ballast placement

[tusseltussel]

Hey y'all, I am setting up a new room and I have a magnetic ballast as you know it gets really hot. This wasn't a problem for me in my old room and the heat isn't a problem. My question it's where to hang it.... My intuit is to hang it from the ceiling on a 3/4 piece of wood that's screwed up against the drywall. It heats that up pretty hot though... I also thought well I could put a clip on fan next to it to blow the heat off so out doesn't build up against the wood and drywall... Then I thought well what if I hang it next to my filter and fan that ought to keep the heat from building up against the ceiling..... What do you do how is yours set up

 

[Hugo Phurst]

Don't put them next to anything electric/electronic.
Don't hang them any higher than you want them to fall.

 

[jondamon]

I drilled a hole through my grow room wall and passed any electrical cables I needed through it and then resealed the hole.

My digital ballast lives outside my grow room.


J

 

[RetiredMatthebrute]

my digital ballast in my grow room lives inside, it has a nice fanand heat sink in it and stays relativly cool. to the OP, i would just hang it outside the room somewhere and just make sure you have it sitting on something that wont catch on fire.

 

[tusseltussel]

Maybe I should have been clearer.... If you have a digital ballast I don't really want to here what you have to say. Not trying to be a dick but there ya go. I have a magnetic ballast heat is not a problem in my grow room and the only thing I ask is other magnetic ballast users, How do you mount yours is it hanging from a mounting board from the ceiling, is it sitting on a shelf. how far from a wall or ceiling is it . a safe way to mount or use a magnetic ballast is the question. that is all, I don't care if its in your room outside youre room whatever thats not the question

 

[Nizza]

ballast goes outside of the grow room if possible. otherwise i'd do it on the cieling, and also have my exhaust on the cieling, so that the heat collects in the top and convection helps the heat flow out of the tent (intake on bottom, cold air rising)

 

[tusseltussel]

I am sorry I asked. this is useless. I have lost all faith in humanity. ..... hot air rises not cold air.

 

[legallyflying]

Why don't you step into the 21st century and buy a digital ballast?

Mag ballasts are hot,noisy, inefficient, and degrade over time. I don't understand why anyone uses them anymore. They are not even that cheap?

 

[sine143]

many digi ballast create RF interference. which sucks, and turns off your internet.... and the internet of your neighbors.

 

[tusseltussel]

I don't want to hear about fucking digital ballasts, I thought I made that clear. Go contribute nothing to someone elses thread, I don't care to hear it.

 

[legallyflying]

I have 4 Seperate brands of digital ballasts. 13 600 waters and I have never experieneced any kind of RF noise. One of the digitals is actually a total piece of crap I got for $30. Still no RF noise.

 

[tusseltussel]

I attach jumper cables from an array of batteries right up to my ballast then to my testicles then I plug my assholes with the cord from my light and that is the smoothest light you can get.

I have 4 Seperate brands of digital ballasts. 13 600 waters and I have never experieneced any kind of RF noise. One of the digitals is actually a total piece of crap I got for $30. Still no RF noise.

Go the fuck home!

 

[legallyflying]

I don't understand? I am home?

Are you sure your smoking weed? What strain is it, angry fuck diesel?

 

[tusseltussel]

you come on here talking about digital ballasts in a boarderline sarcastic/insulting way telling me to join the 21st century when I specifically said I do not what to talk about digital ballasts then you proceed to hijack the thread to argue with someone about digital ballasts

I don't understand? I am home?

Are you sure your smoking weed? What strain is it, angry fuck diesel?

I would rather smoke angry fuck than burnout blinded by fucknutery. you came here and contributed nothing but thanks for the bump I guess, you sure didn't add anything.

 

[legallyflying]

Your the one who can get a handle on the super complicated procedure of installing your ballasts

Thanks though for making the trolling so rewarding!!

 

[tusseltussel]

was just looking for opinions on how other magnetic ballast users deal with theirs. just looking for a better way if you want to fault me for that than fek off i'll be on ter

Your the one who can get a handle on the super complicated procedure of installing your ballasts

Thanks though for making the trolling so rewarding!!

 

[legallyflying]

well, the ignition temperature of uncoated wood is around 500 degrees. It can start to char before that, say 250.. but it should not just start fire. Drywall ignites at about the same temperature...at least the paper does, not the gypsum portion. A mag ballast will get slightly above 200 degrees, but not a whole lot.

So in essence, you don't have to worry about the heat from the ballast damaging your building or starting a fire. Even having an inch or two between the ballast and ceiling is enough to attenuate heat loads effectively. If you have the option, I would hang them as cose to your exhaust as possible, that way you can more effectively evacuate the heat that they produce when the fans turn on.

 

[tusseltussel]

see now was that so hard. my ballast has lived in a concrete cinder block building for many years so it was never an issue I never had to deal with before and I was just trying to sort it out thank you for your information on the subject. The way I have had it the past week was hanging from a 3/4 laminated board mounted to a drywall ceiling with insulation above it. I took it down and have it on a shelf now just because of all the heat that seemed to build up on the wood mounting plate but now I have a little perspective and I thank you again.

well, the ignition temperature of uncoated wood is around 500 degrees. It can start to char before that, say 250.. but it should not just start fire. Drywall ignites at about the same temperature...at least the paper does, not the gypsum portion. A mag ballast will get slightly above 200 degrees, but not a whole lot.

So in essence, you don't have to worry about the heat from the ballast damaging your building or starting a fire. Even having an inch or two between the ballast and ceiling is enough to attenuate heat loads effectively. If you have the option, I would hang them as cose to your exhaust as possible, that way you can more effectively evacuate the heat that they produce when the fans turn on.

 

[legallyflying]

No problem. You could also replace them with digital ballasts. Don't know if you thought of that or not . Lol

 

[tusseltussel]

yea eventually I will but I am working on a budget at the moment and need the mag to get me through for little while longer. hey since my original question has been answered do you have any info on a good digital balast to get I wold be in the market for a seperate 400 and 600, my local shop carries lumatek with a 5 year waranty, or greenhouse for a little less not sure on the warenty though

No problem. You could also replace them with digital ballasts. Don't know if you thought of that or not . Lol