CFL bulbs and 60 watt socket question

[Lady Cannafan]

Hi everyone, I'm setting up my grow room and I'm into the lighting stage. I have purchased some light fixtures that I want to add multiple bulbs to. Here's a picture of the set up with y splitters to accommodate two bulbs in each socket:

My question is this:
The bulbs are 40w CFL, the sockets on the fixture are rated for 60w. If I put 2 CFL bulbs in the socket that's a total of 80watts. Am I going to run into an overheating problem or will those CFL bulbs not get hot enough to cause an issue?
Thanks so much if you can help with this.

 

[Hosebomber]

The heat from the CFL ballast will be an issue, but the bigger issue is the heat that will come from the wires. It is highly likely that you will pull more current through those wires than they are rated to carry. That becomes a fire risk.

 

[trichomes]

I agree with Hose, better to have 80watt or more sockets, I might have trouble sleeping while I dream about hot wires, hot sockets & hot bulbs. Fire extinguisher, very close by recommended if you use the 60watt sockets.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Thank you so much! Makes perfect sense on the wire and the ballast. I'm new to CFL bulbs, so wasn't sure about the heat issue.
I will see about getting some higher wattage sockets. I have some 23 watt (100 watt)CFL's, 1600 lumens. Maybe I can sub those for the veggie stages?

 

[trichomes]

The heat that could create a fire would not be from the bulbs, the heat would be from the overloaded sockets & wire that could melt & short out. CFL bulbs like yours don't get very hot, you can have the plants as close as a 1/2 inch w/out burning them.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Thanks trichomes!
So just to be sure I understand, if I use two 23 watt bulbs in each 60 watt socket on the fixture (as in the picture) a total of 8 bulbs, is that going to overload them or is that going to be okay. I have seen so many light set ups that use this double and even 4 socket adapters on fixtures, I want to be absolutely sure not to get hot wiring or sockets.
Never in my life would I have thought I would be talking about wattage and wiring issues.

 

[trichomes]

your fine with the 23watt bulbs as long as the math says you are under maximum wattage

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Math I can do! Nice to have answers when a problem comes up...my cat doesn't have much in the verbal skills area.

 

[SofaKing]

I had this same problem but not with CFL lighting but on my motorcycle. I took my single headlight off and switched it for a dual headlight. I didnt notice that the bulbs required for that headlight was the same wattage as my single headlight. Since it essentially doubled my wattage, i couldn't keep my battery charged and i melted wires from an overload. You run the same risk when ever you double your wattage from a light socket. If that socket is rated for 60w total then you need to fine 30 watt lights OR you could if you dont want to buy different lights since lights are more expensive then the equipment you could just do what I did with my new lighting fixture i made. Very simple and very cheap. Just buy one of those multi plug power strip (if you have one thats even better) and buy some plug in light sockets. Put it all together and there you have it. This fixture also works as ample power supple too. Just my 2 cents.

~Sofaking

 

[SofaKing]

Oh P.S. if you cant find and dual plugin light sockets then you can buy the single and still use your dual socket ones, they would just screw in like normal.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Thanks Sofaking! That was actually my original plan. Then I got visions of those lights eventually falling out of the power strip and right onto my plants. It just seemed to be a bit insecure with using two adapters, one for the double duty bulbs and one to plug into the power strip. I may still go with that, I bought the adapters already. I want to find a secure way to keep them in there so they don't accidentally work their way out as the light gets moved around or adjusting for height etc.
Happy growing!

 

[BillZ]

I picked up some old style bakelite sockets 660W/250V rated 4 bulb per sockets from a lamp supplier in Chicago for $2.65 each. That's 660 watts total or 4 150W CFL's per if you wanted to use them...lots of heat with that much too! I use 23W bulbs in the sockets so each fixture provides 6400 lumen. The other good thing about these type of sockets is the sockets are horizontal not vertical so more light is put on the plants than hanging them down vertically using Y adapters. Put 4 sockets per strip on two pieces of 1" x 4" x 4' pine board. Used 14" galvanized flashing painted with heat resistant flat white paint. Including bulbs both fixtures cost me $40.00 to wire up. It gives me 51,200 lumens or 736 watts total. They do produce some heat but a $12.00 12" fan from Home Depot on the floor and a 4" 120 CFM exhaust fan ($25 on ebay) in the upper corner of the room keeps the temps down reasonably. For intake I simply cut 1/4" off the closet door bottom. I spent more on the soil I'm using than the lights, fans, and timer....

 

[Lady Cannafan]

BillZ:
I actually replied to this once before (a couple days ago), but it does not show up. Cyberspace has taken it hostage.
I found some sockets exactly like you described, a wired set of 4 of them and got them for only a couple of dollars at the Habitat for Humanity store. Now I will just get some wiring to match and I can rig up a light board. Woot woot! Thanks for the idea there dude!
Happy growing

 

[guyfranklin]

Thanks for the reminder - saw this and went out and built one immediately.
Home Depot had all items:
12,800 Lumen 5000K Light Bar; 800W Equivilent Output.
Draws 23w*8bulbs = 184W Draw


Brown Lamp Cord Set 8'. 1 @ $6.97

Heavy Duty Timer w/2 outlets. 1 @ $9.97

660W Split Lamp Holder Y Adapter. 4 @ $2.48

4-Lamp Chrome Bathroom Vanity Bar. 400W max. 1 @ $15.98

23W Daylight Spiral CFC (100W Equiv) 5000K 1600 lumens 4-pk. 2 @ $10.97

For One minimal setup of light bar plugging into timer plugging into wall:
1 LampCord 6.97
1 HD Timer 9.97
4 Lamp Splitter 9.92
Light Bar 15.98
4 CFC Bulbs 21.94
Total 64.78=