselves get pretty warm, but the ballasts get down right hot. With all 5 lights on (1 tent), and if left unchecked, tent temps would climb past 100°F easy.

I currently use my 6in filtered intake and exhaust fans connected to an Inkbird temp controller to regulate that heat. Works great. But feel my exhaust cycle and run times are pretty high. Trying to keep energy costs down. Not to mention the ol’lady was not liking the rats nest of wires I had going. Wasn’t the most pleasant thing to look at I’ll admit. So, did something about all that…

Tadaa!!!
Used a 3 wire extension cord and extended the wires from lights to ballasts getting them outside tent. Made basically a control panel and now everything is easy to access, easy to read/adjust, and cut my exhaust cycle times and run times dramatically. Now instead of my fans cycling every 3-4 minutes and running for 4-5 minutes per cycle, it’s now cycling every 10 minutes and running for about 2 minutes. Few pics below.

I know not all lights are able to do this. Think a lot of the modern day quantum board lights and most blurples are integrated.
But if heat is an issue inside your tent, and your lights are capable, this could be a solution to your problem. Now it’s tidy both inside/outside tent and things are cool as can be.

Just thought I’d share. Let me know what you think. Good or bad…

Below: Manufacturer stats on my lights for those who are curious. Each of my tents have one WRG450 and two WRG150.

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DAMN… :cowboy_hat_face:

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You do wear safety-LED-Blocker glasses, if lights are on.
Cool x too

No. I just make sure not to look up at them. It’s like looking at the sun…lol

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I’m glad there was a diy solution to this, but 2 things jumped out at me. The first, not sure how i feel about having high heat devices mounted to anything combustible. The other, you should want your exhaust running the entire time lights are on. This is how most replenish the co2 plants are using. It’s not critical while lights are out, but neither is your leaf surface temp really. When i was a newb i think the thumb eyeball target was to have a full air exchanged every 1-2 minutes, the fan not cycling for 10 minutes is well short of that.

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One Minute recommended
This is the perfect MINIMUM setting for “OFF” and place controller device on AUTO.
High temperature limit setting can be higher than Minimum, providing increased temperature protection.
CYCLE setting would allow fan operation to cycle between MAX/Min settings (possible fine trim of temperature range). Well worth the insurance of/for temperature protection.

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One exchange per minute is what you’ll hear most people say out of convenience, but a little short of that is typically plenty good to keep co2 levels up.

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Nice and clean.
I put pieces of wood stove gasket rope between the driver and peg board. The rope gave me space for air.

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