Are you eager to set up an indoor garden; however, you feel deprived because of a budget? Don’t you have any idea about where to lavishly spend? Well, you will be astonished to learn that there are numerous ideas when designing for LED grow lights. This is particularly beneficial for people who have a limited budget.
DIY LED grow lights are an inexpensive and environmentally feasible approach to make when it comes to choosing your grow lights. You already know by now that you need sufficient light to successfully grow your plant. From the stage of vegetation to the stage of budding and fruiting, lighting is important for hearty, luxuriant plants, and high yields.
Available LEDs nowadays are made to cater to the various cycles of growth. They are available in various shades to ensure that plants are still getting the right amount of blue and red light.
Best Ideas for DIY LED Grow Light
So it is quite easy to shift to LEDs, or if you are just striking out, to assemble DIY LED grow light. To give you ideas on how to carry on with your DIY task, here are some setup guides that will help you decide which one is perfect for you, as well as on your budget!
1. LED Strip Lights Mechanized by a Computer Power
If you are looking for the simplest approach to set up a LED grow light, then this idea will be best for you. All you need to secure are LED strip lights, a power box of a computer, and a panel where you will mount the lights.
You can get LED strip lights that are designed for cultivation, or you can use the regular light strips. However, it is suggested that you utilize suitable strips and secure the regular strips for the remaining parts of the house. However, if you are meant to live without dependence on power utility, you can charge the LEDs using solar panels and 12V batteries.
This will create a more economical grow room. You can use a bigger-size panel, depending on your preference, although the bigger the panel, the more number of LED strips you will have to secure.
To carry out this project, you have to get essential electrical ideas to be efficient, considering that there are plenty of wires to handle, particularly with the task of connecting it with the power supply of the computer.
2. Use 3W LED’s Lodged in Aluminum
You will need enough quantity of 3W LEDs depending on the dimension of your grow area. Rather than employing the use of wood or metal, you can utilize the use of aluminum to perform this setup.
The panel must be 1.5mm thick at the minimum. It is always recommended to create a huge housing to make sure the light will stretch out better. This will be run by a voltage regulator to guarantee that only the acceptable quantity of voltage will infiltrate the setup.
3. 50W LED Grow Lights Assembly
This assembly involves 50 LEDs with different wattage and size. This demands a background about the works of circuits. The LEDs are positioned in the aluminum heat-sink through a thermal glue.
Generally, this needs 50W and is made cold through an 8-centimeter diameter fan. The steps involved in this setup are quite manageable for anyone that has the fundamental knowledge on current and circuit boards.
4. 108 Various LED Lights Installed on a 3-Feet Creates LED Heatsink
Overall, this particular DIY LED grow light panel vacillates from 309 to 311W. This demands a compromising aptitude level to ensure success when it comes to setting up.
The lights are glued to the heat-sink and linked with different stranded wires. This is run by a 24-V power supply.
5. Grow Light Setup with LED Bulbs
Different from the common assembly with just little and hued LED lights, this assembly also utilizes two light bulbs which are suitable enough to work for a 2 by 2 grow area,
6. LED Grow Light Assembly with Timer and Wire Shelving for Beginning Seeds Indoors
In this project, a 3-level wire shelf was utilized for lodging the assembly. The lights were then tire wired to the said shelf. This project is quite unique because it employs a power strip incorporated with a timer. It means that you will not have to bother with turning the grow lights on and off if needed.
7. 160W LED Grow Lights Assembly Designed for a 2 by 2 Grow Closet
The entire LED bulbs utilized in this assembly are six – each with a power of 27W. It also utilizes aluminum housing. You will have to borehole through it for the light and wiring sockets.
8. 108W LED Grow Light Panel
This one needs 36 LED-grow lights in various colors. Every light strip only performs on the power of 3W. It utilizes a metal panel to serve as the housing. Hence, you must secure your drilling tools.
Also, you will have to secure a thermal glue to attach the LEDs to the panel. The fan in CPU will be used as the cooling fan for this setup, while for the power supply, a fan’s transformer is used.
9. 15W LED Grow Light Assembly in a Tub
At the beginning of the introduction of this idea, the maker already made it clear that this project is not suitable for individuals who do not have enough background in electronics. The assembly is believed to be high-powered; thus, it can be a little risky.
10. Affordable DIY Great Power COB LED Grow Light
This project uses an aluminum heat-sink as the housing. What is nice about this idea is that both big and small areas were delved into when it comes to the best assembly. Ensuring that the assembly appears clean and neat is noticeable on this idea.
Why Choose LEDs?
Before you ponder on which idea to use when making DIY LED grow lights, you should first understand why it is a good option to use LED grow lights.
The reality about Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) is that compared to other kinds of lights, they perform cooler. They are long-lasting and energy-efficient. A single LED can endure extensive operating hours that range from 50,000 to 70,000 hours. After that, the intensity of the light is only lessened to 30 percent.
Now, knowing that many of us are turning on the grow lights, it is where the LEDs work best. You do not have to be anxious about the high electricity bills simply because you have indoor cultivation.
LEDs are available in various colors, while the grow lights, the colors blue and red are essential for the plant growth. The blue ones help boost the production of chlorophyll in the plant, which is essential for the process of photosynthesis. Substantially, it supports the plant to penetrate sufficient light that is necessary for its growth.
The red lights normally come in various shades. Some look dark red, while others are pink or purple in color. Nevertheless, regardless of what shade is present in the red grow lights, this is crucial during the period of flowering. Hence, if you have plants in the flowering phase or already in the stage of bearing fruit, you have to make sure that you employ red lights.
Factors to Consider with DIY LED Grow Light Making
There are plenty of things to consider when making a DIY LED grow light. However, you have to guarantee that you what really fits the growing area. It is always practical to consider the size of the grow area, the kind of crops or plants you are cultivating, and your preferred power wattage.
At least the basic knowledge on how the electricity performs is you have to acquire to assembly DIY LED grow light based on the presented idea that best fits your budget and your capability.
Always see to it that you are using safety equipment, knowing that you will be handling electricity. If you think you are already good at assembling schematics and circuits, then any of the suggested ideas will be a piece of cake for you.
Conclusion
Is it worth to make a DIY LED grow light? Weighing all the benefits it gives, it would be fair to say that making your own LED grow light is worth all the effort and spending. With the fact that you do not have to spend a lot on the materials of your project, you get the advantage of achieving the best growing condition without risking your budget.
Although some people would simply opt to use fluorescents, which are also acceptable, DIY LED grow lights are good on their own. You get to design a project that is best for your grow area.
Other perks of DIY LED grow lights is that they can be assembled even by the beginners. As long as you follow the instructions well, you can easily assemble the DIY LED grow lights and start your cultivation.
