# Air Cooled Hood vs Cool Tube vs Bigassed Air Cooled Hood



## kiksroks (Feb 5, 2012)

Which gets more light to the canopy? 

I just ordered a carbon filter cause its getting stinky over here a little too regularly any more. I decided to get a combo because I needed to upgrade my fan anyways. Now I'm looking for a 6" air cooled hood to replace the 4 inch converted hood I've been using.

I see three options here: either I get a standard approx 24x20 or so AC hood (hxxp://www.htgsupply.com/Product-AIROFLOW-Reflector.asp), or the larger 36"x36" AC hood (hxxp://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Big-Daddy-Reflector.asp), or a 6" cool tube/reflector (hxxp://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Straight-6-Reflector.asp). 

What I want to know is which of these will most effectively cover a 6'x4' area with a single 1kw bulb inside. . . Size and heat dissipation are really of no concern as I have plenty of room, and my current 4" fan/hood set up is effectively cooling the light/area just fine. I guess the standard hood is covering fine as well.

 I guess the question I'm struggling is: 

Is it worth the cost to upgrade to the "Big Daddy" style hood? 

Any other suggestions?


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## PuffinNugs (Feb 5, 2012)

i dont like cooltubes anymore. i get much better light spread with aircooled reflectors instead. they come in multiple sizes from small to extra large. i have a nice small one in the tent to replace a cooltube and extra large ones in the main flowering room

best reflectors ever...got 2 for price of one

hxxp://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=7685 ---decription only not recomending the site or price


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 5, 2012)

I would get the largest reflector I could for the best coverage.

I only like cooltubes for smaller wattage bulbs in smaller spaces.


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 5, 2012)

I would agree with Goddess on this one. I personally have had both the cooltubes and a few different hoods and I prefer the tubes as the hoods tend to give a light footprint from reflecting the light down rather than out. With the smaller hoods, the plants on the perimeter suffer a lack of lumens. However, the new giant sealed hoods have a larger footprint because they are so big. I just got one put in the grow-lab and it is the bomb. worth the money and better than the cooltubes at controlling the light.


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## kiksroks (Feb 5, 2012)

Decision made. Bigassed AC hood it is . . . Thanks


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## kiksroks (Feb 5, 2012)

PuffinNugs said:
			
		

> i dont like cooltubes anymore. i get much better light spread with aircooled reflectors instead. they come in multiple sizes from small to extra large. i have a nice small one in the tent to replace a cooltube and extra large ones in the main flowering room
> 
> best reflectors ever...got 2 for price of one
> 
> hxxp://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=7685 ---decription only not recomending the site or price



I am currently using the Radiant series hood but it doesn't have the flanges built in like that. I bought a kit to cap off one of the vents and put 4" duct flanges on the other 2. It's been working but its time to move up to a bigger fan. . .


It's actually this hxxp://www.hydroasis.com/hy/productdetail.aspx?id=2250&product=radiant-reflector# with flanges over the grates. . .


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## PuffinNugs (Feb 5, 2012)

kiksroks said:
			
		

> I am currently using the Radiant series hood but it doesn't have the flanges built in like that. I bought a kit to cap off one of the vents and put 4" duct flanges on the other 2. It's been working but its time to move up to a bigger fan. . .
> 
> 
> It's actually this hxxp://www.hydroasis.com/hy/productdetail.aspx?id=2250&product=radiant-reflector# with flanges over the grates. . .


 
yeah thats like half the size of the new big ones i got. they look pretty decent for smaller watt bulbs (since no flanges)

does that have the hinged glass or the sliding glass?

i also have 1 of these (link below), its what i run in my 2x4 tent with a 600watt. unlike my "good" ones this one has the sliding glass. the cord goes through the flange instead of out the top like the other also.

hxxp://www.amazon.com/HydroFarm-DA6AC-Daystar-Flange-Reflector/dp/B000C21DOI


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## kiksroks (Feb 6, 2012)

It does have the sliding glass. I inherited it and bought the flange kit and glass for it after the fact when I decided air exchange was necessary to get the results I was after. It has kept my room below 74f even with the little 4" fan and 20+ ft run of 4" flex ducting. Prior to that it got to just below 90f

I'm looking at the 3'x3' AC reflectors, gonna have to order one here in the next day or so to make sure it's here for the change out this weekend. I'm looking forward to the increased air turnover and my yard not stinkin! lol


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## PuffinNugs (Feb 6, 2012)

only thing i dont like about the sliding glass is its not completely sealed, theres like 1-2mm where the glass dont meet the sides where it slides out. if i dont have mine perfect it whistles. also been a couple times where i turned up the airflow on the fan and the glass smashed upwards, turned it down smashed back down on the bottom. nothing thatll break it but gave me a startle lol/ still works great in the tent, i dont use CO/2 or anything

the hinged glass ones actually have rubber gaskets and screws holding it really airtight, much better


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## mountain man (Feb 7, 2012)

Bare vertical bulbs produce the most of ALL available light.


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## Time4Plan-B (Feb 8, 2012)

Cooltubes also come with nice sized clip on reflectors that cover an area same as conventional dutch barn type reflecors i was wondering how long it would take the manufacturers to realise noramal cooltubes are crap and a decent sized clip on reflector aint rocket science.
T4


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## Time4Plan-B (Feb 8, 2012)

mountain man said:
			
		

> Bare vertical bulbs produce the most of ALL available light.[/quote
> Yes i agree but you also have to rotate your plant as it only gets light to one side so its swings and roundabouts really.
> Lol
> T4


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## kiksroks (Feb 9, 2012)

I ended up getting the Sunleaves Predator Series King Cobra with 6" flanges. The glass measures 39"x30". Got it for 165+a couple grams from a friend of a friend who works at a distributor. . .

So that with a new bulb and a 6" inline fan/carbon filter will be going in this weekend. Should be fun!


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## black805 (Feb 9, 2012)

What about a vertical bulb in a air cooled hood?


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## Time4Plan-B (Feb 9, 2012)

Cos vert bulbs dont need aircooling when in a reflector.
Lol
P.S. Kisrocks thats one nice big reflector man.
T4


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## Roddy (Feb 9, 2012)

kiksroks said:
			
		

> I ended up getting the Sunleaves Predator Series King Cobra with 6" flanges. The glass measures 39"x30". Got it for 165+a couple grams from a friend of a friend who works at a distributor. . .
> 
> So that with a new bulb and a 6" inline fan/carbon filter will be going in this weekend. Should be fun!



What I was told here was that the bigger the hood, the less penetration and more coverage, smaller hood means bigger penetration. I use the radiant sun hoods and also have cooltubes in my grow (3 cooltubes and 2 hoods).

Not sure how true that is, just what I was told here.


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## PuffinNugs (Feb 9, 2012)

Roddy said:
			
		

> What I was told here was that the bigger the hood, the less penetration and more coverage, smaller hood means bigger penetration. I use the radiant sun hoods and also have cooltubes in my grow (3 cooltubes and 2 hoods).
> 
> Not sure how true that is, just what I was told here.


 That's true but using proper bulbs / wattages you should be getting enough penetration anyways. IMO not much of a penetration differce between the 2 so i go for more spread


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## black805 (Feb 9, 2012)

Time4Plan-B said:
			
		

> Cos vert bulbs dont need aircooling when in a reflector.
> Lol
> P.S. Kisrocks thats one nice big reflector man.
> T4


Oh sorry. I didnt realize vert bulbs in hoods do not produce heat.


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## kiksroks (Feb 9, 2012)

Roddy said:
			
		

> What I was told here was that the bigger the hood, the less penetration and more coverage, smaller hood means bigger penetration. I use the radiant sun hoods and also have cooltubes in my grow (3 cooltubes and 2 hoods).
> 
> Not sure how true that is, just what I was told here.




Well where were you last week when I originally posted this?

LoL

I do not grow giant plants like you do. My largest hit about 3 feet in height so penetration shouldn't be a problem with 1000w. I do, however, grow in a 6' by 4' area so the spreading is what I'm going for.


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## kiksroks (Feb 9, 2012)

black805 said:
			
		

> Oh sorry. I didnt realize vert bulbs in hoods do not produce heat.




No worries, we all start somewhere. . .


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## kiksroks (Feb 9, 2012)

Time4Plan-B said:
			
		

> thats one nice big reflector man.
> T4



You should see it in person. I'm not sure if its even gonna fit in there as it 42 and 3/4 inches flange to flange and the flanges should be parallel to the 4ft walls so that only leaves me 6" and I have 2 6" ducts to hook to it. . .


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## black805 (Feb 9, 2012)

kiksroks said:
			
		

> No worries, we all start somewhere. . .


so with these hoods we could run multiple hoods in a sealed co2  room and no ac? now thats bad ***.


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## kiksroks (Feb 9, 2012)

black805 said:
			
		

> so with these hoods we could run multiple hoods in a sealed co2  room and no ac? now thats bad ***.



I read our comment as sarcastic so I replied the same, hence the  .


 I would tend to think that the orientation of the bulb would not reduce the heat in any significant way. . .


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## oregonduck76 (Feb 9, 2012)

they have hood with air cooled tubes. perfect


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## black805 (Feb 10, 2012)

kiksroks said:
			
		

> I read our comment as sarcastic so I replied the same, hence the  .
> 
> 
> I would tend to think that the orientation of the bulb would not reduce the heat in any significant way. . .



no worries,its all good

i almost bought 2 of these to try: a cool tube in a hood


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## OGKushman (Feb 10, 2012)

^The thicker the glass, the more its distorted. If light passes through a medium (glass) its refracted and the spectrum changes. If it passes through a round lens (cooltube) it is bent open and the intensity changes.

Of you can cool it, parabolic with vertical bulb like these are the best, when used in warehouse grows I have seen over 1.5 grams per watt. Zero light goes up. 

Good luck!

google.com/m/products/catalog?q=parabolic+reflector&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=8673590272075512452&sa=X&ei=I9Q0T4WZHcakiQKolZXTCg&ved=0CEcQ8wIwAw


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## Time4Plan-B (Feb 10, 2012)

Hey OG you have the best parabolic aka the growstar unbelieveable intencity of light with no shaded parts below.
T4


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## mountain man (Feb 10, 2012)

But, why use a hood?   Better give it a try sometime with no glass, hood, tube, bat-wing, reflector or UFO. Because it WORKS !!


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## kiksroks (Feb 10, 2012)

black805 said:
			
		

> no worries,its all good
> 
> i almost bought 2 of these to try: a cool tube in a hood



That looks pointless. Just more glass. . .

I wish I had a light meter so I could get some data on this change. . .


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## OGKushman (Feb 10, 2012)

You mean like one of these do dads kiksrocks? And Mountian man, I have tried it all!
Really, all of it! :rofl: ( :shiftyface: )

Just wish I had my own warehouse


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## kiksroks (Feb 10, 2012)

OGKushman said:
			
		

> You mean like one of these do dads kiksrocks? And Mountian man, I have tried it all!
> Really, all of it! :rofl: ( :shiftyface: )
> 
> Just wish I had my own warehouse




You have all the cool toys!

I have a large steel building on my property in cencal I'd let ya use. . .for a small fee.


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