Glass + Heat

jflng

jflng

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Apr 23, 2007
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I am building a hood for a tank and was wondering how much heat regular glass can withstand. I considered tempered glass but found that it is very expensive to have cut the way I want it. I assume acrylic is out. Lexan is also bit more than I'd like to spend but I may use it if I have to.

I have had glass cut for tank tops before but I never used so many lights so close to the glass. I will be using 2x36w compact fluorescents and 1x32w cf on a bowfront tank. It will be about two inches from the glass, and I will be running fans for cooling. I'm sure the glass will get a little hot, but will it be too hot for regular glass? If so, do you think lexan will work? I really don't want to spend a fortune on a simple tank cover.
 
the glass would heat up slowly and evenly, which reduces the stress, and also water splashing on it from below would act as a cooling liquid I think.
 
If you are putting fans in the hood make sure you have adequate ventilation holes...doesn't do much good to blow hot air around when it can't escape. but how hot do fluorescent lamps get? If you are using some kind of rubber in the hood I would be more concerned about the rubber oxidizing than the glass being damaged.
 
Mgamer20o0 said:
Depending on it's composition, it can have a melting point of about 1400-1600 °C. However, there are glasses that will melt at lower temperatures but those are not common among commercial nor industrial usage.

my 65w lays on the glass no problem.
Click to expand...

You sure thats not tempered glass you're using?

So you guys think regular glass will be fine then?
Anyone have experience with lexan?

I have the fans placed on the sides. One is blowing in and the other is blowing out. The air seems to circulate well as far as I can tell. I placed it lit on the floor for a half hour and it does get a bit hot. I have no rubber in the fixture. The (painted) wood lies directly on the glass.
 
Ok then, I'm going with regular glass. If it breaks I'm telling the wife you guys told me to.
 
flourescent lamps dont get that hot.........theres no need to worry
 
I know fluorescents don't really get hot but when I placed the fixture on the floor for a test, the ground was quite warm after 30 minutes. My fan also blows out some rather hot air. That could be from my ballast though.

Sure thing Mg, you are my official scape goat. Can I blame anything else on you?
 
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