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I posted on RC that I plan on swapping out my 24" 24W T5HO grow lamps every 3 months. Someone thought that rule only applied to CFLs andthat T5s in a scrubber should last longer. What schedule should I follow here? These are the lamps I'm using:
http://www.aghydroponics.com/T5-2Ft-Gro ... l24830.htm
They're only $4/ea in an 8 pack so not like it's breaking the budget.
After 3 months of use I started to notice some small pachas of HA growing on the rocks. I swapped out the bulbs and It was soon gone. I would replace them every three months.
3 months.
If you look at the lumen output curves of any florescent bulb, they all have a sharp drop at 3 months. You can't see it, because the eye can't detect lumen changes very well (which is why they use light meters for pro photo and video shoots.)
Pumps are next; with higher pH, they clog with calcium more often. The flow will slowly get less, and you'll not notice.
should pumps be cleaned every three months as well? Is the vinegar run through the way to clean the calcium off the pumps and get them back to full power?
I put the pumps in vinegar every 6 months.