CFL.... should i keep the metal shade on or remove it?

I was wondering if its better to remove the metal shade and leave the whole cfl exposed? check out the pic. i usually see just the bulb but i was curious.

Thanks

I would keep the shade on because it reflects the light directly on the plants. Without it the light scatters all over the place and some is absorbed by the white walls (you could put Mylar or aluminum foil to get even more light onto the plants)

CaliMedicated said:

I was wondering if its better to remove the metal shade and leave the whole cfl exposed? check out the pic. i usually see just the bulb but i was curious.

Thanks

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where are the plants in the room? are you trying to keep the light from going all over the room?

leave the reflector on, any light that reflects to the 'rear' of the light (opposite side of your plants) will be lost. Sure it will bounce off the rear wall and reflect into the room, but the distance is greatly increased, and intensity is decreased.

phreaq said:

leave the reflector on, any light that reflects to the 'rear' of the light (opposite side of your plants) will be lost. Sure it will bounce off the rear wall and reflect into the room, but the distance is greatly increased, and intensity is decreased.

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Heres a pic i took last night. i never heard back from anyone until today, so i took the shades off. its a very small area like 3x3x4. im going to get mylar for my door. ive been using a piece of obx (reflective foil plywood) but its a hassle to keeping pulling it down. check out my set up and let me know. i have 4) 27watt cfl in there, i will prob get one more for the above center of the room.

royalnut said:

I would keep the shade on because it reflects the light directly on the plants. Without it the light scatters all over the place and some is absorbed by the white walls (you could put Mylar or aluminum foil to get even more light onto the plants)

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I thought that foil would create burn spots on the leaves, or does it not do that with CFL's?

misshestermoffitt said:

I thought that foil would create burn spots on the leaves, or does it not do that with CFL's?

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not sure? its not actually true foil. it comes off that way but doesnt quite have the same finish as foil. my flower room is built out of that obx. the spots in new to me... anyone have any back up on that?

its actually called OSB.. here is a pic. it is used usually for roofing. it diffently reflects, not sure if it puts spots on the plants.

Looks like it will reflec good to me. I would have takin the reflector of too cause without it the lights give off alot of ambient light with the plants also use.

edit: hey try to lift up your smaller plants much closer to your cfls, the light is going to be 100 times brighter 4 inches away rather then a few feet.

DiZzYNaTiOn said:

Looks like it will reflec good to me. I would have takin the reflector of too cause without it the lights give off alot of ambient light with the plants also use.

edit: hey try to lift up your smaller plants much closer to your cfls, the light is going to be 100 times brighter 4 inches away rather then a few feet.

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i can move the lights down.. ill do that. so im good you think with removing the shades. it seems to be out more light throughout the room. i may make a smaller reflector w a soda can to block the light from going behind the bulb.