The advantages and disadvatages of using CFL lights in the indoor marijuana grow tent
The most common light that has been traditionally used to grow marijuana is the CFL. CFLs are tried and true, having been used for generations, causing many growers choose to go with them, despite the fact that LEDs are often hailed as a more efficient technology. For people who have properly done their research on lighting systems, LEDs are almost always the winner. While CFLs needed to be adjusted pretty much on a daily basis, LED lights do not need this frequent maintenance.
LED lights also do not release the large amount of heat that CFLs do. They are well-equipped with cooling systems such as fans or heatsinks as well, which allows for an easier time of keeping the grow room at a temperature that isn't too high (for the plants as well as the grower).
That all being said, there are some situations where using CFL lights makes more sense. One such situation is if your indoor marijuana growing tent is on the shorter side. This is simply because LED lights need to be kept further away from the plants than CFLs do. Generally speaking, LED lights should be between twelve and eighteen inches above the canopy of your plants (although this should be cross-checked with the specific manufacturer) while CFLs just need a minimum of a few inches.
The advantage of Using CFL lights:
Low energy consumption
People who use CFL bulbs for growing weed, as opposed to those burning their HPS or MH lamps, are saving big funds on their energy bills. Especially since their homes'non-grow-related rooms are also equipped with these power-saving bulbs.
Low Levels of Heat
First let's start with ventilation requirements as related to compacts registering lower numbers on the heat scale. Using High Pressure Sodium bulbs, Metal Halide and other High Intensity lighting systems will REQUIRE you to purchase exhaust fans, carbon filter(s), ducting and hardware to properly vent out any heat created by your lights and equipment, while helping keep humidity in check.
Higher wattage lighting and large grow rooms will require more lights and more powerful fans, thus creating more heat. Using CFL lights doesn't exclude the need for fans, since any heat generated will need to be dissipated properly, whether it's "naturally" (open windows) or through forced ventilation (fans, A/C, etc).
The more wattage being used, the more heat produced. Generally speaking, CFL bulbs run cool as they can be physically touched (up to 42 watts) without burning the hand. This translates well into cooler grow rooms.
Easy for Beginners to Start With
Beginning a CFL grow is as easy as coming to this website, learning the basics of CFL growing, buying a few bulbs, and getting your plants under the light. It's THAT easy. Everything in the middle is a part of the learning curve that "plagues" anything worth actually doing.
Low Start-Up Cost
The only REQUIREMENT to get started with compact floros, is a lamp, a light and your plant–that's it. That's the bare minimum basics. Now, depending on how big you plan to grow that plant and your desired harvest outcome, you can upgrade accordingly and spend more money as you learn.
All you need to start is exactly what you have laying around your house, right now at this very minute. Go check and get started. We will be waiting!
Easily accessible and easily replaced
Broke a bulb? Or think you'll break some? No sweat! Go get another or jump online and order another.
Very discreet, good for 'stealth'grows
Scared that the drug war will bring helicopters over your home searching to sniff our your light footprint and throw you in the slammer? Or are you afraid that the telltale signs of a large-scale grow operation will ooze from your humble little personal grow? NO WORRIES!! CFLs are PERFECT for stealth grows of all types!
Grow out of a PC computer if you want. Grow in a bucket! Grow in a drawer; sky's the limit!
Long Bulb Life
The average life of a High Intensity bulb is FAR, FAR less smaller than that of a CFL bulb. The typical CFL bulb will runs typically 8,000 to 10,000 hours, running roughly 3 hours per day.
Running your bulbs for vegetative state at 18 hours per day, will shorten that span to between 1,333 and 1,666 hours, +/- a bit. For flowering, running at 12/12 will render your bulb life even longer.
The disadvantage of Using CFL lights:
Al but T-5's must be run very close to the canopy, but, even T-5's have limited penetration.
If used in the Greenhouse or Outdoors they must be waterproof, which increases the initial cost.
Tend to not be energetic enough for Flowering.
The larger fixture footprint as opposed to output make Fluorescent lamps ineffective in the Greenhouse.
Plants generally can be grown only to about 1' in height, 2' with T-5 lamps.
LED lights also do not release the large amount of heat that CFLs do. They are well-equipped with cooling systems such as fans or heatsinks as well, which allows for an easier time of keeping the grow room at a temperature that isn't too high (for the plants as well as the grower).
That all being said, there are some situations where using CFL lights makes more sense. One such situation is if your indoor marijuana growing tent is on the shorter side. This is simply because LED lights need to be kept further away from the plants than CFLs do. Generally speaking, LED lights should be between twelve and eighteen inches above the canopy of your plants (although this should be cross-checked with the specific manufacturer) while CFLs just need a minimum of a few inches.
The advantage of Using CFL lights:
Low energy consumption
People who use CFL bulbs for growing weed, as opposed to those burning their HPS or MH lamps, are saving big funds on their energy bills. Especially since their homes'non-grow-related rooms are also equipped with these power-saving bulbs.
Low Levels of Heat
First let's start with ventilation requirements as related to compacts registering lower numbers on the heat scale. Using High Pressure Sodium bulbs, Metal Halide and other High Intensity lighting systems will REQUIRE you to purchase exhaust fans, carbon filter(s), ducting and hardware to properly vent out any heat created by your lights and equipment, while helping keep humidity in check.
Higher wattage lighting and large grow rooms will require more lights and more powerful fans, thus creating more heat. Using CFL lights doesn't exclude the need for fans, since any heat generated will need to be dissipated properly, whether it's "naturally" (open windows) or through forced ventilation (fans, A/C, etc).
The more wattage being used, the more heat produced. Generally speaking, CFL bulbs run cool as they can be physically touched (up to 42 watts) without burning the hand. This translates well into cooler grow rooms.
Easy for Beginners to Start With
Beginning a CFL grow is as easy as coming to this website, learning the basics of CFL growing, buying a few bulbs, and getting your plants under the light. It's THAT easy. Everything in the middle is a part of the learning curve that "plagues" anything worth actually doing.
Low Start-Up Cost
The only REQUIREMENT to get started with compact floros, is a lamp, a light and your plant–that's it. That's the bare minimum basics. Now, depending on how big you plan to grow that plant and your desired harvest outcome, you can upgrade accordingly and spend more money as you learn.
All you need to start is exactly what you have laying around your house, right now at this very minute. Go check and get started. We will be waiting!
Easily accessible and easily replaced
Broke a bulb? Or think you'll break some? No sweat! Go get another or jump online and order another.
Very discreet, good for 'stealth'grows
Scared that the drug war will bring helicopters over your home searching to sniff our your light footprint and throw you in the slammer? Or are you afraid that the telltale signs of a large-scale grow operation will ooze from your humble little personal grow? NO WORRIES!! CFLs are PERFECT for stealth grows of all types!
Grow out of a PC computer if you want. Grow in a bucket! Grow in a drawer; sky's the limit!
Long Bulb Life
The average life of a High Intensity bulb is FAR, FAR less smaller than that of a CFL bulb. The typical CFL bulb will runs typically 8,000 to 10,000 hours, running roughly 3 hours per day.
Running your bulbs for vegetative state at 18 hours per day, will shorten that span to between 1,333 and 1,666 hours, +/- a bit. For flowering, running at 12/12 will render your bulb life even longer.
The disadvantage of Using CFL lights:
Al but T-5's must be run very close to the canopy, but, even T-5's have limited penetration.
If used in the Greenhouse or Outdoors they must be waterproof, which increases the initial cost.
Tend to not be energetic enough for Flowering.
The larger fixture footprint as opposed to output make Fluorescent lamps ineffective in the Greenhouse.
Plants generally can be grown only to about 1' in height, 2' with T-5 lamps.
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