Grow Lighting Education

  • Grow Room Electricity Calculator - What Will It Cost To Run My Lights?

    A grow room electricity calculator will help you develop realistic expectations for the costs of running your lights. 

     On top of the initial setup costs of your grow tent, lights, ventilation equipment, CO2, and more, you need to consider the monthly cost of running these components.

    The bulk of your monthly energy bill is going to come from running your grow lights, so our grow room electricity calculator will put a dollar figure to what you can expect to pay.

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  • Different Types of Grow Light Bulbs

    There are many different types of grow lights and grow light bulbs on the market. Different factors will affect which grow light bulb is best for you. The two main factors you should consider are wattage and spectrum.

    Bulb Wattage

    Figuring out the wattage you need will depend on tent size, plant coverage, and light type. The last one is important to remember and not all light wattage is created equally. A 200W HID delivers lights much more efficiently than a 200W CFL.

    As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want a minimum 23-30 watts of light per square foot. If you have a grow space that is 4’ by 4’ you’ll want at least 400 watts to fill the space. Since fluorescents are weaker you’ll times that by 5, so 115-150 watts per square foot.

    Bulb Spectrum

    Color temperature has a strong influence overs plants and different temperatures will affect plants in different ways. A blue or bright white found in the temperature range of 5000 K is recommended for plants in the vegetative stage as it keeps them short and bushy.

    The temperature range around 3,000 K that produces a yellow or red light is strongly recommended for flowering plants. If you can only afford one temperature for the entire growing period, it’s recommended to stay in the lower range of 3,000- 4,500 K.

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  • How to Hang Your Grow Lights

    How do you hang your grow lights? With the right tools, it is actually very easy!

    When you are hanging your grow lights, there are several different methods that you can use. The one you choose will be determined by the setup you have in place, and whether you have any available beams for your growing room.

    Those who have beams can install the lights, or a grow light mover system, right onto the beams.

    It is possible to use screws and hooks added directly to the beam. Just make sure they are strong enough to hold up the lighting system you plan to use.

    Those who do not have beams will want to purchase a frame that they can place over the top of the lights, to which they can then affix the lights.

    While this method might be more expensive since you will have to buy a frame, or frames, you will find that it provides you with more freedom, as you can more easily move the entire setup to a new area if needed.

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  • Automating Your Grow Lights With Controllers, Movers, & Meters

    Do you enjoy constantly running to your grow room to turn on/off your grow lights, and the equipment that works with them?

    There really is no reason for you to manually control your grow room lighting with the technology available today, such as grow light timers and controllers, light moving systems, and light meters.

    Grow lights are one of the most important aspects of your indoor garden's environment, and there are no shortage of accessories and upgrades available for your current light fixtures.

    With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which upgrades are best for your grow, and how to utilize them.

    Today, we are going to explain in the simplest terms how to automate your grow lighting system.

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  • Grow Light Reflector Cords and Sockets

    There are two main types of reflector cord socket types used on HID lighting fixtures, "standard" and the proprietary "Hydrofarm" type.

  • How to Install a Double-Ended HID Bulb

    Unlike standard "mogul" based bulbs, Double-Ended bulbs do not simply screw into a socket. Instead they, are installed into brackets that must be fully closed after inserting the bulb. It's VERY IMPORTANT to do this process correctly or a dangerous fire hazard could result.

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