ati sunpower - bulbs hot

jeremy K · 09/20/2010, 12:32 PM

I got my ATI sunpower about 2-3 weeks ago, and it runs great. But yesterday I noticed that the bulbs are quite hot after a few hours in use, in spite of the fans being on at the highest setting. Is this normal? I thought the fans were supposed to keep the bulbs cool...

Beaun · 09/20/2010, 12:58 PM

They will never be cool to the touch, but they will be 'cooler' than without fans.

yerboy · 09/20/2010, 01:40 PM

i have the powermodule fixture and you cant touch my bulbs after they have been on a few seconds.

scrapz · 09/20/2010, 03:05 PM

is your splash shield on? without it on, the bulbs are not are being properly cooled.

jeremy K · 09/20/2010, 03:18 PM

Yeah, the splash shield is on. I can feel air blowing out the exhaust at the side of the light (under the splash shield on the side). It's just that the bulbs still get hot.

reefsurfing · 09/20/2010, 03:49 PM

totally normal....

rtparty · 09/20/2010, 04:16 PM

A watt is a watt and all energy creates heat.

T5 bulbs aren't excluded from that law.

54w from a heater is the same as 54w from a light bulb. Set the fans to 9v, not 12v. 9v should put you right around optimum temperature.

ducatimikep · 09/21/2010, 08:31 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why not 12Volt?

jmski333 · 09/21/2010, 10:23 AM

ATi recommends the fans at 9v. your bulbs will be pretty hot though. i know mine are with my 6x54w SP

jeremy K · 09/21/2010, 10:30 AM

See, I guess the reason I asked was because I was looking at one of the lighting company websites (I think it was for the Tek Elites) and it mentioned that the optimum operating temperature for T5s was around 95 degrees F. Well, my sunpower bulbs are MUCH hotter than 95 degrees, even with the fans set at 12V. This makes me kind of question the efficacy of the cooling for the sunpowers....

scrapz · 09/21/2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremy K

See, I guess the reason I asked was because I was looking at one of the lighting company websites (I think it was for the Tek Elites) and it mentioned that the optimum operating temperature for T5s was around 95 degrees F. Well, my sunpower bulbs are MUCH hotter than 95 degrees, even with the fans set at 12V. This makes me kind of question the efficacy of the cooling for the sunpowers....

grab a par meter, visuals mean nothing. The fan definitely helps.

I believe the 9v recommendations are for PM models since they have more fans. With my SP, I have my fans set to 12v and it seems to be cooling effeciently.

numbers are made up, but within range of my actual test.
with fan on - 500 Par
with fan off - 380
overcooled - 470

kmu · 09/21/2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapz

grab a par meter, visuals mean nothing. The fan definitely helps.

I believe the 9v recommendations are for PM models since they have more fans. With my SP, I have my fans set to 12v and it seems to be cooling effeciently.

numbers are made up, but within range of my actual test.
with fan on - 500 Par
with fan off - 380
overcooled - 470

with Fan on you mean 9v and overcooled 12v?

scrapz · 09/21/2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmu

with Fan on you mean 9v and overcooled 12v?

my fans for my SP are set at 12V. overcooled is when I set my big box fan on it and set it on high

rtparty · 09/21/2010, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducatimikep

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why not 12Volt?

All the tests I have seen show that 12v did nothing compared to the 9v setting.

The 9v is for ALL ATI stuff. Not just the PM.

In one of the threads on here there were 4 or 5 of us that all compared bulb temps and temp of the air exiting the fixture.

We found that for maximum PAR, the air exiting the fixture was right around 106-108F.

Now depending on ambient air temp, the fan speed may change.

rtparty · 09/21/2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeremy K

See, I guess the reason I asked was because I was looking at one of the lighting company websites (I think it was for the Tek Elites) and it mentioned that the optimum operating temperature for T5s was around 95 degrees F. Well, my sunpower bulbs are MUCH hotter than 95 degrees, even with the fans set at 12V. This makes me kind of question the efficacy of the cooling for the sunpowers....

I am pretty sure that 95F is for the ambient air temp around the cold spot of the bulb.

The bulb itself should be right around 113F or so.

09/20/2010, 12:32 PM	#1
jeremy K Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 270	ati sunpower - bulbs hot I got my ATI sunpower about 2-3 weeks ago, and it runs great. But yesterday I noticed that the bulbs are quite hot after a few hours in use, in spite of the fans being on at the highest setting. Is this normal? I thought the fans were supposed to keep the bulbs cool... __________________ 90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip. Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef

09/20/2010, 12:58 PM	#2
Beaun It's pronounced Bone Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Hampton, NY Posts: 1,967	They will never be cool to the touch, but they will be 'cooler' than without fans. __________________ -Tyler "The only legitimate use of a computer is to play games." -Eugene Jarvis Current Tank Info: None

09/20/2010, 03:18 PM	#5
jeremy K Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 270	Yeah, the splash shield is on. I can feel air blowing out the exhaust at the side of the light (under the splash shield on the side). It's just that the bulbs still get hot. __________________ 90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip. Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef

09/20/2010, 04:16 PM	#7
rtparty Raise The Reef! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 7,404	A watt is a watt and all energy creates heat. T5 bulbs aren't excluded from that law. 54w from a heater is the same as 54w from a light bulb. Set the fans to 9v, not 12v. 9v should put you right around optimum temperature. __________________ Ryan Click on my user name and check out my homepage! Current Tank Info: 50g Cadlights/Giesemann Spectra (250w Radium, 2 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Actinic)/2 x Vortech MP10wQD/Skimz SN123/Eheim Compact 3000+

09/21/2010, 10:23 AM	#9
jmski333 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 494	ATi recommends the fans at 9v. your bulbs will be pretty hot though. i know mine are with my 6x54w SP __________________ -Jordan- Current Tank Info: 90RR mixed reef

09/20/2010, 01:40 PM	#3
yerboy Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Huntsville AL Posts: 275	i have the powermodule fixture and you cant touch my bulbs after they have been on a few seconds.

09/20/2010, 03:05 PM	#4
scrapz Saturation+100 Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 3,555	is your splash shield on? without it on, the bulbs are not are being properly cooled.

09/20/2010, 03:49 PM	#6
reefsurfing Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 499	totally normal....

09/21/2010, 08:31 AM	#8
ducatimikep Needs Moar Cowbell Join Date: May 2008 Location: Anderson, SC Posts: 263	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Why not 12Volt?

09/21/2010, 10:30 AM	#10
jeremy K Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 270	See, I guess the reason I asked was because I was looking at one of the lighting company websites (I think it was for the Tek Elites) and it mentioned that the optimum operating temperature for T5s was around 95 degrees F. Well, my sunpower bulbs are MUCH hotter than 95 degrees, even with the fans set at 12V. This makes me kind of question the efficacy of the cooling for the sunpowers.... __________________ 90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip. Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef

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