# liquid cooled HID lights



## LaserKittensGoPewPew (Jul 30, 2007)

I came across this awhile back when I was looking into the possibility of using a water cooling system to cool down an HID light. Similar to how the water cooling systems work for a computer. I found this...

It comes in a 400w and a 600w version. Atleast that's all I've seen so far. But it's pretty sweet if you ask me. 

And I'm sure people will bring up mixing electricity with water is bad news... Well... As long as this has been designed well enough with attention to details in safety, I'm sure it's perfectly safe. I have a water cooling system for my computer and it works perfectly fine with no leaks of any sort. So I would love to give one of these a try.

They are a bit expensive. I didn't look too much into who else might sell these. The website I found was a euro site. They have the 400w systems priced between 325-465 euros and the 600w systems are between 390-490 euros... So just convert that with a currency converter and you have your price in US dollars.


There is another company that is designing another type of water cooled system. It's supposed fit any hood with an 8" flange. They incase the bulb within a glass tube which is then incased in another glass tube. The ends are sealed up and all and the water gets pumped in between the two tubes. They're even designing a water cooled digital ballast.


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## MJ20 (Jul 30, 2007)

Very interesting..I can see a cheap DIY knockoff being much less than I think it is How does it go about cooling it?


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## Mutt (Jul 30, 2007)

I dont' see a cheap knock off way to do that. and do it safely. Refridgeration unit, fans, pumps, the bulb is 100% safely away from contact of the water. No way would I do that one DIY. Probably spend more time and $$$ than it would take to build one.


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## MJ20 (Jul 30, 2007)

How is the bulb cooled Pew Pew?I dont know how efficient a DIY would be compared to this unit but it can be made.You'd make it just like you would for a PC, just it's not in a PC:


1 Pump (Similar to what you would use in a dro setup)

Some tubes

1 PC radiator (with fans ofcourse) 

1 Resevoir

And you're done 

I don't know how the light would be actually cooled though..hence my Q to Pew Pew.


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## LaserKittensGoPewPew (Jul 30, 2007)

Agreed with Mutt... I would leave this one to professional design and stay away from DIY set ups... Don't risk an electrical fire and thousands in damage, let alone possibly losing your house.

how it works.

Water cooled lighting works the same way as other high power hydroponic lighting, with the exception that the replacable lamp is encased within two tubes. Water flows between the tubes and there is an air gap between the lamp and the inner tube designed for maximum thermal transfer. This allows the light to run with the casing being cold to the touch, and ideal for close proximity to plants. This allows plants to grow much closer to the light, allowing plants to collect more light without burning. In addition, this arrangement allows some grace, should there be a problem with water pumping. 

The cold water is taken from a reservior (not shown, not included). Our demonstration system uses a green, plastic water barrel for a reservior. These are available from any good garden centre. Any source of cold water is suitable, although a clean source of water will reduce maintainance. A large reservior is prefered because this is suitable for disappating more heat. Suitably large reserviors can be shared by multiple water cooled lights, although it may be preferable to isolate water supplies, to prevent the potential spread of algae and reduce potential problems due to lack of coolant. (We have heard of people using hydroponic nutrient reserviors for cooling, although this practice is not recommended at all.) 

Overall, utilising water cooled lighting is quite easy and is not restricted to experts. Finally, please note that water cooled lighting is only available for 400W and 600W High Pressure Sodium [HPS] lamps and Metal Halide [MH] lamps.


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## DLtoker (Jul 30, 2007)

The bulb isn't exactly cooled... The water encases the bulb to act as an absorber of the heat.  The water that is heated by the light is then returned to the cooled res.  So, instead of the heat being allowed to flow freely to the surrounding air and plants, it is contained and captured by the water, which is then cooled...  Pretty simply jet genius.


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## MJ20 (Jul 30, 2007)

^^Let's make one! lol I want to try a DIY so badly


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## LaserKittensGoPewPew (Jul 30, 2007)

I don't see this as being a DIY project at all. Better to play it safe and buy something that's been professionally engineered and tested.


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## Mutt (Jul 30, 2007)

caribbean_smoker_20 said:
			
		

> ^^Let's make one! lol I want to try a DIY so badly



The hard part is going to be the glass and seals for the bulb itself...one leak and zap!!!! Even glass fabricators are going to charge you an arm and leg to have them made because you sure aren't gonna find them as stock. Custom tempered glass. With threading and certain tolerances for the seals. your lookin at a couple hundred just for the glass part. They will have to make the glass mold custom and thats where it just got very expensive. If the inner core is too big it will break the outer too small and it leaks. This is something you set up with a glass manufacturer to produce large quantities. just my 2:cents


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## MJ20 (Jul 30, 2007)

Mutt said:
			
		

> They will have to make the glass mold custom and thats where it just got very expensive


And that's where it stops being a DIY project.lol.I knew the glass would've been the tricky part


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