compact flourescent lamp

[donruancarlo]

Good day ron! can i use compact flourescent bulb for indoor hydroponics? tnx and Godbless....

[n1zjd]

Absolutely. Depending on what your growing and what growing conditions are CFLs can sometimes do a better job than HID. If theres something you need to know feel free to PM me with any questions. Peace

[donruancarlo]

i am planning to use those commercially available cfl that was being use for house lighting. will it emit much heat than that of HID n metal halide bulb? how many watts will i use for my hydroponic lettuce? pepper n pak choy? tnx for your time and Godbless....

[n1zjd]

Again as I stated before it depends on a number of factors. First, the number of plants to be grown and second, the size of the space your working with. cfl's do put out a fairly decent amount of heat but not so much that you cant cool them in a cabinet. I currently have 5 X 23 watt CFLs in my cabinet and the temp fluctuates from 79F to 81F. If you would like more info please specify the size of the area you are trying to light as well as the number of plants you will growing. Peace

[donruancarlo]

i am planning to build at least 1 meter by 1/2 meter table size. maybe it will contain 16 lettuce plant. i am using a modified system almost same as floating raft. does any system will have effect on the effectivity of CFL?

[n1zjd]

This system doesnt really have any influence on the effects of the CFL's unless your taking into account the plant spacing. The table your building will have a square footage of about 5.4, I recommend roughly 55 watts per square foot. Your table will require roughly 300 Watts of lighting. Now this is the actual wattage and not the incandescent replacement wattage. I would say your going to need about 7 42 watt CLF's to provide the needed amount of light to grow those 16 plants on your table. Alternatively you can use 12 of the standard 26W CLF's. Hope that helps.

[donruancarlo]

tnx for your prompt reply. will those CFL not burn the plants? bec i noticed that 3 CFL emits heat. how high it must be above the plants? do you have pictures of your system so that i will have referrence in building a system. tnx n Godbless...

[n1zjd]

I dont have any pictures handy but I would be more than happy to assist you with any questions you have. I dont know if your going with a cabinet or just a table in a room. 300 watts of CFL's will produce a fairly good amount of heat but not enough where you cant adequately cool it. I have 300W of CFLs in a cabinet that is 14.5" deep x 29.5" wide x 30" high and cool it with one fan. I keep plants within 6 inches of the bulb. The temperature at the tops of my plants varys only 2 degrees, from 79 - 81 farenheit (sp?) which admitedly is a little bit high but my plants do not complain at all. Feel free to shoot me any questions you have. Peace

[donruancarlo]

i will just use table and put the system on it. i am planning to fix aluminum foil around the table so that the light will be focused on the center and maximize it. tnx for the infos that you've shared. Godbless...

[n1zjd]

Dont use aluminum foil. It doesnt reflect much light and it also creates hot spots. White paint reflects far more light. The preferred material is mylar. I just paint the inside of my cabinet with flat white paint. Peace