DIY LED Grow Lights Using Flexible LED Strips

Posted on Sep 4, 2014 in Hobby, How-To | 4 comments

“There’s nothing quite like the pleasure you get from plants and flowers,” he said to himself. “They certainly do cheer you up.” ― Charmian Hussey, The Valley of Secrets

Over the years we’ve had many customers come to us with questions about DIY LED grow lighting. Taking care of plants is a pleasurable activity that can provide food for a family or offer a portal to nature within the home. Not only that, but being around plants actually increases memory retention and emotional stability. LED lights provide a rich, full spectrum light, are extremely energy efficient, provide even, directional light distribution and emit very little heat — leading to a less expensive garden with richer results. Those interested in indoor gardening should follow these steps to build a DIY LED grow light guide using Flexfire LEDs strip lights.

DIY LED Grow Light Parts:

• UltraBright™ 24v Architectural Series LED strip lights*
• Aluminum bars for heat dissipation
• Adhesive pads
• Silicone
• RTV silicone
• Nylon ties
• Solderless LED strip connectors (strip-to-strip and strip-to-power)
• Female coaxial connector with screw terminals for wiring
• 24v LED strip light power supply

* Even when working in an indoor environment, consider Outdoor 24v Architectural LED strip lights to protect against humidity and also allow for easier cleaning

DIY LED Grow Light Directions:

Start by cutting the strip lights to match the width dimensions of your project. Check for markings after every third chip to locate the appropriate place to make your cut. After that, peel off the paper over the adhesive backing and attach the strips along the aluminum bar mounting. The aluminum will act as a heat sink, protecting your plants from excess heat and extending the lifespan of the LED chips.

From here, attach solderless connectors to the strip lights. For added stability, tie down the wires with a nylon tie and apply a silicone blob over the connection for insulation. Place the bars in parallel over the desired grow space. Adhesive pads at the end of the bars will secure the lights above the sides of the indoor garden frame. The bars can be bolted to the frame to add strength to the light set-up’s structure. For an even distribution of light, space the light bars evenly over of your garden.

Connecting the strips to the power supply can be done one of two ways depending on how many feet of strip light your garden requires. Probably the most straightforward method is to connect one strip to the power supply, and then run strip-to-strip connectors from the end of each strip to the next. This method will allow you to run up to 32 feet of strips and wiring off of one power supply.

To connect the first strip to the power supply, screw the wire end of the strip-to-power connector into a female coaxial connector. Then plug the coaxial cord into the power supply’s male connection. To turn on the lights, simply plug the power supply into to any wall outlet. The Daily Light Integral (DLI) requirements of the plants you are growing will determine how many LED strip lights to use. Take PAR readings in your indoor garden to make sure you have the right amount of light to meet the demands of your plants.

One thing to keep in mind – many people have expressed skepticism about LED strip lights in plant growth applications. The reason is the majority of the low quality strip lights sold on sites such as eBay or Amazon are simply not of adequate quality to light an indoor garden. Flexfire LEDs strips offer superior brightness and professional quality components that will guarantee the results you’re looking for. Click here to see what one of our clients achieved using Flexfire LEDs strip lights in his tillandsia terrarium.

Questions?

Are you interested in building your own indoor garden with LED lighting? We’d love to lend a hand and discuss LED strip lighting possibilities with you.

Contact:

Phone: 1-844-FLEXFIRE Email: info@flexfireleds.com Website: flexfireleds.com