Grow Light Hoods & Reflectors
Grow light reflectors significantly boost the efficiency of grow lights, and not using them puts you at a significant disadvantage. There are numerous reasons why all growers should have reflective hoods.
Do reflective lights affect plant growth?
Grow lights are all about efficiency. Reflective wall coverings are a great product that can redirect all wasted light back toward the plants. Not using a grow light reflector can decrease grow light efficiency by as much as 40%.
What are grow light reflectors?
Grow light reflectors or reflective grow light hoods are among the many products that help boost grow light efficiency. The hood provides you value for every dollar spent by reflecting the light that is getting wasted in illuminating the ceiling back towards the plants.
How is the light from a reflector dispersed?
The efficiency of a grow light reflector depends on the light's efficiency and the distance between the canopy and the light. The chart below details how reflector efficiency decreases with an increase in distance.
Do not forget to use grow light movers, as exposing one area of the plant to so much light can result in burns on the plant.
Types of Grow Light Hoods and Reflectors-
The most popular type of reflectors among growers are air-cooled reflectors because reflecting light creates a lot of heath in the reflector's hood. Non-air-cooled reflectors have only one drawback: they need to grow rooms equipped with air conditioners and fans to manage the heat produced. Wing and parabolic reflectors are named in line with their shapes. They are also referred to as open-air hoods. As open-air hoods also generate a lot of heat, you should use a thermometer at all times to keep the temperature in check.
How to choose the right glow light reflector
You have to make sure that you pair reflective hoods with the right light type (CMH, HPS, or MH), alongside ensuring the number of bulbs you will use. For instance, a CMH reflector will go with a CMH grow light.
The flange size of the grow light hood is also an essential element to consider. Air-cooled reflectors tend to exhaust a significant amount of heat when they are connected to an inline fan. While 6-inch and 8-inch flanges are the most popular, we also offer 10-inch flanges for our customers.
Want to enhance your understanding of these systems? Give our experienced growers a call at 866-GRO-INDR!
