When using CFLs in a confined area is a reflector needed?
- Thread starter MsBBB
- Start date
MidwestMike
Active Member
With some set-ups it is more beneficial than others, pictures would help.. but 9 times out of 10 yes it is. Don't use a mirror or tin foil though. Mylar, or white paint.
333maxwell
Active Member
I don't use reflectors.. but I look at it a bit differently.
I THROW light at my stuff.. without much regard. It is VERY INEFFICIENT..
That said, it costs me about 6 bucks a month to scatter over 300 actual watts cfl everywhere, so I can live with that kind of efficiency loss.
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The deal is if you have limited light, try and maximize it with reflectors..
If you are like me, it simply doesn't matter.. I have about 22,000 collective lumens dancing around an 18 inch by 22 inch space..
One thing about NOT having reflectors, is the overlap.. if you have a bunch of CFL bulbs scatters areound, it 'blankets' the light evenly over everything.. if you have a reflector on a CFL it can focus the light in a more narrow area, and for me that is no good at all. I want it spilling out everywhere.
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Again, you can do that in a small area because even though it is inefficient to run so many lights, it is still rather inexpensive to do so.
Just thoughts.
I THROW light at my stuff.. without much regard. It is VERY INEFFICIENT..
That said, it costs me about 6 bucks a month to scatter over 300 actual watts cfl everywhere, so I can live with that kind of efficiency loss.
--
The deal is if you have limited light, try and maximize it with reflectors..
If you are like me, it simply doesn't matter.. I have about 22,000 collective lumens dancing around an 18 inch by 22 inch space..
One thing about NOT having reflectors, is the overlap.. if you have a bunch of CFL bulbs scatters areound, it 'blankets' the light evenly over everything.. if you have a reflector on a CFL it can focus the light in a more narrow area, and for me that is no good at all. I want it spilling out everywhere.
--
Again, you can do that in a small area because even though it is inefficient to run so many lights, it is still rather inexpensive to do so.
Just thoughts.
Leeguana
Well-Known Member
I'd agree with 333maxwell. I'm on my fourth cfl grow, and have never used reflectors. Due to the inefficiency of cfl's, they probably won't do much good. The "good" light emitted from cfl's degrades quickly if they are more than an inch or two away from the plants. So if you use one of the round store bought reflectors (the brushed metal kind), the light has to bounce off the reflector and then back onto the plants. Not to mention they take up too much space for my liking, cause I cover the surface area of the plant with as much light as possible. Maybe the home made pop can reflectors (a few threads here on RIU) would work a little better, since the reflector is closer to the light bulb.