alternative use of power compacts

[A_ROID]

Hi, I have an interesting question. About two years ago I started a planted aquarium using a couple 65 watt coralife 21" fluorescents. I have since toned down that project for a number of reasons, but I have a new idea on my mind that has nothing to do with tanks, and everything to do with lighting. I figured I would ask the advice of some accomplished 'lighters'.

I am going to start an herb garden in the 'cubby' between two cabinets and above my kitchen sink. Seeing as though I have a 65 watt 21" compact light just lying around, and it would fit perfectly mounted to the bottom of the cupboard that spans the cubby, I thought I would use what I had to grow some culinary herbs there. I have a glass shelf that spans the bottom part of the area, and there is a cabinet that spans across the top of the area.

My question. If I drill two holes in the outside housing of the light to mount it directly to the wooden cabinet. What are the chances it will get so hot as to start a fire, or would it even get that hot? I do know that the casing gets fairly hot during use. Will directly mounting the light exacerbate that risk? Is there another way to mount it that would be better? Is there a way to cool it enough to avoid this risk? Has anyone ever modified a light like this to be mounted onto the bottom of a hood? Any thoughts, advice or more questions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Aa

[gregony]

I have never done what you describe, though I have a fair experience with herbs
But seriously, I believe the coralife fixture you have has a metal case with cooling fans in the top. Is this true? If so, you should not obstruct the ventilation of those fans. This will almost certainly result in the failure of the fixture, and the subsequent loss of the herbs (which would be a tragedy).
If you do not have fans in the top of the fixture, and the case is metal, it would be unwise to mount the fixture directly to the wood, as I imagine the case is being used a heatsink to get rid of unwanted heat buildup and the top of the fixture is the largest surface area for this heatsink. Its a long shot that the fixture would fail in any way that would burn your house down. Coralife is a reputable company that builds decent quality products. I'm sure they've tested what would happen if you mounted the fixture to a wood canopy and the ballast burned up. There's a UL test that specifically addresses flammability to adjacent objects, and I believe this fixture is UL listed.
The best solution in any event, (IMHO) would be to hang the fixture from the cabinet. It doesn't have to hang too far. A few inches (3 or 4) would probably allow enough heat dissipation to keep the fixture happy. Drill four holes in the top of the fixture, if none exist already. Make sure the holes aren't near the ballast transformer(s). My old 192W Corallife fixture has the ballast transformers toward the middle third (if I remember right). You can get hanging kits from your local hardware store. You can probably envision what you need to do from there. After you hang it up check to see how hot everything gets after running it for several hours. You could maybe even start with just an inch or two and take it down as you need to.

[A_ROID]

Hey, thanks that is some solid advice! I think I have figured out exactly how I'll do it, and it will actually be easier to mount. I may get a mini fan too.....I appreciate your comments! Thanks again!

Aa

[MyNameIsJoe]

Getting a mini fan in any case is a good idea when growing herb(s). The fan provides conditioning for the plants so that their stalks/stems will grow strong and not be flimsy.