portable ac unit and air cooled reflector

[schatzicat]

hey y’all. my grow room is starting to get up to 90F and I am planing on getting a portable ac unit as window space is not an option. i currently have a 6inch ac infinity inline fan that is directly connected to my 600w air cooled reflector. works great at keeping the light cool. the fan moves about 300cfm. but being in a trailer the heat is hard to remove with that light...henceforth the portable ac unit. but i have to vent that unit out as well. question is.....will i have to A: make a new outside vent to run the ac unit heat outside? B: find a way to splice the ac unit heat exhaust tube into the existing exhaust from the light...at some point after it leaves the light? or C: can i connect the ac unit exhaust to the intake of the reflector hood even though the air going thru the light will not be ambient room air but hot air from the ac unit? they are both 6” and would be seemles and less clutter but will the hot air overheat that light? thanks. all advice welcome

 

[BucketGrower]

Go LED and run less watts and run the ac in the room using your existing exhaust route. I wouldn't run the ac exhaust thru the intake of the hood honestly. The temps sound like they would skyrocket the bulb, causing pre-mature damage or maybe exploding? I don't know much about this stuff. My 2 cents

 

[schatzicat]

good advice. for now an led is a
bit out of my price range.

 

[BucketGrower]

good advice. for now an led is a
bit out of my price range.

A shame LED is out of price range. I would hope you could splice into your existing exhaust to ventilate your AC.

 

[schatzicat]

thats what i was thinkin. i get the heat and smell sucked out with the bonus of extra blow force. if i get a good crop or 2 i could afford an led. a good one.

 

[BucketGrower]

Should work. As long as the ladies dont stretch too close to the hps or underperform or burn from the light, the high temps will be alright.

 

[Lenin1917]

I dont see why you wouldn't be able to splice the exhaust ducting together, at most you might need a small booster fan after the connection to keep up airflow.

 

[Lenin1917]

Any other exhaust in your tent besides the air-cooled lights?

 

[schatzicat]

im using a small bedroom right now 10x10 i think. there is a veg tent in there also using a small booster and a t8 led fixture. ill show a photo or 2

 

[schatzicat]

this is the setup. not fancy. im just starting out. as u can see in the photos it is tempting to put the ac exhaust on the reflector intake lol. probably too hot tho. the splice sounds good but i was worried that it might take suction away from the reflector itself as the splice would be closer to the inline

 

[TooFastxForYou921]

I put a box over the front of my portable ac ( covering the blowing vents ) taped it on. Cut a 6” hole in the box attached my ducting to the box then to my lights. Have a 6” inline sucking air through the hoods. I then cut a hole in my ceiling and vented the hot air from the compressor into my attic. Works like a champ I’m also in a mobile home

 

[Herb & Suds]

this is the setup. not fancy. im just starting out. as u can see in the photos it is tempting to put the ac exhaust on the reflector intake lol. probably too hot tho. the splice sounds good but i was worried that it might take suction away from the reflector itself as the splice would be closer to the inlineView attachment 4902850View attachment 4902851

I would paint everything you have in that room with flat white paint
You have like zero reflective ability as it is and potential for a lot
That wrinkly foil or even a mirror reflects less than flat white paint
I hope you notice I'm kinda beating a dead horse about flat white paint
Good luck

 

[schatzicat]

I put a box over the front of my portable ac ( covering the blowing vents ) taped it on. Cut a 6” hole in the box attached my ducting to the box then to my lights. Have a 6” inline sucking air through the hoods. I then cut a hole in my ceiling and vented the hot air from the compressor into my attic. Works like a champ I’m also in a mobile home

so more cold air thru the light will knock down the overall heat? makes sense

 

[schatzicat]

I would paint everything you have in that room with flat white paint
You have like zero reflective ability as it is and potential for a lot
That wrinkly foil or even a mirror reflects less than flat white paint
I hope you notice I'm kinda beating a dead horse about flat white paint
Good luck

kudos on the reflective advice. gotta knock the heat down then a few
coats of paint ought to increase the light

 

[Lenin1917]

I would just run the ac a bit colder. I've got 3400w of open reflector hps lights in my room right now and keeping the big window ac set at 70° keeps the room a comfortable 73, 75-78 in hot spots

 

[Lenin1917]

Pandafilm works just as good as paint and costs about the same requiring less work. All you need is a staple gun.

 

[Billytheluther]

You need a portable ac

 

[Billytheluther]

You need a window unit

run separate ducting with the fan

 

[Billytheluther]

Try and rig something up for your window

 

[Billytheluther]

They sell these on amazon for around 50 bucks