its not connected from the outside now. i didnt do that. my basement is cool enough that it does the trick alone.i just pull air thru it and vent it to the otherside of it. and i push the air from the reflector thru my ballast and it stays just warm to the touch. its a 1k watt! i have to use a heater at night. so im good for now on heat issues. til summer. and i already did a "dry run" of my plants so i have a good idea what to expect. thanx for the input!