4 Tips On How To Choose A Quality Indoor LED Grow Light
So, you’ve decided that you’re going to grow your own. You’re looking at all the supplies and equipment you need, and you’ve decided to use LED lights to save on energy costs. You’ve made a great decision with LED lights!
But not all LED grow lights are created equal. Some are complete garbage. And even the good ones can have misleading product descriptions.
You need to avoid the trash and get an LED grow light that will give you great yields of potent buds. Settle back and let me show you how to pick an LED light that will suit your needs. If you find this article is not enough information you can take a look at this List of Best top 10 LED Grow Lights which we found to be pretty complete.
Don’t Fall For The Wattage Scam
You think you found a cheap 2000 watt LED light? Look again! What matters is the actual watts drawn from the wall, not the HPS equivalent thats being thrown in your face.
The rule of 35 to 50 watts per square foot of canopy applies to all types of grow lighs. Use the amount of watts that the light actually consumes to make the calculation of how big a light you need. HPS equivalencies are misleading and worthless.
Only Hang With Cool Lights
LED lights are efficient. They’re better at turning electricity into light, so they generate less heat per watt compared to HID lights. But they still do get hot.
Heat is bad for the light’s diodes. It shortens their life. Get a light that takes care of its own heat problem.
Heat sinks are aluminum fixtures with fins. They attach to the top of the light and draw the heat into themselves, then dissipate it through the fins. Don’t consider an LED grow light that doesn’t have a heat sink.
A cooling fan is a plus. It doesn’t have to be big. Something the size of a computer fan is good enough. It should blow over the heat sink to enhance its cooling ability.
Blurple Or White?
Blurple LED lights produce light mainly in certain parts of the spectrum, mostly blue and red. That’s why the light they give off is a purplish color. The idea is that they spend all the energy they take from the wall making light that is usable to plants, and therefore require less total energy.
That is old technology from when LEDs were weak and had to specialize in certain wavelenghts. But the technology has come a long way, and full-spectrum, AKA white, LED grow lights offer intense light that’s better for your plants.
You’re Gonna Grow Your Own, How About BUILDING Your Own?
Take a look at the kind of light I’m recommending here. You’ll notice that bright full-spectrum LED grow lights fall into two general categories: COBs and quantum boards. They’re both expensive because you get what you pay for.
You can save money by getting a kit and building your own. The kits come with instructions and require only a few basic hand tools, minimal soldering know-how and perhaps a drill. Don’t be intimidated by the soldering. It’s not hard and Google can teach you how to do it.
Let’s break it down simply.
Calculate how much light you need: square feet of canopy times a minimum of 35, but 50 is best. Find a full-spectrum COB or quantum board light, with a built-in heat sink, that pulls that many watts from the outlet. Build your own from a kit if you want to save some money.
