Grow Lamps

Grow Light Bulbs

Grow Light Supply brand name lamps such as Hortilux Super HPS, Solarmax and Sunmaster. We also have a complete stock of quality CFL grow lamps, HID lamps, T5 lamps and T8 Lamps. Please read the most commonly asked questions below.

Questions about Grow Lamps

How often should I replace my grow lamps?
Answer: HID and Fluorescent light bulbs vary. HPS (High Pressure Sodium) bulbs need to be replaced once a year with a 12 hours on 12 hours off cycle. HPS bulbs lose 20% output in a year, so you lose around 20% of your yield. MH (Metal Halide) bulbs need to be replaced every 8 months on a 18 hour on 6 hour off cycle. MH bulbs lose 40% output in a year, so you lose around 40% yield. Problems like the light going on & off with power outages make the life of the bulb even shorter. Bulbs will in a lot of cases work for years, but they are not putting off the light that plants need. The inside of the bulb starts off clean and as you use the bulb it starts to turn black on the ends of the inner arc tube. The older the bulb the more black is on the inner arc tube. The black does not let the beneficial light through. When a customer comes in who has been using a bulb for 2 years & they buy a new one, they always say they did not realize how much light they had lost until they plugged in the new one and that they would be replacing the bulbs more often now that they saw the difference first hand.

Sometimes when I buy a new Metal Halide (MH) bulb, you can see little balls rolling around or the inner arc tube is hazy white. Is that normal or is that new bulb no good?
Answer: The little balls rolling around in the arc tube are metal, that is the "Metal" in the Metal Halide/MH. The white hazy is the gas in the Metal Halide/MH. Both of these are normal for a Metal Halide/MH, and yes the bulb is good.

Bad things to look for in the bulb are:
After using it a few times you notice "Black" spots on the inner arc tube, that would be a bad bulb that might need to be replaced.
Letting a bulb run hot continuously causes the outer lens of the bulb to discolor which does not let light through.
The power going out when the light was supposed to be on.
The bulb Re-Firing when the bulb is still hot.
These all will drastically shorten the life of the bulb, causing the inner arc tube to prematurely turn black which does not let the needed light spectrum through.