Every plant requires sunlight for photosynthesis. Some indoor plants struggle to get adequate sunlight. Thankfully, such plants can benefit from the artificial plant growing lights.
LED Grow lights have tons of benefits for plants, yet some individuals are concerned about grow lights burning their plants.
Let us see if LED grow lights can burn plants.
LED grow lights are the safest lights available. In comparison to conventional grow lights, they have low heat output. The amount of heat LED Grow lights produce cannot burn plants or cause a fire on their own. If you use poor-quality LED Grow lights and place them close to your plants, it might cause leaf burning and photo-bleaching.
Apart from this, your LED Grow lights could be a fire hazard due to incorrect electrical wiring, poor quality lights & fixtures, and so on.
While LED Grow lights do not pose a fire threat, inappropriate handling can result in a fire. Let us look at some of the circumstances in which LED Grow lights might catch fire and burn plants.
Circumstances in Which LED Grow lights Can Burn Plants or Catch Fire
Use of Poor Quality Grow Lights
As I mentioned above, LED Grow lights produce little heat and have negligible fire risk. However, not all Grow lights are the same in terms of quality and safety.
Poor quality Grow lights often come with low-quality drivers, chips, and heat sinks. Such lights emit a higher amount of heat and pose a risk of catching fire.
As a result, look for a reputable LED Grow light manufacturer. So that you can rest assured about the quality of components they use in their grow lights.
The China-based LED Grow light supplier, Darkless, uses thick real heat sinks. Their cooling effect is around 15% to 25% better than ordinary heat sinks.
Incorrect Electrical Wiring
Sometimes incorrect electrical wiring may short circuit and catch fire. Poor wiring might put your entire grow room at risk of catching fire and ultimately burning your plants.
If your LED Grow lights are flickering or dimming, it could be a symptom of faulty wiring. Darkened switches and outlets could also be signs of faulty wiring.
You can easily avoid it by inspecting the wire connection. Call a certified electrician to examine your wiring and get the issue fixed.
Some of the common wiring mistakes people do include:
Not Using the Junction Box
Also cited as an electrical box, the junction box protects the hub of all the wiring in a circuit. Ask your electrician to install a junction box to the wall surface or fireproof building material.
Cutting Wires too Short
Make sure your LED Grow lights have adequate length. They may become strained and eventually break if you cut them too short.
Unprotected Wire
Remember that unprotected wire is often prone to break and might cause a fire. You can use clamps to keep them tight and straight. It will prevent short circuits and arcing. In short, your aim should be to keep the wire secured off the ground.
Inappropriate Amperage and Wattage
LED Grow Light manufacturers produce LED Grow lights of different wattage. You need to ensure that the wire and circuit of your growing room can handle the wattage of LED Grow lights. If the wiring in your growing area is outdated, you will need to rewire the entire space.
Not Proper Lighting Distance
It is true that even intense Grow light will not burn plants, yet overheating can bleach the leaves of your pants if Grow lights are much closer.
When you install so many Grow lights at an improper distance, it would cause overheating inside the growing space. Overheating has the potential to overheat the entire plant environment. So we can say setting your Grow lights too close to your plants or crops will cause your plant to dry out.
There is no hard and fast rule regarding where LED Grow lights should be placed. However, experts recommend keeping them 12 to 18 inches away from the plants. Nevertheless, the placement of Grow lights depends on the plant cycle. Remember, different plants have disntic growing cycles and heights.
You can ask your LED Grow light supplier to provide Grow light with adjustable brightness. Thus you can adjust the intensity of the LEDs during the different growing phases of your light. It will minimize the risk of overheating as well.
Overlapping of LED Grow Lights
Overlapping of lights in small areas often obstruct the proper penetration of light. It might increase the heat in the area suddenly.
You can notice the excessive heat by observing the change in the color of plants’ leaves. Avoid putting a lot of lights in the same room if you have an indoor farming area.
Overloading of Electrical Circuit
In some cases, the electrical circuit is faulty causing grow lights to catch fire. Several hobbyists do not know how to do accurate wiring for Grow light. Ensure the wattage and amperage of outlets at growing areas can handle your LED Grow lights.
Remember, your grow light should not max out your wall’s circuit. Otherwise, it will overload the circuit and lead to circuit breaking. In the worst-case scenario, the overloading can result in a fire.
Overall Environment of Your Growing Area
LED Grow light fires can be caused by a variety of factors, including environmental factors. The environment your plants are set up in should be free from all types of flammable objects. These could be fabric, paper, and dangerous chemical gases.
Make sure your planting area is not close to the living area. Before installing grow lights, remove all the possible flammable objects lying around.
Aside from flammable things, you must avoid combining water and electricity. Since you will be watering plants, you should avoid the contact of water and grow light.
Do not forget that any contact with water and electricity will cause hydroelectric contact. Not only can it cause a short circuit, but it can also result in electrocution. Make sure your LED Grow lights do not expose to water at all costs.
Poor Quality Fixture
If the quality of the fixture you put your LED grow light in is compromised, it can cause your light to catch fire. Always use a fire-rated LED Grow Light fixture. Such fixtures are specially designed to be fire-resistant.
If LED Grow light manufacturers also make fixtures, buy lights and fixtures together. After all, an LED Grow light factory making light and fixtures will produce the compatible fixtures.
Also, avoid putting your grow lights in an enclosed fixture. Allow air to circulate your LED Grow light bulbs for faster cooling.
How to Prevent Grow Light Fire
Use High Quality Grow Light and Fixture
These two measures alone will considerably reduce the chance of your LED Grow light-catching fire. So buy lights from a reputable LED grow light supplier. Although high-quality lights are a little expensive, they are often safer.
Invest in a smoke Alarm
It is one of the crucial fire-prevention equipment you can invest in. In the event of a fire, it can assist you in escaping the area or taking the essential precautions to prevent the fire from becoming lethal.
Remember to test the smoke alarm’s functions at least once a year. Replace the batteries as needed.
Consider Installing Fire Extinguisher
You can consider installing multiple fire extinguishers in your growing area. In case of fire, it will help you control small fires immediately. The agents in a fire extinguisher quickly temper the heat by removing oxygen. It prevents the air from burning further.
Buy Sprinkle System
You can use the sprinkling system if you have an outside grow room. During emergencies, it can help you shut down a fire immediately.
Consider Installing a Fire-Resistant Door
Fire-resistant doors are made out of materials like steel, glass, metal, and timber. You can install it in your grow room.
A fire-resistant door stops the fire from spreading. Furthermore, you will get more time to get out of your building.
Make sure your plant growing area has two exit doors. Stay low to the ground when moving out of the building in case of fire. In most cases, smoke inhalation is the cause of death rather than the fire itself.
Final Words
All in all, I can say LED Grow lights are safe and do not catch fire themselves until you mishandle them. Moreover, they will not burn your plant regardless of how intense they are.
Always work with a trustworthy LED Grow light manufacturer or supplier. After all, cheap lights can overheat and increase the risk of fire.
Whether you are a commercial indoor plant grower or simply want to retail LED grow lights, you can consider Darkless. Established in 1996, it is a certified LED Grow light supplier. We have various series of LED Grow lights. You will get flexible LED Grow lights that let you adjust the brightness.
