I'm looking to switch to led lights for my grow. I have a 18 X 34 stealth cabinet that has a 200 watt hps light in it now. Using DWC growing one plant training with a screen to fill the whole box. Getting 6-8 oz per crop now. The problem is in the summer. I don't use air conditioning any more than I have to in the house and I tend to have a heat problem. I have constant ventilation going through a filter and into my return vent for the furnace. The fan runs constantly through a hepa filter. I've tried to research what the heat output is for a led light. Can't seem to find any information on heat, just light output. I know they have cooling fans on the top of the fixture but what about radiant heat towards the plants. Also would like to know if anyone has tried the different types of light, full spectrum or red/blue combo. Thanks,
Very easily answered. An led puts off heat. Not in the way an hid bulb does though. More like the heat of a ballast. With a bulb, the gas heats up to create light inside the bulb causing glass to heat up causing radiant heat. An led on the other hand, the led diodes do not put off intense heat, but whatever the actual wattage of the led is, is the amount of heat your creating. So if you use a 250 actual wattage led, you will be creating the heat of a 250 watt electric heater, which is easily dealt with. When energy is used, it creates heat. So you could easily rid your chamber of the heat produced by a led without the hassle of ridding the "bulb heat" which is greater. Hope this makes sense, as always I just burned one and may be a little high..
I run a platinum p300 12 band led in a 4x2 tent and it's about 3 deg Fahrenheit warmer in the tent than out side of it. I have the tent set up in my basement with all the standard venting and fans. The p300 would be perfect for your cabinets foot print
If hat is an issue, you definitely will be happy with an LED. They put off heat, but nothing to the extent that the hps and hid bulbs do. My only suggestion would be to really research out these lights before you buy one. Some may seem way too expensive, but you can bet that with that expense comes excellent quality. Don't fall for the cheap Ebay or Amazon lights because they don't work as good as advertised. You would be better off to save your money until you can buy a good quality one instead of getting the cheapsters. The cheap ones are made in china or other Asian nations with cheap labor and very cheap components. Most of the people who buy them are highly unsatisfied with their performance and end up going back and purchasing a good quality one. I don't like buying things twice myself and doubt you do to. It may cost you more up front, but to get the yields you're going for off 3 plants, you'll need a good quality light. Good luck! TWW