Protect Your LED Grow Light and your Plants with a Power Stabilizer

Buying a LED grow light is a capital investment for your indoor growing hobby or business. The investment offsets other capital expenditures by eliminating the need for ballasts, reflectors, heat venting systems and airconditioning in addition to lowering operational costs by dramatically decreasing the electricity consumption of your grow room.

To protect your investment you should connect your LED grow light to a power stabilizer. The power stabilizer will regulate the voltage coming from your power box and eliminate various power fluctuations which can damage devices. If too many high wattage devices are connected to the same circuit there can be voltage fluctuations which damage power drivers inside the LED lights which power the diodes. This is especially true for growers who use solar energy to power their grow rooms since these systems tend to have power spikes and surges.

A power stabilizer can be purchased online for $20-50. It is a great investment to protect your lights and plants, to ensure there is no down time during critical stages of growth.

Lumens, Watts, Power Draw, PAR, Grow Area Coverage

Many growers ask us about the Lumen output of our full spectrum LED grow lights. Lumens is a measure of how bright a light will appear to the human eye, not how well a light will grow plants. Trying to rate a LED grow light by its Lumen output will not accurately describe the growing ability of the LED grow light. LED grow lights target specific wavelengths of the light spectrum needed for plant photosynthesis. Since the human eye is most sensitive to colors plants don’t need such as green, and least sensitive to colors plants prefer, Lumens can’t be used to accurately compare the plant growing capability of LED grow lights.

Wavelengths of Light necessary for plant growth

Here is an example that brings this idea to light. In movie production many scenes are filmed with a “green screen” background which later is filled in with whatever landscape is needed. The reason the screen is green is because this is the color most easily seen by the human eye. On the other hand, green plants reflect the green wavelength of the visible spectrum of light. G8LED lights sold by Dorm Grow LED do not have any green wavelength diodes as these are not the optimal wavelengths needed for photosynthesis of plants.

What is the best way to measure the strength and effectiveness of LED grow lights? The strength or intensity of the light can be roughly measured by the total power draw of the LED grow light. The higher the power draw, the more intense the light will be. Another measure is the photosynthetic action radiation (PAR) output of a grow light which measures the effectiveness of a grow light for photosynthesis or growth. PAR is measured in micro mole units or uMol which is also known as the photon flux density of light per meter squared per second. Effective PAR ratings should be above 600uMol to be highly effective in photosynthesis or the growth of the plant. G8LED grow lights have PAR ratings of 1200-3600 uMol which means they are very effective in growing plants! If photon flux density of light per meter squared per second is too confusing for you, we have simplified the specification and provided the recommended grow area coverage for each LED grow light. For example, the G8-240 will provide 6 +square feet of coverage, the G8-450 will provide 12+ square feet, the G8-600 will provide 18+ square feet and the G8-900 will provide 24+ square feet. If you have any questions regarding Dorm Grow LED’s line of full spectrum LED grow lights by G8LED please email us at info@dormgrow.com

LED options for designer lamps

Every designer knows that a good table lamp must not only be appealing to look at but must also be able to serve its purpose well. Thus, design aside, properly choosing the appropriate light source for a lamp should be on top of the designer’s to-do list.

Power efficiency and cost saving have become major considerations in today’s lighting fixtures. Incandescent light bulbs are commonly used in lamps because they emit a warm light color that is perfect for a cozy, relaxed setting. Unfortunately, incandescent bulbs are also notorious for being inefficient and less durable. Fortunately, there is another option – LED.

An LED or light emitting diode is a type of solid-state lighting that is exceptionally efficient and durable. Unlike the incandescent and fluorescent lights that are made up of filaments inside glass bulbs or tubes, an LED contains small lenses where tiny chips are placed on a heat-conducting material. Because of its design, LEDs have very low power consumption thus making them more energy efficient and a big cost-saver.

The major advantages of LEDs are:
• Efficiency – when designed properly, an LED typically emits 80% light energy and the rest is lost as heat energy whereas incandescent bulbs are the exact opposite where 80-90% of its electrical energy is lost as heat energy. This translates to a significant reduction in electricity costs. Also, LEDs emit light in a single direction thus further decreasing energy waste.
• Durability – an LED is a type of solid-state lighting. As the term suggests, LEDs have no hollow areas and moving parts that are susceptible to breaking, wear and tear, and shock. A typical LED can be dropped without breaking. A well-designed LED is
rated for 50,000 hours of usage compared to just 2,000 hours for incandescent bulbs, 10,000 hours for compact fluorescents, and 30,000 hours for linear fluorescent bulbs.
• Size – LEDs are incredibly small in comparison to its light output. This makes them perfect for designer lamps that needs light sources in unconventional locations. They can be used in a bunch, or strategically placed in a lamp to create light effects.
• Lower temperatures – this is a crucial aspect for lamps, especially desk lamps. Both the incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs convert most of its energy to heat. For incandescent bulbs, 90% of its electrical energy is given off as heat while heat waste
is at 80% for fluorescent bulbs. LEDs, however, only wastes 20% of its energy as heat. This makes LEDs ideal for reading lamps or desk lamps where accidental contact with one’s skin often happens. As well, LEDs are perfect for hot areas where the common cause of light fixture failures is heat.

But there’s a downside to LED bulbs too. Because it is a relatively new technology and the market is not as large yet, LEDs are more expensive than conventional light bulbs. Though recent moves in the lighting industry as well as government response to addressing climate change have made a head start in lowering LED prices, it will still take quite a while before it becomes more affordable. However, because LEDs last longer and are more durable, the expense is really worth it.

About the Author:
Cassandra Allen
Marketing Director of IllustraLighting
Cassandra is a marketing professional with over 15 years of extensive experience leading corporate marketing and internal communications for multi-national companies in diverse industries.

Outline of Benefits for Indoor Growing

Benefits of Vegetable Gardens

• Grow organic foods
• Control what goes into your soil
• Supplement your food source

Benefits of Indoor Gardens

• Utilize indoors when there is no suitable outside space
• Layer the grow area to maximize the floor space
• Grow year round

LED Grow Lights for Vegetable Growing

• Grow Green – Save on electricity
• No excess heat
• No air cooling & heat venting issues

G8LED for Vegetable Grow

• Patent-Pending Optimal ratio for indoor grow
• Used in commercial applications by organic farmers
• Great customer service!

Growing in small spaces is an art form. You must be able to satisfy all of your growing needs in a constricted space.  If your space is only big enough for 1-2 plants, we have some indoor growing tips for you.  The standard bedroom closet is 2 feet deep and 5-6 feet wide and provides adequate space for a small grow. Take about 2 feet by 2 feet of this space and convert it to your grow area. The ideal light for a small space like this is the 120 Watt LED grow light. The G8-120 should be hung  about 2 feet above where the top of your plants will be. Make sure you leave enough room above your indoor grow light to be able to raise the light another 2 feet once your plants start growing.  Add aluminum foil or another reflective material (all white works well too) to enclose your grow area.

Using LED Grow Lights to Grow in Small Spaces

It is best to go with a soil grow for such a small space because there are no economies of scale to make a hydroponic system worthwhile. Pay careful attention to the air quality in your grow area.  Because the LED grow light emits very little heat, you will not need to vent the excess heat and provide air conditioning, but you will need to make sure there is always a fresh supply of air. You can do this by occasionally sliding the closet door open to get fresh air to your grow area or by installing a simple venting system consisting of a fan and some duct.  Water your plants every 2-3 and don’t stress them by giving too much nutrients. As your plants grow and reach for the indoor LED grow light, be sure to raise the light so that the plant continues to reach for the light. When you are ready to flower, you can stop moving the light up. Follow these flowering tips and don’t harvest too early! Growing in small spaces is pretty easy, fun and a great way to learn how to grow indoors!

10 Indoor Growing Tips using LED Grow Lights

[1]  Research before you grow
[2]  Get the proper amount of lighting
[3]  Plan your space before you start
[4]  Hang your lights at the proper distance
[5]  Use the proper nutrients and amounts
[6]  Don’t over water
[7]  Allow enough time for the growth stage
[8]  Follow proper trimming techniques
[9]  Be able to identify different stages during flowering
[10]  Take care of your indoor garden every day.

This is a short clip from one of our customers producing 2 tomato plants with our 450 LED Grow Light.  Indoor tomato growing through LED grow lights is becoming more and more popular with growers.  We’ve spent years of research and tested many lights to produce G8 LED Grow Light, and thanks to our customers who actually use our lights for their own purpose, we can now see our research come to fruition.