PC bulb temp??

[fishfreek]

I've been running a 96w smartlite retro built into my wood canopy for about a year. Lately, i noticed that they are running quite hot. I can barely hold my finger to the bulb for a second or two. Is this normal? I went to wal-mart and bought a cheap clip on fan and mounded in the back to blow over the bulbs. Overall, the inside of the canopy is cooler, but the bulbs are not dramtically cooler. Will the heat they are producing shorten the life of the bulbs?
thanks,

 

[wamp]

Perhaps, as they get old they run hotter?
Don't really know for sure but it sounds logical to me.

 

[almarktool]

mostly yes they are starting to wear out as time goes by and the exposure to salt water they will delvelope minor corrison and oxidation on the contacts which will result in a higher resitence and cause them to be hotter

 

[cap'n pete]

I don't know if my Smartlite was always hot, but it definately is now. I'll occasionally get my arm on it and it doesn't take long to know it.

 

[guppie]

I have the exact setup you are talking about, it is only a month old and they get very hot. I am running mine with 2 55w pc's and the tank was getting hotter, I had to mount 2 fans in the canopy to cool it down. Good Luck