CFL suppose to be hot

[Ichigo1234551]

i have 2 26w CFL for 2 of my just sprouted plants. I dont know if the lights are suppose to be hot but i can feel the heat with my hand. Like i have to remove it after a few seconds. I bought a CFL yesterday and it broke after 3 hours so today i bought 2 new one. Is something wrong with my set up?
I have a box covored with aluminum foil that i place the plants in and i put the light 1/2 inch from the plants

 

[Alpine farmer]

dont use foil

and yes all lights will get hot.

cfls do get hot.
just make sure you kee the light as close to the plant without it burning it.

so if u put your hand above ur plant and it burns you it will burn ur seeding

id say keep you light 2-5 inches away from your seedlings

 

[pacman123]

First, seedlings don't need a TON of light, move the light back to two or three inches and wait until the plant gets a little bigger (a week or two) before giving it intense light.

That said, you bet CFL's are hot. It's a common misconception that they are not. The put out plenty of heat. No where near the amount an incandescent of the same wattage does, but it's enough that you must deal with it. Get a digital thermometer and measure the temp near the seedling. Always know how much heat is getting to your plant. Get a small fan, maybe one that oscillates. Air movement will not only allow the heat to RAPIDLY dissipate of the CFL's, but it will also help stimulate the production of more sturdy stems and let's face it, we are going to want stury stems to hold up the weight of the massive buds we will be growing!

read up on lighting. you are in a good spot right now, the plants are young and don't need much. Research as much as you can about lighting and decide what'll work best for you.

 

[Ichigo1234551]

Hi, should i put my new plants under 24 hours of light?

 

[SzechwanChicken]

proper air flow would help too. something like a computer fan pulling that hotair from the bulbs, or try using a small desk fan to blow across the lights if they get that hot they burn out.

 

[Ichigo1234551]

hi, i have a computer fan and a charger. Can someone give me a link how of to build a fan with the items?

 

[NoDrama]

Strip insulation off both charger wires and off both fan wires, connect them to each other. Tape with electrical tape so no metal wires can touch anything. enjoy fan!

 

[greenleaftoker]

I have 3 27watt CFL's, and they barelly emit heat.. I mean you can feel the warmth on your hand if you hold it close. But otherwise nothing really, nothing so bad i'd have to remove the light.

 

[Ichigo1234551]

Strip insulation off both charger wires and off both fan wires, connect them to each other. Tape with electrical tape so no metal wires can touch anything. enjoy fan!

i did what you aid, not working lol. Do i need some special kind of charger?
also please tell me if i should put my new sprout un der 24 hours of light?

 

[Ichigo1234551]

so 24 hours of light after the seed sprouted?

 

[Brenton]

i didnt read everything that was posted but u can easily stretch a seedling so it is best to keep it close. and yes cfl are warm when u place ur hand the bulb itself but not hot when about a few centimeters away from plant.

 

[Ichigo1234551]

Can someone tell me if i should put my new sprouts under 24 hours of light or not?

 

[greenleaftoker]

Yes, you're not losing anything. Though they don't need 24 hours of light.

 

[SzechwanChicken]

hey, check what voltage your fan takes (eg:6v) then on your adapter you should see it display something that says input__ output__. if its something like a cellphone charger, they usually output to around 6v. if your fan isnt moving try to get something that matches its requirements. i have a large computer fan running on an adapter with 12v output and my fan works great.