I’m creating a relatively small cannabis growing chamber using compact fluorescent tubes for lighting. Are these lamps effective at all?
Compact fluorescent tubes are more efficient than conventional fluorescents. You can also place them near each other to increase the intensity of the light. Most of the tubes in these lamps have a “warm-white” spectrum which is generally adequate for vegetative growth and excellent for flowering. The marijuana buds will be potent and full of crystals.
Compact fluorescents with high wattage are capable of supplying ample light to a small garden and your electric bill might not take a significant hit. One 250-watt HPS lamp emits 28,000 lumens which would take four 105-watt and one 55-watt compacts to equal. These compact fluorescents would use nearly twice as much energy as the HPS. For an HPS lamp, you’re looking at about $21 per month during vegetative growth and $10.50 per month during flowering of your cannabis. With the comparable configuration of compact fluorescents, the costs rise to $34 and $17 per month respectively. It’s not a particularly large increase, and it might not matter to you. It really makes a difference with much larger gardens, though.
The heat that HPS lamps and their ballasts emit is rather notorious, because they use large amount of electricity. That energy is turned directly into either light or heat. A 250-watt HPS unit expends about 300 watts of energy in an hour while the fluorescents use 475 watts per hour. They produce more heat than the HPS lamp because they use more electricity and a higher percentage of that is turned into heat instead of light.
Even so, compact fluorescents are still adequate for light a small cannabis garden and are also rather convenient. HPS lamps produce around twice the light, but warm-white fluorescents emit a higher percentage of red and blue light than HPS lamps. Plants primarily use red and blue light so the amount of light that is useable to the plant is likely closer than the useable light figure would suggest.
MrGreen
I recommend CFL lights for people that are just learning to grow, or have limited space. You can get a real good light output at a low cost, and a minimal amount of heat. Depending on your budget and space, you should check out T5 fluorescent lights.
Scooter
:arrow: I personally prefer the led LIGHTS from seeding to full blossom/harvest.Its the wave of the near future and is more profitible to use for many a reason .heat being one of them.
Hi Robert
What is your opinion on LED lighting? Is it the new way of the future because if it is i would use them as my electricity bill is around $1350 aud every 3 months and that’s a good one I have had it over $ 2100 a few times so now I only use power in grow room and cook everything on a gas bbq it’s a good thing hot water is solar powered
I would like to address LED’s. I think they are more expensive than they are worth. They definitely do not produce the yields that HID lamps do, for sure.
You can buy small digital systems 250 watt for around $100.us on enay. Why waste time with under powered lights.
However; CFL’s are great and becaus eof their smaller size and heat release, you can place them all over your grow space; Especially under the canopy in order to grow out the smaller Buds that never get attention.
Be sure to buy good light spectrum lamps also. Peace.lw
I’m also a first timer considering CFLs, I found the couple below that seem promising, the ALZO bulbs are 5500k and put out >4000L and area reasonable cheap, I figure these would be great for vegetative phase, then the Home depot ones are 2700K and also >4000L and figured these would be good to flower with.
http://www.amazon.com/Full-Spectrum-Light-Bulb-Fluorescent/dp/B0019HZQPM/ref=sr_1_1?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1397766255&sr=1-1
Thoughts opinions?
Yes…CFL’s will work just fine for a small grow in a small grow room! But you will need a 80/20 mix for the right light spectrum, this is what I use…in the Veg room 8 lights of 6500k @100 watts each, and 2 lights of 2700k @100 watts each for a total 1000 watts. in the Flowering room 8 lights of 2700k @ 100 watts, and 2 lights of 6500k @ 100 watts each for a total of 1000 watts. With this set/up you can grow some fine plants 
Hi,
I’ve set up a six plant bubbleponics (homemade) system in my closet, with two Hydrofarm FLCDG125D Fluorowing Compact Fluorescent Systems (125watts each). The plants have 6-8 sets of leaves, and are about 6-8 inches high (I had the lights too high, but have since fixed that).
Next week, my grow tent will be here, but I want to buy better lights. The tent is 48x48x60, and the Hydrofarm lights go up to 200watts, but I can also go up as high as 7000k.
Suggestions? I want to keep the bills down, but want as much light and heat as it can stand. I think the grow tent will help with that, no?
Yes. A grow tent will provide great reflection and ultra maximize your light system. Just make sure you have adequate ventilation and recirculating a fan.