Air Conditioning: In wall or Portable

pahval

Well-Known Member
Take my rooms each room will have close to 28000 watts running each so 28000x3.4= 95200 btu.
hmmm, on that thread, guy had 9x600w plus a burner, with your calc only fpr lights he would need 15.390, but needs to use 28000 btu ac, i dont think he need 12000 btu just for burner, and if i digged around little bit more im sure ill find more proof agaibst that formula, but i dont really care, if you feel like youre right i wont argue with you... i just left that link for others to have info... peace...
 

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
hmmm, on that thread, guy had 9x600w plus a burner, with your calc only fpr lights he would need 15.390, but needs to use 28000 btu ac, i dont think he need 12000 btu just for burner, and if i digged around little bit more im sure ill find more proof agaibst that formula, but i dont really care, if you feel like youre right i wont argue with you... i just left that link for others to have info... peace...
Total watt or btu load. So you figure in the btu off the burner most 10 burners that use propane are around 22k btu however they shod run more then once or twice a day. But you can easily just add the btu load from that to the calculation. Most places won't allow you to use burners in commerial grows its why I use 375 lbs co2 tanks one per room. No added load plus I can't use burners nor would I want too anymore.
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
I have to admit that I did not know what a Mini-Split was so it was not on the list of choices.
I am now researching Mini-Split.
It might work.
I'm concerned about the neighbors seeing stuff and causing problems but I am looking into Mini-Split now.
Thanks everyone.

As I said this is the time to think things out.
This Grow Room is my last and so I plan to make it a wonderful proper grow room. Something that adds value to the property.
I doubt Mankind will stop tokin' when I die or sell this place.

I'll be watching some YouTube to get a better idea.

Friendly_Grower
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
Avoid portable air conditioners at all costs.
This is not to counter you in anyway but, I was thinking that a portable AC could be the first step in odor control.
I know, I know.. Stoner engineering but what if the Portable sends air to a dehumidifier? That then goes to a carbon scrubber and after that it is vented into a living-space in the cold of the winter as they might say?

Just thinking with a post.

Friendly_Grower
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
If it is cold enough I would simply cool with fresh air.
I'm not thinking about production. My room is a medical grow room.
Trust me, I have some sorting out to do on what will be the optimum.

Friendly_Grower
I was just throwing it out there as a possible warning. I've been using a portable unit that has a cold air ducting tube as well as a hot air venting tube. The unit is outside of my tent, so the air intake is taking in house air and there's no exhaust smell issues. I have 2 inline fans with scrubbers venting out. I recently bought a mini split, but I have to wait until after harvest to install it. Mini splits become their own headache though, because now I'm going to have to supply Co2 and possibly a humidifier.
 

Oldreefer

Well-Known Member
Over the years I've used available options, that I could afford, to control heat in a perpetual grow...
Few years ago, I went with a portable ac/dehumidifier. The option of cool or dehumidify was def a plus as I used the dehumid side mostly.
Later changed to a window ac/dehumidifier that gives me the same control. Both did their job well.
Footprint doesn't matter to me....now use the window unit with portable a backup. I only scrub exhaust from tent.
 

pahval

Well-Known Member
Over the years I've used available options, that I could afford, to control heat in a perpetual grow...
Few years ago, I went with a portable ac/dehumidifier. The option of cool or dehumidify was def a plus as I used the dehumid side mostly.
Later changed to a window ac/dehumidifier that gives me the same control. Both did their job well.
Footprint doesn't matter to me....now use the window unit with portable a backup. I only scrub exhaust from tent.
what kind of portable ac did you use? how much did it cool room?
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
I was just throwing it out there as a possible warning. I've been using a portable unit that has a cold air ducting tube as well as a hot air venting tube. The unit is outside of my tent, so the air intake is taking in house air and there's no exhaust smell issues. I have 2 inline fans with scrubbers venting out. I recently bought a mini split, but I have to wait until after harvest to install it. Mini splits become their own headache though, because now I'm going to have to supply Co2 and possibly a humidifier.
I appreciate your reply.

I take it that the Mini-Split is a closed room device.

When you say twin hose well I saw one of those on Amazon. So it is in-taking air with one and exhausting with the other?
How does it cool then?
I have to admit stealth is a desirable quality. I do not want to have anything that suggests production to anyone. No need to advertise or appear better off than others. No need to make folks think they can get them some so to speak.
I do want to grow a medical supply that will last for a while but where I am at it might be considered flaunting money to cut a hole in the wall for an AC.
Money wise I have a fixer upper house I bought so a mini-split costs a bit and that expense is low priority to the other more immediate repair issues.
In a perfect world it shouldn't matter but I have a lot of experience in close quarters with neighbors who could easily have detected my grow but they couldn't.
low humidity California and a carbon scrubber were all I needed. Here in Illinois it rains, something California wishes it had, and there is plenty of water vapor in the air.
In my mind, I want to not waste heat nor do I want to try and cool the world.
I need to look into this twin hose unit.
 
Last edited:

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
Okay, I did wonder what the dual hose was for on portable AC.

From a website:
This portable air conditioning unit has two hoses, one functions as an exhaust hose and the other as an intake hose that will draw outside hot air. The air is cooled and expelled into the area. This process heats the machine, to cool it down the intake hose sucks outside hot air to cool the compressor and condenser units. The exhaust hose discard warmed air outside of the house.
Now can the "Hot outside air" actually be the hot air from the grow-room?
I mean if it is scrubbed first?
I tend to think in terms of not wasting resources. I would like scrubbed warm discharge air to be use in house in the cold of the winter.
Am I right in thinking I could do that with a twin hose?
I'm not aiming at production so when it is too hot in the Summer I can skip growing. Gawd knows I will be spending on cooling the rest of the house.

I bought this place and there is a Central AC out there from like 30 years ago or something like that. Not in great shape and not functioning.
I bought a portable so I could have a small sanctuary place to cool down and it does work.
The down side is that a one hose unit creates a negative air pressure in the room. So a one hose unit is always importing hot air from outside the room.

Am I correct in thinking that a twin hose unit avoids negative air pressure?
I mean not that I don't want fresh air coming in, just that I want to have some control.
A one hose pulls from the room and if I understand it a twin pulls from one of the hoses.

Interesting!

I am not married to this yet but it may be all I need.

What do you think? Can the intake hose be a part of odor control and cooling?


Friendly_Grower
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Okay, I did wonder what the dual hose was for on portable AC.

From a website:

Now can the "Hot outside air" actually be the hot air from the grow-room?
I mean if it is scrubbed first?
I tend to think in terms of not wasting resources. I would like scrubbed warm discharge air to be use in house in the cold of the winter.
Am I right in thinking I could do that with a twin hose?
I'm not aiming at production so when it is too hot in the Summer I can skip growing. Gawd knows I will be spending on cooling the rest of the house.

I bought this place and there is a Central AC out there from like 30 years ago or something like that. Not in great shape and not functioning.
I bought a portable so I could have a small sanctuary place to cool down and it does work.
The down side is that a one hose unit creates a negative air pressure in the room. So a one hose unit is always importing hot air from outside the room.

Am I correct in thinking that a twin hose unit avoids negative air pressure?
I mean not that I don't want fresh air coming in, just that I want to have some control.
A one hose pulls from the room and if I understand it a twin pulls from one of the hoses.

Interesting!

I am not married to this yet but it may be all I need.

What do you think? Can the intake hose be a part of odor control and cooling?


Friendly_Grower
The kind I have has two hoses, both blow. One is sloughing heat from the unit and the other is cool air that goes into the tent. The intake is on the front of the unit. There is no return tubing. The air in the tent gets exhausted outside using inline fans and ducting.

There are portable units that have a return and make it a closed loop. They are big and really expensive though. You'd be better off using a window unit or mini split if you're trying to seal the tent.

This is what I'm currently using. Apparently the price has gone up a lot. They aren't very powerful, but it works if you're out of options like I was.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
You could use a portable unit to create a closed system by putting it in the tent, but it would take up a lot of space.
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
The kind I have has two hoses, both blow. One is sloughing heat from the unit and the other is cool air that goes into the tent. The intake is on the front of the unit. There is no return tubing. The air in the tent gets exhausted outside using inline fans and ducting.

There are portable units that have a return and make it a closed loop. They are big and really expensive though. You'd be better off using a window unit or mini split if you're trying to seal the tent.

This is what I'm currently using. Apparently the price has gone up a lot. They aren't very powerful, but it works if you're out of options like I was.
I recognize that brand! I have had their products for years.

So are you saying then that a twin hose unit basically pulls from the room, expels hot with one hose and blows cool with the other?
Well I am learning.
I was looking at this one :

I'm going to look at closed loop next.
This is the ideas phase.
My grow room is 72 Sq Ft room. ( 8' x 9' ). I am not using a tent. This is a permanent build. I own the place and it already had a rough grow room in. They did an excellent job dividing the "porch" and putting up a secure wall and door that is well insulated.
It was a feature of this place I was not shown over the Internet when I found this place. I had to come from California to Illinois to see it. A wonderful bonus.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I recognize that brand! I have had their products for years.

So are you saying then that a twin hose unit basically pulls from the room, expels hot with one hose and blows cool with the other?
Well I am learning.
I was looking at this one :

I'm going to look at closed loop next.
This is the ideas phase.
My grow room is 72 Sq Ft room. ( 8' x 9' ). I am not using a tent. This is a permanent build. I own the place and it already had a rough grow room in. They did an excellent job dividing the "porch" and putting up a secure wall and door that is well insulated.
It was a feature of this place I was not shown over the Internet when I found this place. I had to come from California to Illinois to see it. A wonderful bonus.
Ah, okay. I don't know what made me think you were growing in a tent. My reading comprehension is horrible today.
 

Friendly_Grower

Well-Known Member
Ah, okay. I don't know what made me think you were growing in a tent. My reading comprehension is horrible today.
I did not say what my "grow" was in this thread.
There has been an excellent conversation by the folks here. I believe "Tent" just became assumed. Not bad. I never looked into Tents so I do read what people say. Good Stuff.

I think I am liking the dual hose portable. Reusing the heat is smart. A wall unit is a bit flashy and would draw attention. I would be cutting a hole in a wall.
A mini Split is a bit advanced for what I plan but I totally dig the idea. Now if money was no object and neighbors were not a concern well, it would be Mini-Split.

Friendly_Grower
 
Last edited:
Top