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Leaving LED grow lights on when going on vacation?

R

RenaissanceBrah

Active member
Always wondered, is it a bad idea to leave my apartment empty for like a few days to a week or two at a time, while my grow lights are running?

I get pretty paranoid about it. My neighbor helps me out and checks in every few days, but I'm always worried about a fire starting or something.

I run a 100W Mars Hydro white LED, and thinking about adding another one in (200W total).

Also wondering, is a fan necessary to cool that Mars 100W Hydro LED?
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
I wouldn't like to leave a lithium battery charging a few days but the chance of your lights bursting into flames at any point during their lifetime is next to non.
 
Fixer

Fixer

Active member
I've gone on vacation and left the plants on their own with lights, pumps and timers running. I wouldn't worry any more that if you leave your refrigerator and furnace running.
 
Cactus Wes

Cactus Wes

Active member
Wifi grow environment monitors are beautiful little tools. If anything goes outside the set parameters, it will alert your email or phone. And you can call your neighbour before things get out of hand.
I'm thinking of getting one cause I'm starting to think I'm developing an uncontrollable fear of leaving my house overnight out of fear of it burning down.
 
troutman

troutman

Seed Whore
With a timer all should be fine. Just make sure your plants have water during the time your gone.:tiphat:

A small fan will help cool the light(s) and give the plants exercise.
 
indagroove

indagroove

Active member
Veteran
Your grow isn't any more likely to start a fire when you're not there compared to when you are there, but if you're really worried this would give you a bit of peach of mind:

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N8V Farmer

N8V Farmer

Active member
I understand the paranoia. I always have that if I have to be away for a few days at a time but I think especially if you are using LED you should be fine. HID lights on the other hand, I wouldn't feel as comfortable...
 
R

RenaissanceBrah

Active member
Thanks guys for the responses, glad to hear the chances of it starting a fire are next to none, makes me feel a lot better.


Cactus Wes said:
Wifi grow environment monitors are beautiful little tools. If anything goes outside the set parameters, it will alert your email or phone. And you can call your neighbour before things get out of hand.
I'm thinking of getting one cause I'm starting to think I'm developing an uncontrollable fear of leaving my house overnight out of fear of it burning down.
Click to expand...

Thanks @Cactus Wes - any particular wifi monitor you were looking at? That's a good idea
 
Cactus Wes

Cactus Wes

Active member
RenaissanceBrah said:
Thanks guys for the responses, glad to hear the chances of it starting a fire are next to none, makes me feel a lot better.




Thanks @Cactus Wes - any particular wifi monitor you were looking at? That's a good idea
Click to expand...

The Pulse Grow monitor is what The Dude from 'The Dude Grows Show' on Youtube uses. It not only alerts you; but catalogues and archives the entire grow so a grower can go back through data and pinpoint events.
I haven't bought one yet myself, but I can see how this handy little device can give a grower an advantage in their grow.
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Desk fans and stands are concerns. They get stiffer as they age, and will often fail to restart after a short power outage. Then sit getting hot until they melt. Though as many as I have seen melt, I have never know one that actually burned. Giving them a spin with your finger to see how free they move is a good idea every cycle.

Ballast leads are another favourite. The IEC plugs are often not great and melt. They don't take much disturbance. Mags themselves commonly melted where wires were terminated badly, almost always on the choke. The compacts aimed at lamp post mounting stuck to many a carpet. Thankfully this chapter is in the past.

You have to be able to do a full safety check to even play this game. Or it's constant danger and not leaving the house for 3 months at a time. Ever again, if you keep mums.

I have worked in jobs where lighting maintenance was my only task. Not just once. A few jobs. I'm a lighting specialist, no doubt. I can point to the failure points, but it's better to just say that I have never seen a fire caused by a light and I have worked in 10s of thousands. Maybe more.

Fires tend to come from big overloads and really shitty connections. I have a number of 4way extensions with taped off sockets as if you twist a plug that's in there the power fluctuates.
 
R

RenaissanceBrah

Active member
f-e said:
Desk fans and stands are concerns. They get stiffer as they age, and will often fail to restart after a short power outage. Then sit getting hot until they melt. Though as many as I have seen melt, I have never know one that actually burned. Giving them a spin with your finger to see how free they move is a good idea every cycle.

Ballast leads are another favourite. The IEC plugs are often not great and melt. They don't take much disturbance. Mags themselves commonly melted where wires were terminated badly, almost always on the choke. The compacts aimed at lamp post mounting stuck to many a carpet. Thankfully this chapter is in the past.

You have to be able to do a full safety check to even play this game. Or it's constant danger and not leaving the house for 3 months at a time. Ever again, if you keep mums.

I have worked in jobs where lighting maintenance was my only task. Not just once. A few jobs. I'm a lighting specialist, no doubt. I can point to the failure points, but it's better to just say that I have never seen a fire caused by a light and I have worked in 10s of thousands. Maybe more.

Fires tend to come from big overloads and really shitty connections. I have a number of 4way extensions with taped off sockets as if you twist a plug that's in there the power fluctuates.
Click to expand...

Thanks f-e, sounds like my LED lights would be ok (going to be running about 250W of LEDs, and planning to add another 200W sometime in the future). One of the lights is a 50W Chinese COB, it's plastic casing does get pretty damn hot on the top without any circulation.

Besides that, running a standard 10" or 8" air pump/filter and a fan. So likely less than 1000W total with everything. From my understanding a wall socket can handle 1500W. Though I do live in a city in Mexico, I assume though it's the same there as the US.

I do use a large standalone fan from Home Depot (the common house ones you see around a lot) to blow air on my lights and circulate air around the room as well.

So your saying the fan would potentially be the point of failure?
 
Cactus Wes

Cactus Wes

Active member
I would have to say fans do die, gunk up, run rough and trip breakers. I've been doing indoor around the clock for two years and I have already replaced my fans once.
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
Cactus Wes said:
Wifi grow environment monitors are beautiful little tools. If anything goes outside the set parameters, it will alert your email or phone. And you can call your neighbour before things get out of hand.
Click to expand...

I have had that call in the night to say the house is on fire. Right now. Can you come and fix it?
You sort of drop your jaw and shake head so your cheeks wobble, think do I look like the fire department, as you pull your jeans on wondering if there is anything you should take.
 
D

Double_Gulp420

I do not see any problem if they are installed and working correctly! No worries!!!
 
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