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How important is a dimmer on LED lights?

How important is a dimmer on LED lights?

  • Total voters
    14
R

RobC

New member
How important is it having a DIMMER in your LED lights for a limited space - 3x3x6’ tent ?
I have the impression it might be useful to avoid light burn when you can’t increase the distance due to limited height or am I wrong? Or for seedlings and clones?
Thanks 👍🏼
 
You are correct. Which is why so many use small t-5 or a CFL for seedlings. Also depends on the watts from the wall with the LED. You don't have to worry about burning an can get them within inches of the light.
 
Well I have used some very intense led strips and have always used the dimmer to keep the output lower. Controls the heat generated as well. I can go full output and create 110 degrees on the heat sink or about 60% and stay at 77 degrees with ample brightness for completing all growth cycles
 
I love the dimmers on my lights. They are 750 watts each. they are about 16" apart, 4 feet long and 4" wide. I can use these same lights for seedlings by turning the down to <10% and hanging only about 12" above the plants. Then I raise them and increase output until they are full power, about week 3-4. I can get the lights about 7' off the floor so if I get a tall sativa and I need more headroom to avoid burning then I just use the dimmers. If your plants genetics tend to be mid height or tall then use it for sure in the space you have. could be a harvest saver!
 
In a perfect world you would have a light sized for every stage of the growth to maximize efficiency, space, and heat. Having a dimmer on a quality LED pretty much turns it into any size light you want. Can bring it low down and turn it all the way down to start a tray of plants, and turn it up throughout the grow.

Ideally you'd want a dimmable LED that would blow up your grow space at full power. If so, you'd likely only be running it at about half power until early or mid flower. Save on power, save on heat, save on stress to the plants, its a win all around.
 
I only use the dimmer to show others it works, for sprouting I run 100% @ 25-30 inches, Mars Hydro TSW 2000.
 
Rwise I went from a Viparspectra 450 to the Mars TSW-2000 a few months ago. I'm still burning the tops of my plants. My little tent probably is more reflective than the much larger space you're using. It probably helps if the plants are the same cultivars. My little Solomatic CBD auto is only about 9" tall (gonna be a pain to trim, looks like one solid cola) and has serious light burn issues. Another CBD auto is also getting crispy. Neither has been closer than ~ 30" to the light. My experience thus far is that the high CBD autoflowers are real sensitive to the light. (My tent hasn't topped 75F yet so it is the light not the heat) I'm just now using the dimmer. I'm finding that about 75% and 24 - 26 inches for the taller plants (Fastbuds Gorilla Auto and Seedsman Amnesia Auto) leaves the little guys around 30 inches.

To the OP, I'm also in a 3 x 3 x 6 and despite my crispy leaves I'd say get the best light you can afford, that is properly sized for your space, and if ya get a dimmer, use it or not as the growing changes the needs. I'm getting more cozy with my light now and will be using the dimmer more going forward.
 
Mine have been within 12" (in flower) of the LEDs with little damage, genetics will play a part here. A couple are reacting to the light (now at 18") with a bit of fade.
 
If nothing else stay away from the blurple lights RobC lighting is the most difficult to weed through because there's no real industry requirement/ standard for advertising or testing so they use words to twist the truth into a confusing mess. Good luck 🌳 😎
 
I should’ve mentioned that, I’m only looking at under 300w real. Nothing too big or powerful. Does that make it less probable to cause burn or other problems?
 
I should’ve mentioned that I’m only looking at under 300w real. Nothing too big or powerful. Does that make it less probable to cause burn or other problems and therefore less need for a dimmer?
 
Blurples were my downfall. Every new grower buys a few small blurples and always ends up trying to pawn them off at some point hahaha. Seems like china ran with the same random combo of chips in boxes with fans for like 5-6 years before ever finally getting on the wagon of making legitimate grow lights.
 
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