LED lights are undoubtedly the best lighting option on the market at the moment. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, they are extremely energy efficient. They don’t waste energy in the form of heat emissions because they don’t require much energy to run, especially when you compare them to more traditional lighting alternatives such as a traditional or halogen incandescent light source. Another highly valuable benefit of these LED bulbs is that they have a very long running time. This is another way that they cut down on costs and are also more sustainable.
On top of this, they also produce a more clear white light than other bulbs that are tinged with a hint of yellow. Interestingly though, there is an option in LED bulbs to buy a type that can be switched between a clear (blue) light and a yellow light. So even if you prefer the yellow tint that traditional bulbs emit, you can still have an energy efficient bulb to provide you with this.
This brings us to the topic of this article. There is an ever evolving set of innovations in technology that have produced a wide range of LED bulbs that vary in several different ways. Shopping for traditional bulbs was a simple task as the range of options available to you were very limited. A bulb was a bulb and there were little to no variations in regards to them but the era of LED bulbs has changed this. Below, we take a look at the different factors that LED lights can vary in and what option you should consider.
Brightness of the bulb
LEDs require far less energy to produce as bright a light in comparison to old light bulbs. Due to the vast amount of energy required by these old bulbs to produce light, the brightness of them was limited. If they were to be as bright as an LED, the energy that would be required by them would be so great that they would blow almost instantaneously due to the heat produced.
Because LEDs don’t require as much energy, it’s possible that they can be much brighter than their traditional counterparts without the heat. This means that when you go into a shop and ask for the best LED grow lights in the UK to use with your hydroponics setup, you will be faced with a load of different options - some of which are related to brightness options. If you don’t want to be set on one specific level of brightness though, you can even opt for dimmable LEDs that allow you to turn up and down the brightness.
Another consideration under this factor is the ‘temperature’ of the light emitted by the bulb. This idea was introduced earlier on when the issue with yellow-tinted bulbs was raised. Traditional bulbs are likely to emit light with a yellow tinge. Whilst this produced a warm feel in a room, it prevented the brightness that was able to be attained. LEDs circumvent this issue as some varieties of them are available in a variety of different shades, from yellow to white and even blue. So no matter your preference, an LED will allow you the best flexibility to attain this. We believe that the best option to go for in this regard is those LEDs that are interchangeable between different brightness levels and colour temperature levels too, such as dimmable LEDs.
Shape of the bulb
When you think of a bulb, you probably imagine it in a round shape. Whilst a lot of bulbs do take on this shape, there is a vast range of alternative shapes out there. The reason for this is that different shapes have different efficiencies and so different shapes will be more or less suitable for different situations. From a globe LED bulb to an elongated diode, each will have a slightly different use.
If you’re unsure of what shape to go for and what’s best for your requirements, then it’s best to ask for advice from an experienced electrician at an electric store. They will be able to point you in the right direction so that you get the most out of your light. But if you’re just looking for a standard screw in light, then the universal bulb will be your best bet.
Resources:
CFL Grow Light - Buy Me a Coffee
Hydroponics Grow Lights - Glitch
Grow Kits in the UK - Hashnode
Grow Tent - Journo Portfolio
Hydroponics Nutrients - TechPlanet