Light movers are electronic systems that move grow lights on a rail within a grow room. Every grower hopes the grow light they purchase will have a wide footprint.
Instead of purchasing multiple grow lights, you might opt to go for light movers.
Light movers increase the footprint of grow lights since they move them around the grow tent.
However, each plant receives illumination momentarily because the grow light is moving. There are two types of light movers: rail and track movers. The other is a circular light mover.
Both have different ways of operating and do provide results differently.
Choosing between the two would depend on your budget or the place you decide to install them.
Being different in shape means both would require a varying amount of space. Both lights have the same motive, catering to the needs of your plants.
They function differently, but if operated correctly, both can provide promising results.
Light movers come with a string of benefits and a couple of demerits. Light movers can precisely cater to the needs of each plant with sufficient lighting. They are much more efficient than stationary lights, which damage the roots by overheating.
We are going to explore them in the sections below in a bid to find out whether light movers are worth investing in for growers.
Benefits of Light Movers
We’ve already mentioned the most significant advantage of installing light movers is enhancing the footprint.
For instance, a light mover can enhance a footprint of 4’x4′ to 4’x6′. A light rail allows you to grow light to cover 30% more area than it would while stationary.
Some growers might get concerned about their plants not getting enough illumination if the grow light moves around.
Keep in mind that light rays move in all directions. As such, most of your plants will remain under illumination, even when they grow light is not right above them.
If you have to make do with only one grow light, a light mover can help you with eliminating blind spots or shadows. If your grow tent is slightly larger than your grow light’s coverage, there certainly will be some blind spots. A light mover will ensure illumination is evenly distributed across the grow tent, and one part is deprived of the most-essential illumination.
When the need for extra light is eliminated, it means you avoid spending more on electricity bills. An ordinary light mover consumes around 10 watts. That is an insignificant power draw compared to what another grow light would consume. Opting for a light over instead of an extra grow light is going to save you some money in the long run.
You also need to keep in mind that grow lights emit heat. This heat can cause leaf burns at times. A light mover distributes the heat all overgrow the tent, reducing the strain on the leaf surface. Moving the grow light over the air is also an effective heat dissipation mechanism. Some grow lights can make the grow tent too hot that you would have to get a separate cooling system, which would eventually mean higher electricity bills.
Light movers also make it easy for you to control your grow lights. You can easily move them whenever you need to. Without a light mover, you would have to unmount the grow light and mount it where you need it to be.
Light movers use a technique called Leaf Area Index. This method explicitly provides light to the plants when it is needed and aims for the right spots. This continuous nursing of the plants helps them to grow as required.
The robotic system moves around without penetrating the leaves for too long, with too much heat. Otherwise, that would damage the roots of the plants and result in waste. However, each plant gets enough time for nourishment with this moving system.
You can think of light movers as a one-time investment that looks after your plants in the best way.
Considering the benefits we’ve mentioned above, it seems like a light mover would be worth it for any avid grower.
However, there are some demerits to the use of light movers. Let’s explore them and determine whether they would be reason enough to avoid getting a light mover.
Disadvantages of Light Movers
The most prominent downside of light movers is noise. While they grow lights move along the rails, and there’s bound to be some clunking noise. If your grow room is close to your house, that might not be very ideal. The last thing you need is to make annoying noises while trying to get some sleep. Most light movers are promoted quiet. You might need to read some reviews about specific models or observe a real one while in operation, just to find out whether you can put up with its noise level.
Purchasing and installing light movers can be expensive. It takes a long time and requires detailed attention. While the installation duration and keen attention are not a high price to pay when you need your light mover to work properly, most people will find it hard to spend more after they’ve just bought a grow light. Most grow lights come with a hanging kit, and they are usually easy to mount. You might need to pay an expert to install the light movers, mount and position the light properly, and set up the speed if you cannot do it yourself.
Installing a light mover in an already existing grow room means that you need to find an extra outlet where the power cord for the mover will go through. That might mean having to rearrange your entire grow room or even having to move it.
These lights have High-intensity discharge (HID), and if not positioned at the right distance, can damage the plant’s tissue. Moving lights may harm the plants if their movements are too quick. The quick movement or wrong positioning of the light can leave a dark spot. Plants bend toward the light if they are in a shady spot. It means if the position of the lights is not correct, this will result in the yield or specific plants being damaged.
Without a proper understanding of controlling light movers, you’re only going to face issues with your yield. It can take a lot of time to get comfortable with the manual provided along with the lights. However, this is the only way you can understand what your plants require and how the lights can serve them.
None demerits of grow lights highlighted above should be a reason to avoid getting a light mover if you are a serious indoor farmer.
The benefits far outweigh the cons. First, most of the other equipment you use in a grow tent makes noise. Grow lights can be pretty noisy.
The noise made by a light mover should not be too difficult to put up with if you have been putting up with the noise from the other equipment.
It is a small price to pay to ensure your growing room systems use power efficiently.
Even though purchasing and installing a light mover can be expensive, it is a one-off cost. That light mover system will save you money in the form of reduced electricity bills for a long time.
It will make up for how deep you had to dig into your pockets to purchase and install the system.
Conclusion – Are Light Movers Worth It?
The question was, are light movers worth it for growers? They certainly are. Anything that helps reduce your growing costs while ensuring your plants are healthy should be welcome. Light movers do that in many ways. They are essential for a large grow room in particular.
Light movers have their flaws, but these can be addressed and resolved. You need to ensure you use the proper temperature distance and provide the right time for each plant. The light movers will cater accordingly and provide the best results.
Large grow rooms usually suffer uneven light and heat distribution when the grow lights remain stationary.
There are many types of light movers on the market. You’ll find one that is good enough for your grow room if you dig deep enough.
