how do vent a box properly?

samsosa

Active Member
I have a box with 180 watts of cfl's and temps stay around 82-85. That's with the doors open. The room it's in stays around 72-75. I'd like that room temp in my box. I've tryed different setups with fans but nothing works well enough to close the doors. What can I do?
 
what do you mean different set up with fans, like simply puttin a fan in the box, or cutting a hole in the box and using a computer fan or actual ventalition fans?
 
Cut a hole in the box big enough for a little 4-6 inch fan to fit in. Place it with the front of the fan going out of the hole so that its expelling hot air from the box. Some people have extra computer parts laying around and just wire up a computer fan... but you could also go to Home Depot and get one.
 
Right, I had a computer fan on the top right side with a 4" circle cut out. I've also had a 4" desk fan in the top corner blowing at the lights. I've tryed a 20" window fan sitting in front of the box blowing at them, blowing away from them, and tilted up blowing at the lights.
 
you should be able to get a box with only 180 watts closer to the room temp with good ventilation. how big is your exhaust fan? how big is the box?
 
make sure your shit is sealed nicely. my temps soared before i did my best to create a vacuum with my boxes. granted, i cut like 5 uneccesary holes i had to patch up, but my temps are half decent.

make a seal around the fan and the box, so that they are flush, that way the only way for the air to go, is out through the fan.
 
So maybe cause mine is not sealed up, and I cut a bunch of 1" holes around the top and in the back. I will try tapeing some vycor over the holes, now I gotta get a 4" fan again. I might have trouble sealing the doors. You think weather strips, something like that would work? Thanks for the help!
 
yeah no problem. a hole on the opposite side of the exhaust fan can be a great intake hole. treat it like a science experiment, where you adjust one variable at a time. make note of the temperature, try patching a hole, give it 10 minutes, and see if the temperature has changed. keep doing this until you find the right combination that works
 
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