Hoods: Air-Cooled vs. Not

[Auburn1985]

Ever since I started growing, I've used air-cooled hoods (for HID lighting). My grow room is very small, and the hood venting is awkward, especially when raising and lowering the light fixture.

I was just wondering if air-cooled hoods are really superior to hoods that are not air-cooled. Is there a significant difference in grow room temperature between the two?

FYI, I use a 600-watt HPS in a 3.5 x 3.5 x 8 closet with a 636 CFM exhaust fan and plenty of passive intake. So although I generate a lot of heat, I exhaust the room really fast and thorough.

 

[pcduck]

I use air cooled to control the heat in my sealed tent.

 

[cubby]

I have 2 600 watt HPS in cool tubes..............they're not hooked up to anything because in my case, and yours too, venting the entire space (6x8x8) was easier and achieved the same thing.
I had the cool tubes in line between my carbon filter and fan.........what a pain in the backside. The flexible ducts are ALWAYS in the way. Now it's just carbon filter, fan, and exhaust.
I will be replacing the cool tubes with some other reflectors, probably with PL's.

 

[Auburn1985]

I have 2 600 watt HPS in cool tubes..............they're not hooked up to anything because in my case, and yours too, venting the entire space (6x8x8) was easier and achieved the same thing.
I had the cool tubes in line between my carbon filter and fan.........what a pain in the backside. The flexible ducts are ALWAYS in the way. Now it's just carbon filter, fan, and exhaust.
I will be replacing the cool tubes with some other reflectors, probably with PL's.

Thanks.

Just curious; what are PL's?

 

[NorCalHal]

Air cooled hoods are really just for controlling heat issues, allowing you to discharge the heat directly coming off your bulbs out of the room.

IF temps can be controlled by using ONLY venting, then you can get away with using non air cooled hoods. If you control the room temp by an A/C, then you will want to vent your hoods, allowing the A/C to not work as hard, as you are discharging the majority of heat being produced thru hood venting.

Myself, I use nothing but air-cooled hoods. My set up is pulling air from outside the room, thru the hoods, and back out the room, so no air gets exhausted from the room itself. I run A/C's and CO2, so I don't want the room to be vented at all.

Some cats will vent the room thru the lights, meaning Filter, ducting to hoods, then Fan exhausting out of the room. This will take care of venting the room AND directly discharging the hood heat, While scrubbing thru a carbon filter for no smell on the exhaust.

So many ways to go about it.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I use nothing but air cooled hoods myself. I can't imagine keeping the space (and the canopy) cool enough without. Have you considered raising and lowering the plants rather than raising and lowering your light?