COB light heat problems

[DutchDude]

Hey fellow growers - I got two pre-build cob panels from Amazon (I know, lazy)

For the last 4 months they have worked great. Putting out a ton of light, and while heating up the tent to the low 90's, I wrote this off to the very hot summer months. Now I just started the next grow with the cuttings of the previous grow - and when I checked the tent yesterday, it was at 111 degrees F !!! The only thing that I can figure that changed is that there are plants drying in the same closet.

Q1: Can increased humidity be affecting this?
Q2: Can the efficiency of this fan all of a sudden change (it still runs)

Q3: Can a COB panel all of a sudden get hotter? (anybody recognize these COBs?)
Q4: Would it help if I perhaps find a way to turn down the current?

Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DutchDude]

I decided to take one of them out of the 2'x4'x5' tent, for testing, and pictures. The recently potted cuttings should be alright for a while.

Does anybody recognize, or have a spec sheet for these cobs? Could the fact that all 6 cobs in this fixtures have an LED already burned out have anything to do with over-driving? Or perhaps just B-stock chips?

 

[DutchDude]

The inside of the case looks fairly organized. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the power supplies are adjustable though.

 

[DutchDude]

This is one of the drivers. This is labeled constant current. If I wanted to limit the output of the COBs by half, am I correct is saying that I could drive two COBs with one driver, when I wire them in parallel?

 

[Mars Hydro]

OMG, there is no heatsink?
I don't know their COBs specifications. We used to make that kind of light I believe in 2013, and failed because the COB is releasing too much heat, and easy to go out. That is why now we either uses the Cree COB or use our reflector cup design to replace the COB design.
If really too much heat, you might need to get stronger fan or AC.

 

[DutchDude]

Well - the heat sink is the plate they are mounted on. I am not so sure that a stronger fan will solve my heat problem in the tent, it will just spread the heat. The problem is that it used to be fine, and now it is getting hotter. Any ideas on that?

Also - am I correct in gaining more efficiency by running two of them in parallel on a single driver. This in theory should cut down on heat significantly, and instead of cutting the lumens by 50%, I have read that it might only cut it by 30% due to efficiency gains?

Any thoughts on that?

 

[TurboBucket]

This is one of the drivers. This is labeled constant current. If I wanted to limit the output of the COBs by half, am I correct is saying that I could drive two COBs with one driver, when I wire them in parallel?

The theory is correct yes. Your voltage would remain the same your current would be halved.

 

[Mars Hydro]

If the heat is recently increasing a lot, should be some problem with the chips, have you contacted their service? Since I don't know their chips detailed info, I cannot give you some sound answers, but the seller should have an idea on it.

 

[DutchDude]

I have put the chips in parallel to a single driver. The heat went down to 91F, but so did the light output. However, the chips did become more efficient. I lost about 35% of the total light output compared to before.

 

[Mars Hydro]

So it seems the other driver is having problem, hope plants won't suffer much.