Question about Sunlight Supply Tek T5 fixtures

[Delphinus]

Where is the ventilation fan located on the Sunlight Supply Tek T5 fixtures?

Is it on the sides, or is it in the rear?

Ie., if you use a 36" unit over a 36" tank that has a canopy, will the sides of the canopy block the vents?

[fkshiu]

There is no ventilation fan on Tek fixtures. According to Sunlight Supply, the unit is cooled via convection vents on top of the unit. I had a 36" Teklight (4x36W T5HO). It got warm, but never too hot to touch the unit.

I believe that if you ask Sunlight Supply about housing a Teklight in a canopy, they'd recommend a Tek retrofit kit instead because the convection requires a certain amount of open space and air circulation around it to work.

GrimReefer on RC has conducted tests showing that you can get increased PAR on Teklights (and any T5HO unit, for that matter) by using a cooling fan. I had a desk fan blowing across the length of the tank and fixture. Didn't notice any huge difference, but I only had LPS/softies and don't have a PAR meter.

[fkshiu]

Oops, double post.

[kwirky]

I vented my teklight fixture with a high CFM 120mm AC fan. I don't run the fan any more because it was so noisy, but even having the blowhole cut out improved the heat removal. A LOT of a heat comes out of the hole I cut out, despite there already being the slits there.

I think venting from the top is only half a solution, since the reflectors themselves prevent heat from escaping the bulbs. The unit relies on the aluminum reflectors to conduct the heat to the upper regions of the fixture. I think fans blowing directly onto the bulbs would be the best solution.

That's AFTER I change my bulbs though, and AFTER I get an dosing system, and AFTER I get a zeovit system, though ;). not a high priority to air-cool my fixture.