how many of you guys have had bulbs explode on you, how long do they last, really wanna do cfl but it has to be safe
Never had a bulb explode and they should easily last a year... the light intensity does drop off over time tho.
even on an 18/6 shedule? would it be safe to use a team of bulbs switched out every few days or so to ensure light intensity/safety, since iam only doin a one plant bb grow
I run mine 24/0 and still using the same bulbs... all lighting even MH/HPS drop off from the initial lumen levels You only need to switch them out maybe once a year, if that, as they will still produce nice results. I have been running mine for about 6 months of 24/0 and another 5 months of 12/12...
going on two years now with my Cfl's. They will last longer if you keep them on 24/0. its the constant off and on that's stressing the elements in the lamp.
Agreed, CFL's are very safe when used correctly, and last an incredibly long time, most 23w last around 23,000 hours.
The average lasting time said on the box is measured due to "average cycles" of turning on/off the bulb that ppl usualy do. A CFL cycle is something between 1 second and 15 min. If constantly on, it will count a cycle every 15 minutes. If you turn it on for 10 sec. and off, and on for another 10 sec. That's 2 cycles. You've just wasted 29min and 40 seconds of it's life. Since people turn them on and off all the time, say 15k hours average lifetime is, as it says, average. It could last longer if you keep them on for 24/0. I've never seen a CFL explode.
They will last longer... but the lumen output does drop and won't grow the same at the end of it's life as it did when new
yes, they will get weaker over time, but it takes a long while before seeing an actual difference in lumens.
CFL's would be the safest in my opinion considering the low heat.. They might pop if sprayed with water, or bumped but i have had a 8' florescent pop on my head before.. Just scared me more than anything.. CFL's wont product the density as a HPS light would... But you can get a nice yeild.. Using clfs for my first grow i learned that the bottom bud sites were very feathery and didnt get very dense.. However, the top but sites turned out great.. Just make sure you get as many of those lights in there.. The more light the better withen your temp control capabilities.. 2nd Grow (CFL + 150 HPS) http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/511221-2nd-stealth-grow-cfl-150w-hps-added-3.html
