Are Mirrors Good for Reflecting Light?

SmokeyMacPot

New Member
Mirrors waste energy by reflecting only a small fraction of the light that falls on them.

When light, which, like radio waves, is a form of electromagnetic radiation, strikes a metallic mirror the electrons in the metal move just as they do when a radio signal strikes an antenna. Pushing electrons around takes energy, which dims the reflected image.

Metallic mirrors reflect infrared light (heat) and if your mirror has imperfections this will cause hot spots, which can burn plants. Please note hot spots also apply to Mylar and Foil and IMO are not applicable to growers using small amounts of fluorescent lighting.

By using a mirror to reflect your light on a wall, you can test for imperfections, if you see an uneven image, with focused beams (normally located at the edge of the reflected pattern) these are known as hot spots and depending on the wattage of your bulb, may burn your foliage.

Metallic mirrors should not be used as a reflector for your grow room as minimizing light loss is important.

Author: MedMan
 
that was good info,, as i was thinking of using mirrors, it is easy to think it would bounce back just as much light as your own reflection comes back clear, but obviously not the case. so thanks for that, probably saved me not only burning the plants but could be worst,, the hol;e grow room and nieghbours!!!!!!! ;) cheers
 
Thankyou so much for taking the time to write information to help these growers. :bravo: It takes time and effort.

Sadly, you have posted this information all over the net:nomo: and it is wrong. I am sure this is due to what you have heard elsewhere and point of information can change everything

However, the MIT theory on the net says: Metallic mirrors work pretty well, but they have limitations. The most important is that they waste energy, absorbing a small fraction of the light that falls on them. M.I.T. Scientists Turn Simple Idea Into 'Perfect Mirror'

..and no I am not going to follow up on all the sites you have done this on. I do not understand why you rewrote this info.

When I initially came on here it was for a book and other informational materials regarding marijuana. Though I do not grow weed, it doesn't mean I do not know anything.

I am an Electrical Designer which means I design lighting systems. I have worked on Thousands of projects but the ones that stand out for this excersize is The Butterfly House and Moody Gardens.

But just to make certain, I have solicited the Electrical Engineer I worked under. I sent him what you wrote verbatim and here is his response What it lacks in verbosity it makes up in summary:



Mirrors will indeed help and they will reflect a small amount of heat too, but not as much as they do light. Try and see……
 
Mirrors worked for me on my last grow just as surely they will help me in my future grows. I use florescent only so the heat isn't really a problem for me.
I'm not disputing anyone's facts, just stating what works for me.

We used a lot of mirrors at Moody Gardens. It was difficult with the Butterfly House because the Butterflies kept crashing into their reflections, but mirrors are a saving grace when dealing with plants.
 
We used a lot of mirrors at Moody Gardens. It was difficult with the Butterfly House because the Butterflies kept crashing into their reflections, but mirrors are a saving grace when dealing with plants.

Are you talking about Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas? I've been there and it's what made me think it's okay to use Mirrors. LOL at the Butterflies.
 
Are you talking about Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas? I've been there and it's what made me think it's okay to use Mirrors. LOL at the Butterflies.

Yep, that's the place. It is always encouraging to have validation.

Unfortunately, the original post that started all this, chopped up an MIT report on the subject and consequently that thread got a 100% votes on NO MIRRORS.

Everything you read on here, including what I wrote, needs to be double checked. I used a quote from the original post and pasted it in G00GLE and found the MIT article that firmly stated metallic mirrors are the useless ones.

I do not understand why on earth someone would just cavlierly take an article, butcher it and give false information.

I do not understand how these folks even afford the seeds much less the lights etc. So the information given here needs to be correct or people lose money.

However, that report is now all over the net. Hopefully he will have the class, spirit and humility to accept this and change it, but most people that give info on here are highly defensive. So who knows.
 
This is my first day on this site as a new member. Doing my first grow from a clone that I picked up from the dispensary, and I am using my bathroom mirror to refocus the light that is shining down on my clones. I am lucky enough that the door of the medicine cabinet perfectly lines up with my clones, so that when the door is open, it not only traps heat that may be escaping from the bulbs, but it refocuses the light as well. It has worked like a charm to date, and my plant is getting huge(no hot spots!), and the room remains warm even with the window cracked to allow for ventilation. I'm glad that I kept reading this thread....
 
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