How to Set Up a Grow Light System

Last time we looked at how to setup a carbon filter, this time we are looking at arguably the most important aspect of your setup – the grow light system. Without ENERGY your plants will not grow, with the correct lighting system they will thrive.

We are going to give you a quick rundown on how to setup the various kinds of grow lights inside a grow tent or grow room.

How to setup HPS grow lights:

HPS or MH grow light systems are the most popular type of grow lights with indoor gardeners and it’s easy to see why, they can be setup quickly and are highly effective.For an effective HPS lighting setup you will require:

• A magnetic or digital ballast suitable for the wattage of bulb
• A HPS or MH grow lamp
• A reflector
• An adjustable hanging kit
• A heavy duty plug in timer or contactor switch

That’s all you need – now comes the easy part, setting it up:

• Attach your YOYO hangers on the top bars of your grow tent or into the roof of your grow room
• Tie the YOYO hangers to your reflector & screw the bulb into the E40 fitting
• Plug the reflector into the ballast, ballast into the timer and switch on

Position your grow light roughly 2ft above the canopy and your done.

How to setup CFL grow lights

CFL lights are excellent for starting off seeds or cuttings or for bringing a plant on to full term. They are also very easy to setup all you need is a CFL hanger, plug in timer and of course the CFL bulb.

• Hang the CFL from the roof or bars of your grow tent
• Plug it into the timer

That’s it, you can place the CFL grow light as close to your plants as possible, there is no heat issues so the closer the better.

How to setup LED grow lights

These are probably the easiest of all grow light systems to setup, LED grow lights come with everything you need, there is no need for a ballast, reflector or anything else. There really is no need to explain but we will do it anyway:

• Hang your LED grow light above your plants according to the manufacturers instructions
• Plug it into the timer and get ready to grow

Other top setup tips for indoor grow lighting?

There are some factors to consider when setting up a grow light system indoors, especially if you decide to use a HPS system:

• Be certain to buy on CE & ROHS approved products (safety first)
• Install a fire alarm in your grow room (safety first)
• Use a MH bulb for vegging (provides much HIGHER yields)
• If you have the money upgrade to a cool tube lighting reflector
• Ensure there is ample ventilation in your grow room

If you decide to use CFL grow lights then you might want to consider these factors:

• CFL bulbs lose some of their vigour after 3-6 months of usage
• Reflectors are not really useful for CFL as they are very heavy
• They are fragile and can be easily broken plus they expensive to replace

If you decide to use LED grow lights you should consider these factors:

• Coverage area can be much smaller than HPS lights
• The upfront cost is quite large compared to other solutions
• Some manufacturers use poor quality LED bulbs
• Different nutrient feed required as the lighting spectrum is different

Grow Genius Grow Lighting Kits

If you need a grow light then we have a fine selection of kits whether you’re looking for HPS, LEDs or CFLs.