# Fluorescent vs. HPS yield amount?



## Quickfix42069 (Apr 8, 2007)

I was wondering how much of a differnce there would be in how much my plants will yield if i used 400watts of floro compared to 400watt HPS.


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## Exile06 (Apr 8, 2007)

High Pressure Sodium is in the red spectrum and puts out alot more Lumens per watt then flouros, if u were to flower with the 400watt Hps ur yeild would be alot more ,


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## AlienBait (Apr 8, 2007)

Don't know the answer to your question wrt yield, but 400 Watts of CFLs will create almost as much heat as the 400W HPS AND cost more.


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## Runbyhemp (Apr 8, 2007)

AlienBait said:
			
		

> Don't know the answer to your question wrt yield, but 400 Watts of CFLs will create almost as much heat as the 400W HPS AND cost more.


 
You're half right there Alienbait, CFLS are more expensive to run but they don't even come close to HPS for heat.

I had 600 watts of CFL within an inch of my plants. I have to keep my 400w HPS nearly 2 feet above. HPS gets very hot

Exile06 hit the nail on the head

Peace


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## AlienBait (Apr 8, 2007)

Runbyhemp said:
			
		

> You're half right there Alienbait,


 
Better than being ALL wrong.... 

I've never run that many CFLs.  The most I've run is 120 Watts, and the grow box got pretty hot (though the lights WERE only 3 inches away from my plants).   I just assumed that 400 watts worth would crank out as much heat as a 400W HPS.

BUT, now that I think about it a little more, my HPS does get very, very hot.

 O.K., I accept that I was wrong about the heat.


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## crintonator (Apr 8, 2007)

alien your actually right about the heat 

its just they dont feel as hot because of the surface area a flouro has to dissipate its heat is larger it stays cooler but puts out as much heat if not more. 

As for your question the difference will be fairly noticeable with the density of your buds, look in bud pictures under flouro grown and hps grown and youll see why everyone that can... has at least one hps for bloom. From what ive seen in veg though very little diff until you get up to the 1000w mhs


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## Dada (Apr 8, 2007)

I think part of the heat issue also has to do with the wattage of the bulb you use for your CFL. The little 23 or 27watt CFL bulbs seem to put out very little heat. The 42 watt, on the other hand, get very hot. I had a dozen 30 and 42 watt CFLs for four plants in veg and my cab actually cooled down by 6 degrees when I switched to my 400 watt HPS. It has a sealed reflector and is on my vent system with a squirrel cage fan pulling out hot air and pulling in fresh air through dryer hoses, but I still thought the HPS would be way hotter than a dozen CFLs. It wasn't, though.


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## DLtoker (Apr 8, 2007)

Currently, I have almost 1000W of T5s in my flower room.  I am using both red and blue spectrum bulbs.  They do put out heat, but it is dissipated over a large area and the ballasts are located on the sides of the fixture.  This helps to get the lights right on top of the plants.  The leaves can touch the fixture and not burn as long as they do not touch the lights.  For flowering short plants, this seems to be the most effective way.  I use these fixtures for both top and side lighting.  I currently have buds only on Lowryder 2 and they are rock hard.  I haven't even used nutes yet.  Just a great soil mix and RO water.  We will find out for sure how these fluorescent tubes work for sure and I will be sure to do a write up on here.  I used a 400W HPS and didn't like how it dissipates the heat or the lighting.


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## Growdude (Apr 8, 2007)

DLtoker said:
			
		

> Currently, I have almost 1000W of T5s in my flower room. I am using both red and blue spectrum bulbs. They do put out heat, but it is dissipated over a large area and the ballasts are located on the sides of the fixture. This helps to get the lights right on top of the plants. The leaves can touch the fixture and not burn as long as they do not touch the lights. For flowering short plants, this seems to be the most effective way. I use these fixtures for both top and side lighting. I currently have buds only on Lowryder 2 and they are rock hard. I haven't even used nutes yet. Just a great soil mix and RO water. We will find out for sure how these fluorescent tubes work for sure and I will be sure to do a write up on here. I used a 400W HPS and didn't like how it dissipates the heat or the lighting.


 
There is a world of difference between T5 and CFL's


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## Fretless (Apr 8, 2007)

I would say the answer is, to the 400w vs. 400w question, half the yield with floro, not really because of spectrum, but because of lower output per watt.


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## indiglo (Apr 8, 2007)

I have a 4x6 area and use 2 400w HPS. This does the trick.


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## DLtoker (Apr 9, 2007)

The question was not geared towards just fluorescents in general so I chose to chime in there...  I have never used a CFL and never will hopefully.  Comparing CFLs to HIDs is like comparing a tortoise and a hare.


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## BSki8950 (Apr 9, 2007)

does anyone kno where i could a high wattage red spectrum CFL ?


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## Runbyhemp (Apr 9, 2007)

You should be able to pick one up on ebay cheap enough


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## BSki8950 (Apr 9, 2007)

you know of place besides that ?


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## Runbyhemp (Apr 9, 2007)

Just google "envirolite"


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## BSki8950 (Apr 9, 2007)

mcuh appreciated


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