Setting up grow lights

I've been embarking on my first grow closet and now have all the supplies, but in regards to the lights, I have 4 42 Watt (2700 lumen) fluorescent lights bulbs, but how do I hook them up? I mean they are too big for anything that just plugs into an outlet. Will I have to wire them? If so how do I do that? Could I wire them so they go into a wall outlet, as I don't want to cut open the wall.

I"d be grateful for any help.

Are you talking about cfls? If you have the right lamps you can just plug them straight into an outlet. Get and extension cord and a splitter so you plug in a couple of lamps. Youll need a light timer after they've started vegging. Since your doing a closet grow, im guessing hps and mh bulbs arent an option. If i were you id try to get a couple 2,3 maybe even 4 ft fluorescents(try T5s, theyre really small but emit the most usable light) and make a grow box.

flouros do plug into the wall.....you got pics?

Do you have the curly CFL's? Don't they plug into a light socket? If so, you can get clamps with the light sockets and cords. Walmart has them, but I don't use theirs as they strip easy. I don't know where you live, but if you have Ace Hardware, they have the best. Check on my journal page and you can see how I hang them. I started in a closet, but am now out in an open room with CFL's hanging from chains from molly bolts in the ceiling. In the cabs, we put up hooks (using a Dremel drill) and hung the heavy lights (65W) and clipped the 42's to shelving. You can see on my link. Good luck.

Prestonage said:

they are too big for anything that just plugs into an outlet..

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The ones I had fit an ordinary socket.

Prestonage said:

I've been embarking on my first grow closet and now have all the supplies, but in regards to the lights, I have 4 42 Watt (2700 lumen) fluorescent lights bulbs, but how do I hook them up? I mean they are too big for anything that just plugs into an outlet. Will I have to wire them? If so how do I do that? Could I wire them so they go into a wall outlet, as I don't want to cut open the wall.

I"d be grateful for any help.

Click to expand...

If your talking about what im thinkin bout they work just like regular light bulbs. i would go to lowes home depot maybe even walmart and get 4 light bulb bases. i believe they even have some that come with cords and reflectors, like you can hang up while working on your car. if your comfortable with wiring and atleast somewhat handy you can get pvs and make a square ring that you can attach the lights to. that way you can raise and lower them depending on the growth of your plants. and depending on how fancy and much money you want to spend i've see reflectors on this kind of setup from disposable roasting tins from the grocery store to mylar film streched over. just youse you imagination. the only thing that really matters is that you have as much light as you can give them while keeping the temperature right.

Those clamp lights are like 6-7 bucks a piece. Also make sure you got 6500K bulbs

ok buddy im just assuming that you dont have cfl's but something along the lines of t8 or t12 floro fixtures that come out of a house that have to be hard wired if this is the case i can definitely help you out with that just need to know for sure

You prolly have a mogal (sp?) base its bigger then standerd light socket ones, you can just get an adaptor at your local hardware store if so.

I just accidentally bought the mogul base on six 105 CFLs from 1000 bulbs. They're sending me the adapters and now I find out I could have got them locally and probably cheaper? Thanks for the info Juicy, I think I can still cancel.

Go to Home Depot and get a couple "Y" splitter bulb sockets - about $2.50 each...then you can put them into a smaller socket that has a plug on it (usually found right next to the "Y" splitters on the store shelf). Plug into a medium to heavy duty extension cord and hang them above your grow area, then use a timer on the other end so you don't have to worry about keeping the light schedule yourself. You can get a decent timer for about $10 - be sure it has the three prong outlets on it so your extension cords will fit (some are only two prongs, like for a simple table lamp to plug into it). If you want to run all four lights off just one extension cord, you can get a work light for about $6.50 (the kind with the plastic cage that you can hang from your car hood when working under it). Remove the plastic bulb protector cage, and plug it right into your cord - the Depot sells a sturdy gray/orange one with an on/off switch and extra outlet on it, so you can piggyback a second pair of CFLs off there just by plugging them into that extra outlet. I've got that same setup going with four CFLs from one cord, and there have been no problems. I added a thin string to the second light pairing so that I can tie it off to the closet rod for better positioning and weight support. I'm lucky to have an unused closet to grow in, so I have the empty rod to use as a hanging place for lighting and whatever else is necessary. Sure makes it easy to adjust lighting positions...

Here are some links to diff light extensions you might find usefulll. And yea deff cheaper.
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905858&Ntt=905858&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905861&Ntt=905861&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905854&Ntt=905854&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=905889&Ntt=905889&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

Yeah clamp lights look like the way to go. Too bad I rushed and wasted $20 on flood lights that I can't use. But, when the first harvest arrives I'll be happy all the same. And thanks for the light extension tip. That'll make things easier.

Get a bathroom vanity light fixture from the hardware store $20 or less for cheap ones, wire the light to a 120v cord with wire nuts and an old extension cord. Problem solved.

The vanity light comes in everything from 3 to 6 light models, and you can use the "Y" splitters on there too. The up side to doing the individual extension cord and plug setup is that you have the flexibility to raise light pairs as needed if you have plants growing at different heights. I got a six socket vanity light and put a plug on it, but have yet to use it. Five of my eight plants appear to be males, so the grow room is going to be down to three as soon as I toss the boys. I may have room to string up the vanity light then and use the singles as fill ins. The 3 light strips are only 10 bucks at Home Depot, and for another $3 you can get a plug to attach right to the fixture wiring.