Temp Flux. Bad I Know. Need Ideas

imlovnit24/7

Active Member
Indoor mini grow box(2Lx2Wx3T) While the 3 were sprouts using less cfl's, now that they're bigger, i added more(2.5 lights per plant) Living in AZ having only a swamp cooler controling the heat is always an issue, especially for my grow. Can't keep the swamp on all day cuz the days are too cool and cool the apt to low 60's(stressful to plants)

Any of you pro's know a cheap cheap way to help cool my grow(excluding the 2 fans already working on high), premanufactured or DIY?
 

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podunk421

Active Member
I haven't had too much heat issues here in AZ and Im running a similar setup though larger dimensions. Improve your exhaust or induction fan so you get more fresh air pumping through the box as that will cool the temps a bit. The grow cabs location also helps, cooler darker places will have better heat reduction effect.
 

imlovnit24/7

Active Member
i've got a 20'' bow fan pointed on them durring the day to help cambat the peak in temp and a 7" oscilating clip as well for gentle movement of air at night. though according to my temp/hydrometer recorded its highest yet the other day of 95 F. don't know how much more air i can force into the little box without cutting out a large section and maintain a light proof(ness) for flowering later...???
 

podunk421

Active Member
i've got a 20'' bow fan pointed on them durring the day to help cambat the peak in temp and a 7" oscilating clip as well for gentle movement of air at night. though according to my temp/hydrometer recorded its highest yet the other day of 95 F. don't know how much more air i can force into the little box without cutting out a large section and maintain a light proof(ness) for flowering later...???
95 with CFL's is way high, Fans inside are a good way to build stem growth but you need an exhaust fan to pull fresh air through the box. It replenishes the CO2 and keeps air movement going strong. I am running a 1.5' tall, 3' wide, 1.5' deep box myself and with 2 T-5's and 3 T-8's my highest temp was 80. I only use a 4" POS fan from walmart to exhaust the box and it never gets too hot. Sounds like you have a completely sealed unit with no air flow into and out of it which is not going to get your plants too far. If I'm wrong about your exhaust and you are running some form of exhaust / intake you could always wait a few more weeks and the temps here are dropping pretty quick and just run your lights at night when its cooler out to combat the high temps.
 

GrizzlyAdams

Well-Known Member
I would make your 18 hour photoperiod from 6pm to 12pm. Run the lights when the outdoor temps are lower. Additionally I would install a passive intake in the base of your growbox. Anything will do, you could get a black/brown dryer exhaust port and place it facing inwards (anything that will close when air is not being cycled). Place a fan dedicated to exhaust in the top of the box (The other side from the intake port) and run it solid from 6pm-1pm. Blows air outwards, new air is sucked into the box below and cycles up through. 6pm-1pm cools a bit past when your lights shut down, I'd have it pop on for 15 minutes every 2 hours while they're small and every hour when they're larger. You can fiddle with the exhaust periods based on how cool your box starts to run.

You have 12 square feet, a 50 CFM fan will be plenty, and a 90 wouldn't hurt. Turning your box into a wind tunnel is likely the best way you're going to cool it, just make sure your plants aren't being blown on too hard. 50CFM is replacing the air 4.15 times every 60 seconds. Putting your growbox on lower levels of your home, the basement, etc will help. Anything with a lower ambient temperature will result in cooler temps in your box.

Plants will survive @ 90 degrees with no physical effects although they will grow slower than they would at a cooler temp. The biggest caution I can give you with running warm temps is WATCH YOUR SOIL MOISTURE! Do not overwater, but when your medium goes dry (which it should from time to time to promote roots oxygenating the soil) your roots will cook much faster than other growers. The above ground portion of your plant can withstand very high surface temps, however if the roots start spiking. . . you'll have some MJ potpourri pretty quick.
 

imlovnit24/7

Active Member
Grizzly- thanks for the advice. after payday i'll pick up 1-2 of the "POS" 4" fans from walmart. had thought about those at first when constructing my box but thought the box fan should be enough. so thanks, i'll turn it into a wind tunnel. my biggest concern is them all going male from the heat i know lower temps helps reduce the chances
 

podunk421

Active Member
Grizzly- thanks for the advice. after payday i'll pick up 1-2 of the "POS" 4" fans from walmart. had thought about those at first when constructing my box but thought the box fan should be enough. so thanks, i'll turn it into a wind tunnel. my biggest concern is them all going male from the heat i know lower temps helps reduce the chances
Dont consider this as law, but I am fairly certain that at the stage of growth they are in they will not end up being stressed enough to go male yet. If you end up fixing the problem soon you should be just fine. Good luck.
 
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