"Shawn P. Good" wrote:

Hi .... Last week I purchased a 2x55w Bright Kit #30552 to retrofit my
standard 48" single bulb light strip. I finally had a chance to wire it up
today. I also bought two 55w 6700K bulbs. I just came into the room to
shut it off for the night (one complaint - no on/off switch - have to unplug
it) and I noticed that it was really hot.

The ballast was almost too hot to touch, and the general heat coming through
the plastic on the light strip seemed extensive.

You are currently dissipating 110+ watts of power under a hood that was formerly
dissipating 40+ watts, and you have observed that the temperature has risen.
This is to be expected.

A couple of ideas:

1. Ventillation. Consider adding vent holes & slots on the sides and top of the
hood. This will allow a lot of heat to escape. Try to plan a large path with
minimal blockage for cooling air: straight in the back and out the top is good.

2. Some people mount the ballast outside the hood. Others add insulation between
it and the hood. Others add lots of air flow around it. Consider using plastic
spacers to separate the ballast from the hood by about 1/4 inch, then add
ventillation around it.