SergeantGod
Member
I've heard some say every 3 grow cycles, or about 6-9 months.
How often do you change out your lights?
How often do you change out your lights?
How often do you change your HPS?
- Thread starter SergeantGod
- Start date
I'm Dykster
Member
When it burns out.
Every 2 months, i.e. January - March - May, etc.
They do last longer than that, but the bulb performance drops off 10% or more after just 6 months of use. If your bulbs are old, you're paying for lots of energy that isn't helping your plants grow. Not a smart way to grow weed, change your bulbs and increase your yields!
Cmh bulbs dont last as long as HPS do.
junior_grower
Active member
http://www.eyehortilux.com/tb/superhps/EQS-N-52-78-66620.pdf
Bulbs have an average life span of 24000 hrs.
10% reduction in lumen occurs at 50% of bulb life or 12000 hrs.
Do the math and your almost 3 years of 12/12 till 10% loss occurs, way longer than the over used and incorrect statement of 6 months.
Bulbs have an average life span of 24000 hrs.
10% reduction in lumen occurs at 50% of bulb life or 12000 hrs.
Do the math and your almost 3 years of 12/12 till 10% loss occurs, way longer than the over used and incorrect statement of 6 months.
Yeah, except look at the lumen maintenance chart in that pdf, it drops about 8% at 20% of rated life, which is about 4800 hours or 400 days of 12/12, but I just don't think its valuable to accept any lumen loss as bulbs are relatively cheap and easy to replace. We fight hard for every percentage point of light with ballasts, hoods, and clean glass. Why waste any of it?
i gotta alot of bulbs to replace
junior_grower
Active member
sorry lazy as hard as you try at 20% life you at maybe 5% and why change a bulb for a 5% reduction? I have done a grow with old and new bulbs, side by side the end result is not worth the 80 bucks to change a bulb that soon. Buy your own math at 20% bulb life that's 13 months a far cry from the 6 you go on about. I agree cheaper bulbs yes but when were dealing with top of the line technology and one of the better bulbs out there its a different story.
truth is that in the greenhouse industry, it is well known that for every 1% increase in light you get a 1% increase in yeild, that said the easiest way to increase yeild would be to keep your light amounts up.
you got it. and in BC we know our tomatoes, we get the highest yeilds in the world and that's true. funny tho all imported dutch growers. lol
Lamps are cheap and get changed out every 2 flower cycles.
I can get 2 new horti 1ks to my door for just about $140.
So all they have to do is produce a half an O more than the old lamps in two cycles to pay for themselves and keep my usable light, and myself, very high.
Now if I could just find some one who wants to buy my growing stack of used lamps.
I can get 2 new horti 1ks to my door for just about $140.
So all they have to do is produce a half an O more than the old lamps in two cycles to pay for themselves and keep my usable light, and myself, very high.
Now if I could just find some one who wants to buy my growing stack of used lamps.
SupraSPL
Member
If you are already pushing the light saturation point at the canopy, a small reduction in photons will not affect the yield as much as if you are working the lower range.
That is an interesting point regarding cheap bulbs vs expensive hortilux types. The higher cost might make it worth it to monitor brightness levels with a light meter to determine the actual lumen maintenance. Once the bulbs and ballast are warmed up and running a brand new bulb, take a measurement at a given distance and keep taking measurements as the bulb ages.
That is an interesting point regarding cheap bulbs vs expensive hortilux types. The higher cost might make it worth it to monitor brightness levels with a light meter to determine the actual lumen maintenance. Once the bulbs and ballast are warmed up and running a brand new bulb, take a measurement at a given distance and keep taking measurements as the bulb ages.
