LED Grow Light – How To Keep Your LED Grow Light Working Efficiently

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Growing plants indoors is a great way to enjoy the benefits of gardening year-round. However, some climates are not suited for year-round growth due to low temperatures or poor lighting conditions. LED grow lights are an excellent choice for most growers, as they offer a variety of advantages over traditional horticultural lighting solutions. Here are five of the most important:

Cost

LED Grow Light are a little more expensive than their HID and fluorescent counterparts, but they’re also much more efficient. They can last up to 10 times longer and use far less energy, making them more economical in the long run. One way to compare them is by wattage. The wattage of an LED light will determine the electricity price you pay in your bill, and it’s a good idea to check out the actual wattage of the lights you’re interested in to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Another thing to look for is the spectral curve of the LED grow lights. Some manufacturers include blue and red LEDs at the proper wavelengths to help plants thrive.

Efficiency

LED grow lights use much less power than other types of grow light. This can be a huge savings. A good quality LED light uses around 80% of the energy they consume to produce usable plant light, the other 20% is converted to heat. This is a great way to save money and reduce your environmental footprint.

The spectral output of LEDs helps plants of all stages of development to flourish, enhancing their growth and quality. For example, blue light increases chlorophyll production while red and far-red (FR) wavelengths promote growth and flowering. LEDs have a wide spectral range and emit red, green, blue, infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light. These wavelengths help to stimulate plant photosynthesis. They also increase overall harvest quality and yields.

Light Distribution

LED grow lights use a combination of red and blue light, and sometimes infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV). They also provide different color temperatures that are optimized for specific plant growth stages. A good LED grow light will have a uniform light distribution over the entire canopy, meaning that every inch of it is illuminated evenly. This creates a more even growing environment, which will result in healthier plants and higher yields.

PPFD is the primary metric used to measure lighting intensity, but it can be easily exaggerated due to the fact that it only measures PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) within the 400-700 nm range. Using a light fixture that produces more wattage than you need will produce extra heat, which will shorten the lifespan of your fixtures and LED chips. This is why it is important to select a LED grow light that can sustain its output over time without the need for additional heat sinks or fans.

Maintenance

Keeping an LED Grow Light working efficiently is important to your plant growth and yields. If your grow lights are dirty, they won’t be able to convert energy into light, which can reduce the amount of light that plants get and decrease their yields. In fact, dirt can reduce the efficiency of your grow lights by up to 20 percent. Fortunately, there are several ways to keep your LED lights running at their best for long periods of time.

One way is to clean your grow lights regularly. This can be done by simply removing them from the fixture and wiping them down with a streakless glass cleaning solution. Alternatively, you can use a household air spray duster to loosen dust inside the system without disassembling it.

Final Thought

There are many different types of grow lights available on the market today. Some are more expensive than others, but they all have one thing in common: they’re specifically designed for growing indoor plants. They produce the right spectrum of light for your plants and save energy in the long run. Compared to traditional MH or HPS grow lamps, LEDs produce less heat and can be placed closer to your plants without the risk of burning them.