Lighting CFL 192 W = 120 degrees in box, 2 in from plant - too hot?

[6figureperv]

**edit --- they are 4.5 inches from plants, not 2 in**

I have 6 32 W ( 192 W total) CFL 6700K bulbs. My temperature is 120 degrees 2 inches from lights.
my thermostat has a wire with a sensor at the end. I hold my hand under lights and it doesnt feel hot with my finger as I can almost touch the light before it gets hot. If I raise lights 15 inches from thermo sensor, it stays around 80 degrees. If i put sensor above lights, its like 75 ish.

My question is the 120 temperatures 2 inches from the light what I should go by and is too hot, or above the lights where i should measure? i know cfl's are low heat, but do all CFL's get 120 degrees 2 inches from them? Is this too hot to grow? Maybe not ideal, but i imagine bud grows in hot states across the states so this should still work, no?

The temps go down to 100 when i crack the grow box door, but i cannot leave it like that during the day.

Any guidance would be great! I am on week one !

 

[Organic Mechanic]

I would say something is wrong with your probe. pet the sensor next to the plants, or near the tops of them, and check the temp there. 120 is WAY to high, it should be nowhere close to that in the room. ! wouldn't keep it any higher than 80. see what moving the probe around the top of the plants does, and let me know.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

do you have any ventilation in the box? you may need a hole up top for heat to escape. just realized you are growing in a box....

 

[faded187]

Whoa! Thats not good bro. Try to keep seedlings around 75 degrees and under 86 in flower.you should also have a fan breezing the plants. Also humidity plays big role in veg. Get it to least 50 percent. Just my 2 cents. Peace

 

[mauricem00]

that's a pretty big temperature change do you have a fan in the box to circulate air?is there any way you can put vent holes in the box to cool it down?

 

[goingpostal]

anything higher then 80 deg will start to affect growth...Its hard to keep temps down but 80* is my danger zone. I'm growing in a pc case right now I have 5 23 watt cfls. I tried putting in higher watt cfls but the case just got too hot...so you have to kind of meet a happy middle ground with wattage and temperature...Cause you can have high watts but if temps are too high its useless. I give my plants more light when I open the side door and I shine 3 more cfls om the sides and bottom to get more penetration...seems to be working for me