DIY MH Ballast Enclosure - Is this safe?

Ramble On Rose · #1 04/16/2005, 11:02 AM

I have two DIY MH ballasts that I am trying to build an enclosure for. I have a bunch of old computers laying around so I gutted one of them and I'm thinkning of putting the two ballasts in there. Are these too close together? I was going to use the power supply area to make all my electrical connections and leave the existing cooling fan in there (but just run it off of a power adapter, not the computer 12V curcuit). I figured the large computer case would be a good heat sync and I can add another cooling fan near the ballasts to get rid of the heat there if I need to. Does this look like a good idea or am I asking for trouble having them so close together? It works out nice because the screw holes for the mother board are the exact distance apart as the mounting brackets that come with the ballast. Obviously I still have to put the other parts in there too, but I wanted to get some opinions before I put more time into this... Thanks.

orlenz · #2 04/16/2005, 11:08 AM

there fine like that, you have the capacitors too don't you?

just remember that the side the ballasts are mounted do will get hot, are you going to have it stanging up like a pc when your done? if so it looks good

Ramble On Rose · #3 04/16/2005, 11:13 AM

Yeah I have the capacitors and the ignitors (they are 250W HQI ballasts). I think I am just going to plan on using two cooling fans, and if I have to keep it on its side, thats not a problem. I'll post some more pictures as I get further along.

Ramble On Rose · #4 04/16/2005, 11:28 AM

Here is what I was thinking for the placement of everything.

orlenz · #5 04/16/2005, 11:51 AM

Looks good
Smart way to save a bunch of $$$$$

oopsy · #6 04/16/2005, 12:56 PM

are both of the fans blowing out and will you have some kind of intake on the other side of the ballasts?

Ramble On Rose · #7 04/16/2005, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oopsy
are both of the fans blowing out and will you have some kind of intake on the other side of the ballasts?

I was going to have both fans blowing out, but now I am thinking because this will be in the same room as the tank, which will probably have higher then normal humidity even with an exhaust fan, is it such a good idea to have humid air getting blown or sucked over the transmorers? The way I was planning on having it there is one hole in the back and one in the front right by the ballasts that would let air in and the fans would blow out.

Fishguru · #8 04/16/2005, 01:11 PM

i'd personally just have both fans blowing in, since there are other holes to allow air out. this will cool the ballasts better than just removing heat. Great idea btw on the computer case.

Ramble On Rose · #9 04/16/2005, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fishguru
i'd personally just have both fans blowing in, since there are other holes to allow air out. this will cool the ballasts better than just removing heat. Great idea btw on the computer case.

thanks do you think that the humidity will be a factor if I am blowing air into the case?

thanks. I was looking for anything to put these things in and couldn't find anything. Thankfully I have a dozen of these old computers laying around that I kept mainly for the cooling fans...

oopsy · #10 04/16/2005, 01:32 PM

keep then close to the floor and there shouldent be that much problem. the best way for that is fans at one end the ballasts in the middle and intake at the other end. I can draw up somthing to help you if you want.

oopsy · #11 04/16/2005, 01:35 PM

blowing in does not do as good as out just ask a car stero shop why there amp that have fans blow out and not in.

Fishguru · #12 04/16/2005, 02:02 PM

most amps also do not have vents to allow air into the amp, hence the air would not have anywhere to release to. He on the other hand has a place for the hot air to vent to. I would put the fans low blowing in, and the other holes that are already there high to allow the heat out easily.

oopsy · #13 04/16/2005, 02:52 PM

all amps that have fans in them have the vent to, i dont remember what they said word for word but what it came down to was blowing air in ends up pushing the hot air around more then anything. Anothe one that I can give is the computer case, I have a Thermaltake that has 7 fans in it, From the factory it comes with 4 blowing in and 3 out, I took the 2 front ones and turend them around and it runs 9 degrees cooler. You can run it any way that you want, you dont have to take my word on it but look at all the Complete Hood Systems that you can just go out and buy, all of them that i seen blow out so that must mean somthing

orlenz · #14 04/16/2005, 07:23 PM

This has been hashed over and over for years on several boards, there have been many people who have taken the time to try reversing fans and around 90 percent of the time people have reported that blowing cool air into the enclosure and leaving a vent for the hot air to escape is more efficient, perhaps not in computers, oh wait in computers they do have a fan blowing right on the heat sink on the CPU, ever wonder why they don't turn them around and suck the heat off the CPU ?
because it doesnt work, we have the same thing here, were not trying to cool the enclosure but the ballasts themselves, you want cool fresh air blowing on them, trust me.

gcrowptc · #15 04/16/2005, 08:54 PM

The co. I work for all the electronic products we build have the fans blowing air over the devices to cool them and on my hood my fan blows air over the surface of my mh and water and cools extremely well, my mh ballast is an fcan and remote so no cooling needed for it