CMH GROW LIGHTS

Thanks to their innovative design and manufacturing materials, the performance of these lamps is significantly higher than conventional HPS (High Pressure Sodium) and MH (Metal Halide) lights. Moreover, their color rendering index (CRI) is also higher than other discharge lamps.

CMH lights represent a step forward with regard to lighting systems for indoor gardening. CMH stands for Ceramic Metal-Halide, although these lamps are also called CDM (Ceramic Discharge Metal-Halide) or simply LEC systems (Light Emitting Ceramic). 

Despite CMH lights had been already presented in 1981 at the Hannover World Light Fair, it was not until 1994 that Philips introduced them into the market. As we mentioned, the main difference between CMH lamps and conventional discharge grow lights lies in their design and materials; if MH lamps represented an evolution of mercury vapour bulbs, CMH represent an evoluton of Metal-Halide lamps. The quartz present in MH lamps has been replaced by ceramic, which permits better efficiency and improved color stability and rendering. As happens with other discharge lamps, CMH systems need a ballast and a reflector to operate correctly.

Important aspects about CMH grow lights:

• Runs 315W ceramic metal halide lamps (3100K and 4200K)
• The lamp may require several minutes to reach its fullbrightness
• The lamp may require 10-30 minutes cooling time before restarting
• Some variation in the color of light emitted by the lamp is not unusual, especially in the first 100 hours of operation
• Use safety goggles, emits ultraviolet rays
• Approximate lifespan: 24.000 hours (must be replaced every 5-6 crops)

For more useful information, check out our other BLOG articles. The GrowshopMania team wishes you successful cultivation!