# useful lifespan of hps bulbs?



## randm999 (Jun 30, 2012)

I've been told that the actual useful lifespan for hps bulbs is only about a year, and then they degrade while still 'looking' ok. Is this right? If so what effects does trying to grow beyond the usefull lifespan have on my plants? The reason I ask is that my bulbs are a little beyond a year old and my plants look as if they are in a stasis. Not progressing as they should. No trich developement and growth slowing down. Is this a result of bulb age?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Rosebud (Jun 30, 2012)

I have been told that the bulbs lose 15% after the first year. And continue to lose that amount each year.  I replaced mine after two years.


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## pcduck (Jun 30, 2012)

Many bulb manufacturers put a average life span on their bulbs of how many hours they are useful. 

Your bulbs will start losing lumens the longer they are on. With the lost of lumens your watt to lumens ratio is reduced, to where you may get below the optimal lumens/sqft that you are seeking. Resulting in slow growth, airy buds, and stretch.

I change mine out about once a year depending on how much I use them.


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## dman1234 (Jun 30, 2012)

but i would think you would see alot of stretching way before you would see stasis, i dont think a year old bulb is your issue, but i would change the bulb


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## Locked (Jun 30, 2012)

I also don't think it's your bulb...I subscribe to the school of using cheaper bulbs and changing them more often. Usually every 6-8 months. That being said if you were to use a bulb for a year I don't think they wld degrade to the point of your plants not growing at all. I wld buy a cheap but decent light meter so you can see what the bulb is actually putting out. I am actually going to get one myself.   Jmo


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 30, 2012)

I also do not believe that it is the bulb causing the stasis.  Can you tell us more about your grow?

I'm like Hamster.  I buy inexpensive bulbs and change them out more frequently.


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## BackWoodsDrifter (Jun 30, 2012)

Yup cheap be what I do and change them out every grow but that just me reckon I spend bout 60 in new lights each grow of about 4 plants figur the investment pays fur itself at harvest 

BWD


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## randm999 (Jun 30, 2012)

Thanks guys. I changed them out today just to eliminate that as a source of my problems. Temps have been my biggest problem, 4 hps in an 8 x 8 ft. flower room. My lamps arn't the enclosed kind, so the heat just disapates into the room. I've got 3 exhaust fans on 24/7 to help with air exchange and a portable swamp cooler to cool it all down as much as I can. I still see 90 deg heat in there on a hot day. Lights on at night to help with temps also. The lamps where last changed out last july so they where due anyway. 
The flower and grow rooms are in a converted shed, so insulation is minimal. I used 2 inch foam on all walls and the ceiling which helps a bit, especially in the winter. I think what is happening is that a combination of factors is causing stress so the plants just sit there. I have one that just keeps making more and more bud, though it is mostly foxtails. About two ft. of foxtails. Its been doing that for over two months now without maturing. very strange. The room is sealed up well, no light leaks or anything as that was the first thing I checked. And I did have a root fungas that I treated with h2o2 a while back. So stress is probebly the major issue here.
I'll give it a week under the new lights and see what developes. The strains are Master Kush ( the one plant that keeps making foxtails), Nirvanas Ice, THC Bomb, and Wonder Woman. 
Thanks for the input folks, I appreciate it.


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## BackWoodsDrifter (Jun 30, 2012)

Bwd


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## Menimeth (Jun 30, 2012)

Sounds more like heat stress to me than bulbs. I had the same problem in the summer last year as the temps were in the hundreds for several months straight, without any rain. My plants took alot longer to finish because of it, almost 4 1/2 months in the flower room. If your room temps reach 90+ degrees for several days straight, you may just need to wait it out and allow the plants to go at their own pace. JMO


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## randm999 (Jun 30, 2012)

Your probebly right about that heat stress. I put the portable cooler in about three weeks ago and things are looking a bit better. I can at least get it to the mid 80's. although there where a few days in the upper ninetys befor the cooler was put in. I wasn't aware that heat would do that to a plant. Good to know, thanks. I was begining to think that somebody had put a growers curse on me. It also caused two of my Northern Lights to go hermi. Darn, they where the best looking of the bunch.


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## The Silver Bullet Special (Jul 4, 2012)

I've heard that if your air temps are too high you can water with cooler water to help some (not sure how credible that is though).


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## Old_SSSC_Guy (Jul 22, 2012)

Also helps to run your flower cycle at night when temps are lowest.  During the day if its 95 outside then that's your air intake temperature; so you are screwed.  But at night its more like 70's and that 20 degrees cooler can make a difference.


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## Locked (Jul 22, 2012)

Old_SSSC_Guy said:
			
		

> Also helps to run your flower cycle at night when temps are lowest.  During the day if its 95 outside then that's your air intake temperature; so you are screwed.  But at night its more like 70's and that 20 degrees cooler can make a difference.




:yeahthat:

If you hve any chance of growing during the Summer without breaking the bank and buying or running a separate AC for your grow it is to run your lights at night when it is usually the coolest. I learned that almost right away.


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