co2 questions..

D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
Co2 Calc im using, and im wondering what the 'Flow meter setting' is all about? Is that how much air im removing from the room, or how much whatever co2 generating device i decide on is pumping into it? Not sure what to set that at...

My room: 11.5 x 12 x 9 ft room = 1242 cubic feet.
Ambient co2 level is 750 (live @ low altitude) but to date I've been running a neg vac (so fresh air always coming in) but with co2 I'm going to want to seal the room and not lose any, so not sure what "ambient" will be, so not sure how much i'll have to add, but I'm figuring the amount of CO2 required will be around 1.0 cubic feet? That's per that calc, with flow meter set on 1. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please. I think that's too much to ask from bottles and i should go propane? Shooting for 1500ppm obviously, been looking at HydrogenPro since a few months of the year i can't add 10F to the room. Expensive though, would love a cheaper option, but i bet everyone would eh? ha..

Thoughts?

bongsmilie
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
the cubic foot stuff is for using a bottle and valve setup. i have a 10'x11' room and use a minigen generator, and it runs so little and puts out so little heat i didnt use the water cooling aspect of it. you can get a minigen and entry controller(ppm4) for $430. my 30# propane tank last 3 months and cost $23 to fill.
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
Hey man, thanks for the reply. Our rooms are pretty similar in size. Do you have a co2 ppm meter? Just wondering if you are maintaining like 1500ppm at the plants going through only $23/3mo. Just a lot less than that calc lead me to think it'd cost. Seems like maybe once 1500 is hit, it stays for a bit if the room is sealed good?

I was really expecting heat issues from one too, not using the water cooler and you're still good? What are your temps without it? I'm at 87 (hottest point) and don't really want to see a 90 on my temp gauge. Read co2 was best absorbed at 85.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
i use a c.a.p. ppm3 monitor and controller set 6" below plant tops. i have tested different levels and found my sweet spot of nutes, temps and co2 ppm, i maintain 1100ppm while lights are on and my room is so sealed it will be 950-1000ppm 12hrs later when lights come on.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
no, dont even think its the same. those have to be exhausted because they produce co, not lots of co2. easy way to die over $100. i am all for saving money and doing things myself, but some things you just dont screw with.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
did you see how many times it stated for outside use only, in well ventilated area? i can build or modify just about anything, i bought my co2 gen. weed is not worth dying over.
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
any commercial co2 approach is going to cost you several hundred upfront and I'd on $20 of propane a week. even a room you think is "tight" is likely to exchange and or consume co2 completely within a couple of hours.

if you can't afford that, you can always try the diy yeast way - lots more work but cheaper
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
No actually i didn't see where it mentioned only for outside use. It says the EZ101 is "for semi-permanent installations at long term camp sites, small lake homes or cabins",.. and its a water heater, same as that article is saying use your big home water heater to supplement c02.

"If a large gas heater's exhaust is diverted into the grow area, there is great potential for all the oxygen to be burned up or displaced, as well as CO (carbon monoxide accumulation), resulting in toxic air conditions. With proper equipment, the CO2 from your gas furnace and/or water heater's exhaust can be safely used to supplement the CO2 used in your grow room."

So i get there is some risk, but i don't see how its any less with a minigen. How don't they do the exact same thing?
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
DIYer said:
I know nothing but what i read, and sometimes things don't jive, so please don't take offense but, are you really sure of that?... I read this recently: http://ezinearticles.com/?CO2-for-Free&id=48431
It talks of a cheap way to get free co2 from your homes water heater.
Click to expand...
DIYer said:
HIGHdea,..... EZ 101 Tankless Water Heater - Propane LPG - Portable - Battery Powered Ignition ...would this do the same thing for $100 less? The writeup makes it seem like the same type device...
Click to expand...
Ok, first the article. this will be oxymoronic but don't believe anything you read on the internet. that guy just told everybody how to get killed. there is a real risk of high levels of carbon monoxide being shunted to your grow room, and by "high" I mean 100PPM when it comes to carbon monoxide instead of the 5000 PPM humans can stand of carbon dioxide.

second, that's why the tankless water heater says "OUTDOOR use only"

don't do this
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
No beer here (yeast), i can afford it,.. just don't see the point if that thing over there with a different name tag does the same thing ya know. Just an idea.
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
from your link
outdoor unit, not for indoor, ideal for outdoorsman, may be made permanent is meaning outdoors.not to mention they are made to heat water, fast, and they use large array of flames generating tons of heat. i know the one i looked at for our house was over 200,000btu, so that must be at least 25000. a co2 generator has a very small and clean blue flame.
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
DIYer said:
So i get there is some risk, but i don't see how its any less with a minigen. How don't they do the exact same thing?
Click to expand...
mni-gens are built with burners that promote complete combustion to co2 whereas water heaters and the like are built with burners to maximize heat transfer to a liquid and in that design you lose a lot of the efficiency of burning and it results in some portion of the exhaust being carbon monoxide (chemical engineer).
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
ahh,.. now i know. Thank you for the explanation. So this and this look like decent prices. That'd be $500ish,.. i forget anything?

..well, besides some propaaaaaaane
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
DIYer said:
ahh,.. now i know. Thank you for the explanation. So this and this look like decent prices. That'd be $500ish,.. i forget anything?

..well, besides some propaaaaaaane
Click to expand...
used on ebay - or ask look and ask on craisglist - always someone wanting to be an exgrower or a bigger grower -no reason to buy new if you're on a budget
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
very true,.. found a used cap3, be damned if i can locate a used minigen on CL or eB though,.
thanks for the help guys
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
ya know what,.. i changed my mind. I'm back to thinking you're wrong about that article. Its been proven to work, there are ways to do it right.

For anyone looking to do it cheaper, and without creating more greenhouse gases, read on:
https://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/225177-diy-natural-gas-co2-generator.html <this is what i'll be doing, after i get some CO meters to be safe. Constant fresh air to the burner is what makes this safe. Knowledge is power.
 
D

DIYer

Well-Known Member
First thing on my buy list is a CO meter with digital display, and record of highest reading. But that aside,..
Dude,.. seriously,.. read that thread before passing so much judgment. everyone should read it. Guys been doing it for years now with the only problem being bigger buds. CO is only created by the burning CO2, which happens when there isn't enough fresh oxygen around the flame. My specific water heater has a setup so that can even happen. Doing this right is just as safe as the overpriced MiniGen, which also requires a well ventilated area so its flame can't burn the CO2 it also creates.

You're paying to add more CO2 to the world, and tossing away plenty made by your water heater. 1500ppm can be abstained in a 10x10 room by the pilot flame alone. You live right next to the same flame in a gas dryer, and gas stove.

Unless you live without hot water,.. to remain ignorant of how things work, and to buy what i can only now call "products for the ignorant", you might very well no longer have an excuse to not start helping the planet, and saving money,.. and making more money,.. ha. Okay I'm going to do this now.
 
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