Is an led and a heater going to save money on electricity

[Skunkymonkey]

I've been contemplating on getting a new LED grow light for my 2x4 grow room but my temperature is struggling to hold at 68-74 winter to 72-77 summer in the grow room with a 600 w mh/HPS fully hooded negative air pressure system. We keep the air temp in the surrounding area at 68-72 degrees
If I have to put a heater into the room to get the temperature where it needs to be along with the LED light it seems to me that I will be using the same amount of electricity as a 600 watt HPS system or possibly more, being that those heaters use a minimum of 750 w

 

[DCLXVI]

I would think a small heater not needing to run that much and the efficiency of the LEDs would come out less. Plus, the LED will be providing you useable light for your plant instead of wasted energy being turned into heat.

You probably wouldn't need a 600W LED for a 2x4. A small 250W desk heater will do just fine in that space. Put some budget in for a temp control for the heater and you should be good to go.

LED lamps will put out some heat and so do their drivers. I use a Honeywell HeatBud in both my tents, a 2.3x2.3 and a 4x4. It manages to keep both sizes at 75-80F. I use an inkbird controller so it is not on constantly. Just an idea!

Buy it from wherever you like, usually $25-35. There is a mechanical on/off switch so it's easy to use with a timer or controller. It also has a I and a II setting with I being 125W and II is the full 250W. Fire safety switch on the bottom so if it falls over it shuts off.

Honeywell HCE100B Heat Bud Mini Home Heater

Heat Bud Ceramic Heaters feature a 250 watt output that's ideal for heating personal to small sized areas of space. This unit includes two differing heat settings that allow users to shuffle between varying levels of performance.

www.honeywellstore.com

 

[Skunkymonkey]

Thanks DCLXVI!
I am looking at
HGL 300L
Spider SF 2000
Mars Hydro TSL 2000
What are you using?

 

[Skunkymonkey]

I have been getting huge yeilds with my current system so I need to be at least that strength with an led
Also, is an inkbird controller some type of timer?

 

[DCLXVI]

In my smaller tent I ran a Migro Aray 2 120w that worked pretty well. My larger 4x4 has a MarsHydro FCe-4800 and I also have a MarsHydro TS-1000. I won the large FCe-4800 and 4x4 from MarsHydro so I don't want to sound like a shill by not stating it.

I've been pretty happy with all the Mars products and several people here on the forum have them. The HLG lights are fantastic as well. Both companies have active reps that post frequently and there are discount codes for a few % off purchases. I suspect the upcoming "420" sales would be worth waiting for to see if prices go down a nice bit.

I think either the HLG 300L or the Mars TSL2000 would be a good fit. There is a bit of a price delta which is evident in the fit and finish of the product. The HLG will be a much nicer overall light whereas the Mars saves you $200-ish but focuses on function over form. MarsHydro has had a bit of QC issues pop up lately, I suspect due to rapid growth of sales and difficulty getting parts. The initial response from the company was not great but the forum rep definitely helped to get things resolved. So just something to keep in mind. MH is a Chinese company and customer service is ok to good. Their rep here is very helpful and I would not hesitate to purchase from them. HLG is an American company and a bit easier to contact.

Mars = bang for the buck
HLG = high end lighting

Just decide your budget and I don't think you would go wrong either way. I'd get the HLG if I had the $$. $236 to $474 is not insignificant. If you're needing a heater, humidifier, controllers, etc...

I have been getting huge yeilds with my current system so I need to be at least that strength with an led
Also, is an inkbird controller some type of timer?

The inkbirds are temp and humidity controllers. Inkbird is just the company name. They work pretty good. You can get separate or combined units. Fairly accurate power strip style controllers. Temp unit: set the on/off point, say on at 73F and off at 80F, it will cycle the power to your heater and help hold it in range. There are quite a few settings and adjustments including temp swing range and calibration.

Their website seems to be not loading at the moment but their products are available on amazon. Here is the basic temp controller:

Amazon product

 

[GreenBean]

I recommend the new Atreum Hydra 3200 for the 4x2. I run 2 of their older DIY fixtures in my 4x2 and 4x4. Absolutely love them for their perfectly even coverage across the entire tent. Yielded 2.58 grams per watt on my last run. They've switched over to non-DIY fixtures now. Fantastic customer support.

HYDRA-3200 LED Grow Light, 320W

The HYDRA-3200 320W Full Spectrum LED Grow Light is perfect for 2x4-ft to 3x5-ft grow areas. Proprietary, algorithmically-spaced LEDs reduces hotspots for superior uniformity and results in higher yields than traditional LED grow lights.

atreumlighting.com

As far as temps, you can leave the driver on the fixture for warmth, or remove it and mount it outside the tent to help keep it cooler.

 

[Marshydro]

@Skunkymonkey
Hi, if you want to buy TSL2000, here is a thread that use TSL2000 for growth. You can check it before making a decision.

https://www.autoflower.org/threads/trichome-farmer-mars-hydro-auto-adventure.86572/

 

[Nicole7]

Thanks DCLXVI!
I am looking at
HGL 300L
Spider SF 2000
Mars Hydro TSL 2000
What are you using?

Now using Bestva BAT W600. They all look good.

 

[Skunkymonkey]

Well after doing some research I have decided on the Array 4 pro red
Great price (320bucks with a 10%discount)Great coverage and since my grow room is a closet (stealth) my inside dimensions won't work with 24x48 so this light is perfect at 18 inches deep
Another question for you led users since I'm not using a tent and this is a closet for stealth where am I supposed to locate the driver? I can't put it outside of the closet or it ruins the stealth
If I place it towards the top of the closet next to the carbon filter will it be okay up there? Or will it be too hot in the summer?

 

[DCLXVI]

I noticed the LED bars on my Migro get quite warm and so does the driver. It does have a nice long cord for positioning.

It took up a little floor space but I set the driver on a brick in the bottom of my tent. I figure it works as a bit of a heat sink and regulator. I don't know how large or hot the driver for the 4-bar might get. I suspect if you mounted it to a wood panel it would be safe. Plus, you may not even need a heater with all that in there.