Reflectors: Adjust-A-Wing vs. Vented Reflectors?

[Grooven420]

Hello Folks,
I am in the midst of improving/updating some of my equipment.
One area I am very interested in getting some feedback is on Reflectors. I am considering 2 options as follows...

Room Conditions: 26'(L)x8'(W)x9'(H), Portable A/C, CAN Filter, ability to Exhaust and Provide Fresh Air Intake through Slider Window.
Currently have 3 600W Luma's and plan to add 2 1000W Luma's in between the 3 600's.

Exhaust: If Exhaust is truly needed I plan to add a Y connector on
the exhaust hose of the Portable A/C. Probably would be good to
have a Backflow damper on the room exhaust also. I am not sure
what the best way to tie in Light exhaust with a CAN filter or if they
are best to keep separate?

Right now heat is not a big issue but that will change as it gets further into the summer and I add 2 1000W lights to the room.

1) Adjust-A-Wing w/Heat Spreader:
PROS: Advantage seems to be able to focus light based on how
big of an area you need to cover. From marketing info they
appear to indicate they have 97% reflective glass coating and
claim to be able to avoid 'Hot Spots' especially with the Heat
Spreader they also make. Claim that it allows light to be
extremely close to plants especially with Heat Spreader...?

CONS: No true way to exhaust heat. Using in a room w/
1000W bulbs would still seem to create a heat problem...but
w/Portable A/C, 9ft ceiling, and having capability to still
provide general room exhaust may not be a big deal?

2) Reflectors w/Exhaust Holes & Glass:
PROS: Can exhaust heat from lights out of room directly.
Many vendors offer IR Block/Insulators that go directly
over reflectors. With glass can place extremely close to
plants.

CONS: Can not adjust 'light spread' as with Adjust a wing.
Not sure if 'Heat spreader' could be used inside of Glass Lens
to avoid 'Hot Spots'. But it is probably not a concern with
the glass lens anyway, correct?

Questions:
1) Has anyone tried the Adjust-A-Wing reflector w/ the Heat
Spreader? How well did it work?
2) If I was to go with the Vented reflectors what is the best way to
tie that exhaust in with a CAN Filter? Or is it best to have these
on separate Exhaust Fans? I could add a Y connector to the
exhaust hose on the Portable A/C but it would be great to not
have to have 3 different exhausts if possible.

Any suggestions or insights from experience?

L8R,
Grooven420

 

[TorturedSoul]

Re: Reflectors: Adjust-A-Wing vs. Vented Reflectors???

2) If I was to go with the Vented reflectors what is the best way to
tie that exhaust in with a CAN Filter? Or is it best to have these
on separate Exhaust Fans?

If all your lights were air-cooled ones, you could pull in air that is only used for cooling your lights and then exhaust same. Since the air-cooled lights are sealed, this air would be hot but not a bit stinky.

 

[Grooven420]

Hey TSoul,
Thanks for the reply...would you mind elaborating a bit on your suggestion?

I think what you are saying is if you have air-cooled lights you can also use that as your air intake.

What I am not understanding is then is how this would tie into the
CAN Filter and how you would get fresh air in or is the idea you
don't need to exhaust the stinky air as long as you have CO2 and let
it cycle directly through the CAN Filter?

Then of course the CO2 should be monitor'd if the room is sealed.

Thanks,
Grooven420

 

[TorturedSoul]

I think what you are saying is if you have air-cooled lights you can also use that as your air intake.

If you have air-cooled lights you can keep their air completely separate from that of the GR-at-large.

What I am not understanding is then is how this would tie into the
CAN Filter

It wouldn't; the air that is used to cool the lights doesn't stink if you draw it from outside the GR. That would be the whole point of doing so - keeps (the majority of) the hot air separate from (ALL of) the stinky air.

and how you would get fresh air in or is the idea you
don't need to exhaust the stinky air as long as you have CO2 and let
it cycle directly through the CAN Filter?

Then of course the CO2 should be monitor'd if the room is sealed.

You might still need to vent the GR itself. But you would have far less heat to remove. Your volume of "stinky air that needed cleaned" would be less.

You might not need to vent other than refreshing the CO2 (etc.) levels.

If you were adding CO2 then your allowable temperature range would go up, making the need to vent even less. And your CO2 would not be drawn out of your GR constantly.

I have seen people do this and still need to vent (somewhat). So they ran their GR venting fans on timers for n minutes per hour. That allowed them to supplement CO2 and keep it in the GR the majority of the time.