Climate controlled grow fridge

Tht_Blk_Guy27

Tht_Blk_Guy27

Well-Known Member
Merlowe111 said:
Started growing. Growth seems a bit slow, maybe I'm just impatient. One seems to be yellowing, however it was struggling since germination so it may just be a weakling. Disregard EC measurements I had no way to read EC and it was asking for an input in order to continue. I'm hoping the root zone explodes with growth like I see in some grow journals. Right now it doesnt seem to be doing much. Temps are held at 75-78f. Light is 28" away. Using general hydroponics flora nutes along with cal-mag.
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The runt vvv
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i see your a man of the people using the grow with jane app :lol: ;-) ;-) ;-)
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Merlowe111 said:
Sorry,guys been out of the loop for a while due to the pandemic. Quick update, harvest went very well, I did have problems..and those problems caused me a reduced yield but it was 100% related to the hydroponic side of things. I found the Co2 function could be eliminated if necessary (high price to get setup) simply run an aquatic air pump tube into the fridge to exchange fresh air. i wish I had weighed my final product but my scale was on the fritz and I doubted its accuracy. However for a visual reference I filled 6 standard mason jars with cured dry product. If i had no nutrient issues and used training techniques im sure my yield would have been substantially more.I switched a plant to soil and it exploded with growth. The fridge did everything perfectly and I highly recommend this method for anyone who wants a 1-2 plant personal grow and absolutely must have stealth(zero noise besides the typical noise of a fridge compressor), security(it locks), but most importantly TEMP CONTROL.There are a few things I may refine a bit more, but its mostly just extra bells and whistles or automation features I don't need. But overall as a proof of concept it turned out great. As I was finishing flower, I could set my temperature much lower and bring out some beautiful purples without any effort. i could literally simulate a frost if I wanted to.This is also a great option for those who want to experiment with an exotic strain that requires very specific temperatures or Temps that would Normally be unobtainable in your region. Due to the amazing insulation properties of a fridge,It allowed me to grow at 76-78f inside a shed that sits at 110f inside every day. It could theoretically work in reverse, where you could have it (the fridge) in a cold climate and the grow lights heat would maintain the warmer comfortable temps within. Even a small warming mat could be added. Anyways the potential is huge and cost me only a few hundred bucks vs the multi thousand dollar automated setups like the seedo. View attachment 4716501
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Love your build, nice work. I'd have bought that co2 controller if I'd seen this sooner, my Autopilot APCEMDL logger arrives tomorrow. I subscribed last year, but I never get notifications!

I'm experimenting with something similar, but I fight cool temps in the winter. I'll probably end up making a cabinet with foil faced foam board insulation. You've got me thinking though, I have an unused freezer in the basement, I'll put my light in there and see what I get for temperature.

Air exchange, co2 and monitors

I'm experimenting with minimal air exchange to keep humidity and temperature up in the winter. No one seems to know how much air exchange is needed, the answers are all over the place and there are always variables. I know from experience that I can use much less ventilation than many/most...
www.rollitup.org
 
Merlowe111

Merlowe111

Well-Known Member
1212ham said:
Love your build, nice work. I'd have bought that co2 controller if I'd seen this sooner, my Autopilot APCEMDL logger arrives tomorrow. I subscribed last year, but I never get notifications!

I'm experimenting with something similar, but I fight cool temps in the winter. I'll probably end up making a cabinet with foil faced foam board insulation. You've got me thinking though, I have an unused freezer in the basement, I'll put my light in there and see what I get for temperature.

Air exchange, co2 and monitors

I'm experimenting with minimal air exchange to keep humidity and temperature up in the winter. No one seems to know how much air exchange is needed, the answers are all over the place and there are always variables. I know from experience that I can use much less ventilation than many/most...
www.rollitup.org
Click to expand...
The fridge handles cool temps very well. It is so well insulated (since it's made to contain freezer temps) that it maintained 76f constantly even though it was in the low 30s recently outside. The light acts as a sufficient source of warmth and the fridge just doesn't have to turn on to cool as often. (Since even though it's cold outside, the fridge still holds that light heat.)I didn't really have to focus too much on air exchange, with the co2 the plant has all it needs to breath (I have the controller turned waaaay down to around 400ppm. Plus I open the fridge at least once a day to check and give it an exchange from stale air. The fridge manages to maintain whatever temp I set it to, regardless of outdoor ambient. Your freezer would probably do very well at maintaining homeostasis. One thing I noticed though, when it's cold outside and warmer in the fridge, condensation forms inside the fridge due to the temperature differential (think ice cold glass of water on a warm day) to combat it I just plugged a dehumidifier into the humidistat and it took care of it.
 
S

Scrumpy1991

Active Member
Hi, Ive just found your post having looked into fridgegrow.com and deciding its a rip and wanting to do a DIY alternative, you've literally done what I was planning!
As a year or two has passed since you started it, have you found your fridge works well throughout the whole year, both hot and cold?
I saw on the above website that they used a little bit of metal to catch the water runoff from the back and direct it into the plant pot, bit of water recicrulation and seemed pretty clever. How often were you watering if you let the water just run out?
 
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