Grow Room Heating?

[captainmorgan]

I've got a room I want to heat this winter in Michigan for growing,it's a little over 200 sq/ft. I won't be using the whole space for growing just two tents but I'll need to heat the entire room,it's insulated with a exterior door. I'm looking at two different 10,000 BTU NG Empire brand heaters,one is a radiant vent-less and the other is a direct vent. My question is will I have any problems using a ventless because of the carbon dioxide (too much) or are there any better options? I have a widow air conditioner and dehumidifier already.

 

[indianajones]

when i lived in athens, ohio, i used a small pelonis digital oscillating heater for
both a mushroom grow room and a grow room in an unfinished basement and
it worked surprisingly well. radiator style heaters are pretty efficient as long as
you get a decent digital model that is accurate when measuring temperature.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I've got a room I want to heat this winter in Michigan for growing,it's a little over 200 sq/ft. I won't be using the whole space for growing just two tents but I'll need to heat the entire room,it's insulated with a exterior door. I'm looking at two different 10,000 BTU NG Empire brand heaters,one is a radiant vent-less and the other is a direct vent. My question is will I have any problems using a ventless because of the carbon dioxide (too much) or are there any better options? I have a widow air conditioner and dehumidifier already.

The problem with using ventless is its possible to literally burn out all the oxygen of a room, Now most of the newer ventless use an ODS. (oxygen depletion sensor) so if the o2 does drop, the angle of the flame will change to shut off the thermocouple. I'm not sure if your heater uses the electronic ignition. But the low oxygen problem remains.

If your using 2 tents, why not run them on opposite schedules so the room is always warm, you should be able to run the waste heat to keep things warm.

 

[jijiandfarmgang]

Sorry, don't have an answer for that.

But to clear some things up ALL electric space heaters are almost 100 percent efficient at converting electricity to heat.

Obviously natural gas is the way to go, if you can get it to safely work.

- Jiji

 

[Diabolical666]

Id set everything up with lights in tents and all and see if you can heat the room with the lights exhaust. 200sf ft isnt alot of room to heat

 

[TwistItUp]

The problem with using ventless is its possible to literally burn out all the oxygen of a room, Now most of the newer ventless use an ODS. (oxygen depletion sensor) so if the o2 does drop, the angle of the flame will change to shut off the thermocouple. I'm not sure if your heater uses the electronic ignition. But the low oxygen problem remains.

If your using 2 tents, why now run them on opposite schedules so the room is always warm, you should be able to run the waste heat to keep things warm.

I like that idea of running each tent opposite of the other. A great product to help with that would be a flip box, that way you would only need one ballast. But sounds like you might already have two.

http://www.powerboxinc.com/flipbox.html

 

[HayStax]

My experience with ventless, including natural Gas and propane have been that they never burn to max efficiency without effing with them, and have always left a darkened (from slight to extreme black) room/walls/ceiling from carbon particulate. But at least I'm my area, a room that size , and you'll save a bunch with Gas over propane. Ventless is best for when you do not have the option to vent. Always vent if you can, and remember to check the units "required combustion air space" to make sure you have enough intake.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

Id set everything up with lights in tents and all and see if you can heat the room with the lights exhaust. 200sf ft isnt alot of room to heat

Totally agree, every time I set up a new room I do a burn in period, so I can record highs and lows, so I can get a feel for the room if I need supplemental heat or more ventilation. If the OP has temperature datalogger that would be helpful.

200 square foot is roughly a room 14X14. And if the OP uses HID lighting say 1kw to 1.8kw per tent and the room is well insulated.. It should be groovy.

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

I like that idea of running each tent opposite of the other. A great product to help with that would be a flip box, that way you would only need one ballast. But sounds like you might already have two.

http://www.powerboxinc.com/flipbox.html

Heh, I have one of these.. The problem with this is its limited to HID ballasts only, another "flip" to consider because it uses a standard plug and it does support 1.5kw. (I need to check specs tho) I just see people running mixed lights, like UV supplemental or mebby he wants to run plasma.. OP didn't really specify what lighting he wants to use.

https://www.webhydroponics.com/shop/grozone-osw/

 

[TwistItUp]

haha, good point the OP could be running LED that don't hardly generate heat.

 

[a senile fungus]

haha, good point the OP could be running LED that don't hardly generate heat.

This is my issue... I'm running two 315w CMH bulbs and they barely produce any heat... My grow space drops down to 61 at night and up to not even 70 during the day...

I'm worried about cold temps affecting growth. This morning I put the plants up on towels so their roots were off for the cold basement floor.

I'm not sure if a heater would do me any good. I have a 4x8x7 tent that has a passive intake and is exhausting out into the backyard. That basement stays in 60s in the winter.


Will the cold negatively me? What do you think?

 

[GrowerGoneWild]

This is my issue... I'm running two 315w CMH bulbs and they barely produce any heat... My grow space drops down to 61 at night and up to not even 70 during the day...
I'm worried about cold temps affecting growth. This morning I put the plants up on towels so their roots were off for the cold basement floor.
I'm not sure if a heater would do me any good. I have a 4x8x7 tent that has a passive intake and is exhausting out into the backyard. That basement stays in 60s in the winter.
Will the cold negatively me? What do you think?

Its not a good thing.. a plant metabolic rate is related to temp. Includes rootmass too IMHO. That why people use heating mats to keep seedlings warm.. use tires for raised beds to trap heat.. etc..

I like to use a non contact IR thermometer to measure temps of soil and container.

 

[East Coast]

I find oil filled heaters work well, they retain heat, seem to hold a better constant temp in tents. Plug it into a digital controller set up.