I need some engineering help with my lights please.

[Heather]

Hola,
I was just trying to figure out how to hang three wonderlites over my besseaes.

This is a wonderlite, they get hot, but they clamp onto something. They also have a ball joint, so in the past, I had them, without the clamp, fixed onto a big screw hook that was screwed into the ceiling. Ceiling is too high here to do that. Need to use the wall.

This is my wall.
The fans are hanging from these weird built in fluorescent light fixtures that are open at the top, so the light goes up. Bummer, huh?

This is my lightbulb moment of the day.

This is on the wall of my bedroom. I was going to remove it because it is ugly and useless. However, in looking for something to clamp lights onto, I saw it from the corner of my eye.

Then I thought, "wait, could I not hang the 400W MH light from that if I moved it downstairs to my wall?"

So, opinions please? Would this work? And be safe?
If not, any ideas on how to hang the wonderlites would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Heather]

Okay, as a test, I decided to rig this up temporarily (I watered today and the besseaes are, again, revolting over the culture changes, and could use some heat, light, and air this evening).

The wonderlites have always only been a "stop-gap" type of emergency measure until I could get the MH lamp up.

This should give us all a better idea of scale/height of lamp over plants, etc.
Also, depending on what people think about that, I might be tempted to move the Paphs under the MH and continue to grow my Phrags as I have for about the last year, under windows with supplemental spiral CFLs. Which seem to be adequate for them.

 

[SlipperFan]

I've never heard of these. Are they cool or hot?

 

[NYEric]

Heather, Hi. That is the best set-up of those annoying fixtures that I have seen. The heat problem with MH or HPS fixtures brings other additional aspects, ventilation, etc. into the mix. I have my plants growing on my living room floor and event with southern exposure I am going to by some lighting system for this Fal land Winter. Since I grow my Phrags in circulating water trays there should be a lot of fun w/ electricity in my house. Wheeeee!

 

[Heather]

How far should my MH lamp be from the wall to ensure I don't set the house ablaze? I have about 3" as it stands now.

This is a pretty temporary measure until I get the light rail.

Thanks!
Heather

 

[NYEric]

Well, when you put your hand in the space above the light and it doesnt burn that's a good height....

 

[Heather]

No, I mean between the side of the lamp and the wall.