Light Advice?

[Trippa]

Ah, okay then. Well any other advice on what I could screw that cfl bulb into that won't be so hot?

they usually are able to simply screw into a normal plastic light fitting.

I know that a few years ago I simply (not suggesting you do this unless you are a trained electrician *disclaimer*) wired up my own lighting socket fixtures and mounted them on some timber and homemade frame.

They were much larger lights then 42 watts, I had 2 105 watt (400 watt equivalent) CFL's one 6400k and one 2700k for a good overall spectrum.

You have to remember that the hottest part of a CFL is the ballast (or plastic bit) not the bulbs so as long as their is sufficient space around the ballast (and good airflow) nothing should get too hot at all.
You have to remember that these CFL's are only drawing the same power as a normal incandescent bulb so they don't need special treatment like an HPS or MH fixture may do

 

[xxzombiepepperxx]

Okay, so I went to Lowes today. Will something like this work with a CFL bulb screwed in? Btw, they only carry a 50w (150w equivalent Will that bulb do the job?

I wouldnt use those plastic ones bro you dont want to have a melt down!!! Use the same type but with ceramic ballasts...like these, i took the metal reflector off of them...

 

[Trippa]

trust me I have used 2 x 105 watt bulbs in plastic fittings (2 different leads fittings etc running off the same power jack with an RCD device) before and had them on for on average 16hrs a day x around 11 weeks inside a propagation cabinet and they don't get that hot with adequate ventilation.
Certainly not hot enough to even come close to a melt down!!

I am talking about the fittings not the shades/hoods themselves.

If you are happy to use a normal incandescent 100watt bulb in a plastic fitting why would you not be happy using a 42watt CFL in a plastic fitting??

EDIT: Not only that but the bulbs ballasts casing themselves are made of plastic if they were going to melt wouldn't this be a bigger concern??

 

[xxzombiepepperxx]

trust me I have used 2 x 105 watt bulbs in plastic fittings (2 different leads fittings etc running off the same power jack with an RCD device) before and had them on for on average 16hrs a day x around 11 weeks inside a propagation cabinet and they don't get that hot with adequate ventilation.
Certainly not hot enough to even come close to a melt down!!

I am talking about the fittings not the shades/hoods themselves.

If you are happy to use a normal incandescent 100watt bulb in a plastic fitting why would you not be happy using a 42watt CFL in a plastic fitting??

EDIT: Not only that but the bulbs ballasts casing themselves are made of plastic if they were going to melt wouldn't this be a bigger concern??

Its always important that safty is fiRST ....you don want your friends singen..."YOUR ROOF...YOUR ROOOF...YOUR ROOF IS ON FIRE...WE DON GIVE A SHIT LEE THE MUTHER FARKER BURN!!!!!!! Cuz he saved tw0 dollars!!!

 

[indoorsey]

For price/performance a 4 foot shop light ($10) with two T8 bulbs ($6) will give you a lot of flexibility and light output. Nothing wrong with CFLs either though.
A note on the heat mats: They can get too warm, especially when you add the heat from the bulbs and ballast. Monitor the temps with a cheap thermometer at first so you don't cook the seedlings.