Fluorescent Tubes vs. LED

[southern wolf]

I have a question for all those that have LED’s. Actually I have a couple questions.
I am currently running two 4foot shop lights with two bulbs each. I am wondering if running LED’s would put out more light and if so… about how much more? I am also wondering if running the LED’s would save on the electrical usage?
These are not set up on a fish tank but instead are mounted on a shelving unit that I use to start my vegetable seeds and seedlings.
Also… if the LED’s put out more light and use less electric… does anyone have a ballpark figure on what it would cost to construct a light bank. I’m looking at about 4 foot long and probably 14 inches wide.

 

[saban2013]

Wow, what a loaded question. It really depends on which lights you choose. To the electricity side, you would use less power. Most LED's are rated around 50,000 hours of life. You have several types to choose from. Marineland, for example, sells single bright units around $120 dollars, double brights for around $170 dollars. You can get panorama LED lights that can run in the thousands. It really depends on how much light your after.

 

[acrylic51]

I don't necessarily think you'd need a 4' fixture to cover a 4' area.....Most commercially available units will cover a 2'x2' area. With that said you would definitely have better light output with LEDs vs your older fixtures......DIY IMO would be the smarter choice though.......LEDs have depending on optics better spread than your older fixture as well.....Have you ever measured as to how much lighting your actually putting on your crops.....I bet your loosing more than you think, so the efficiency is probably a lot worse than your thinking.....The reflectors aren't good at all compared to LEDs or hydrophonic specific reflectors.....Possible a light mover could/would be an option you might consider as well.....

 

[southern wolf]

Shawn I was thinking about a DIY project. Any idea on what my options are.. and also what I could be looking at per light setup. The reason I am considering the LED (other than brighter lights) is because I am thinking of turning my 14x14 front room into a seed starting room and there will be lots of lights burning.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/394843/fluorescent-tubes-vs-led#post_3514596
Shawn I was thinking about a DIY project. Any idea on what my options are.. and also what I could be looking at per light setup. The reason I am considering the LED (other than brighter lights) is because I am thinking of turning my 14x14 front room into a seed starting room and there will be lots of lights burning.
May I offer a small suggestion, Mr. Wolf?
Why not build a greenhouse in the back? That would save you lots of energy! If you have a gas line on your property you can buy a gas heater for the greenhouse and install a thermostat to cut it on and off as needed. It would be a whole lot cheaper and a lot more efficient than building a bunch of LED systems that may or may not have some maintenance issues.
I know here in Louisiana, a green house is a great way to maintain high temperatures. We don't get a whole lot of snow or inclement weather here either, so it definitely has it's benefits. If you build a greenhouse with a pitched roof, snow should slide right off at the right angle...
Greenhouses can be built cheaply and effectively too. marking your 14x14 area and digging a small drainage ditch to a drainage spot in your yard, and then filling it with 4" or so of pea gravel... make sure you know where you want to install your heater so that you can have someone install your gas line (or DIY.) Then Take and build your greenhouse frame and door.... then you can put up chicken wire all the way on the inside of it (comes in handy for holding plants up as well) and then put some thick 4-5 mil semi-transparent plastic sheeting on the outside, stapling it pretty tight and then line the outside with chicken wire. The roof can be built easily as well - and something cheap and effective that a lot of people use is clear PVC roofing. (Heck you could probably use it for the sides of your greenhouse too if you don't like chicken wire. lol)
By the time you pay for all of the materials for the greenhouse - you will more than likely spent less then what you would on a bunch of LED lights and all the time, effort and energy that you put into building them. And... you will still have your 14x14 room in your house.

 

[mr. limpid]

Another note LED's diodes do not degrade like fluorescent bulbs do, which is money saving not changing bulbs. There are plenty of site out there selling plant growing LED's much cheaper than fish tank LED's, they are not constructed the same.

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/394843/fluorescent-tubes-vs-led#post_3514596
Shawn I was thinking about a DIY project. Any idea on what my options are.. and also what I could be looking at per light setup. The reason I am considering the LED (other than brighter lights) is because I am thinking of turning my 14x14 front room into a seed starting room and there will be lots of lights burning.
Its not DIY, but Google Evergrow Lighting Co China and look at their 2G LED Grow Lights. I came across these when I was researching aquarium LED's.
I am a DIY fan but I think LED's are the future and a ton of companies have started putting resources into development. It is going to get to the point where a DIY LED build will cost a lot more then you could purchase a good quality fixture for. Think of it like trying to DIY an automobile. In the end you can build yourself a really nice car but you will spend a lot more on it then an auto maker would charge to buy it brand new. At least that's my thoughts...

 

[2quills]

Plenty of cheap options for led grow lights out there. My wife likes to shop at one of the local growers down here and thats all he uses over his seedlings.
They are primarily red leds with a handul of blues mixed in.