Hi, this is my first grow, ive been reading for a while and heres my plan, but I have quite a few questions....

Im growing in a wardrobe measuring 95cm (38") x 52cm (21") x 175cm (70").

Its quite small so its just going to be one grow space at first, don't want it to get too complicated!

The wardrobe is in a small room that gets quite warm, espically in the summer because the hot water boiler is in the same place. I don't want to go overkill in there so I was thinking maybe a 250w hps light.

Would a 400w be too much considering the ventaltion I will be having and that the room is fairly warm?

The idea of an air-cooled hood sounds good to, a few questions though...

Which ones do you reccomend?

If there is glass protecing the bulb, and the air is being sucked out of there to the carbon filter, how do I make sure that the rest of the room is ventaled as well?

Where can I find out the dimensions of them? My space isnt very deep so I have to be carefull. Also - how much space do I need from the wall to the reflector?

For convience I would also like the ballast to have a timer built in, do I also need a contractor? Do they come built into ballasts as well?

A slight problem with electricty points - theres only one in the room, and im guessing I need 4 or 5. How can I safely use an extension lead without causing an explosion while im out?

Ventalition: I think I need a small inline fan (100mm?) for the space I have. Bearing in mind this is going to be attached to an air cooled hood and then to a carbon filter, through a hole and hopefully into the loft. Will this be suffient? Im a bit confused as to which order they should all be plugged into though!

At the bottom of the wardrobe im going to have an airintake, whats the best way to incorparate a cheap fan with the baffle to stop light leeking?

I can't think of any more questions but I think thats enough for now!

Any help will be great, thank you!

Hi there
Im just a noob too mate, but I can help with some of your questions - im sure one of the more knowlegdeable peeps will be along soon to help you out more:

You asked about air cooled hoods:

Well, in these, the air isnt sucked from within the protective lamp cover. The set up is that you draw the rooms extraction out past the bulb in close proximity, as opposed to simply out from a part of your closet/room far away from the bulb. The airflow rushing past the bulb is what provides the cooling effect. So although air cooled hoods may be a little more expensive, once installed you will be killing too birds with one stone - extraction and cooling your bulb. (Mind you, cooling isnt necessarily needed - probably only necessarily for the real heavy duty lights 1000W jobbies etc).

Dimensions:

I too, have had a bit of trouble finding out dimensions of equipment (particularly reflectors). Some online stores offer data sheets, or give info next to the product, to let you know the sizes. For items in the UK420 shop, I just made a query post in the suitable forum here (feedback, I think) and some people who had used the shop posted to help me out

Ventilation:

You probably know already, but from your post it reads as though you intend on having the carbon filter downstream from your fan. You should have it the other way about - filter upstream - so that you are sucking air through the filter, not blowing into it.

As for intakes, it isnt necessary to have an active (ie fan driven) intake. You can have passive intakes - that is, simply a gap (with light baffle) in a wall. the action of the extraction fan evacuating air will naturally draw air in through this gap, so you dont need a 2nd fan in this case. There are rules of thumb which control how big a passive intake should be compared to your fan extraction - search the forums and you should find it easy enuff (I dont have a link or I would send ya right there, sorry!).

I hope this is of at least some help to you

As I say, I am just new too, so welcome aboard!

Im sure you will love it here. All the people are very friendly/knowledgeable and helpful - so anything you need to know either just search the threads (as everything has probably bgeen discussed at least once ) or ask a Q.

This site has been of more help to me than a book I read on the subject, and my growroom plan has come along way since I started reading here - I hope to get kicked off i nthe coming weeks/months, whenver I can gather the £££ together!!!

Cheers
Panzer

hi there and welcome! i would seriously consider using flouros in a small space, they dont give off much heat and do produce very high quality plant, fair enough they take a little longer but its well worth it. you will need seperate bulbs for veging and flowering. ihave been using a 250watt sodium and that produces enough heat on its own. i have switched to using flouros in my veg room and i am well pleased nice stocky plants. and in the flowering room the ones under the flouros are doing just as well as the others under the sodium good luck