basement grow, high RH...

Right now basement rh is around 75%-85%. I plan on moving my operation in their; constructing a poly room (sealed) with a i6" intake and outtake ducting leading out the room and out a window.
Will the higher rh in the basement effect my area insode my room? The room will be panda film coved tottally and duct taped, so otll be pretty much sealed, besides the intake/outtake.

Also a dehumidifier is out of the question, for now atleast.

Yes it will effect it, that is the air pulling in. Ur lights will lower it some depending on what kind you use. But the plants in flower bring it up. You will need a dehumidifer in flower.

I grow in my basement and a dehumidifier is an absolute must. There is no way around it (trust me, i have tried). The cost of the dehumidifier (plus operating costs) far outweigh wasting 12 weeks worth of time, electricity, materials and seeds to end up with a crop of unsmokable moldy weed.

I grow in a basement as well. no dehumidifier needed in my place. I do run a portable a/c from 7pm-7am. my rh is 50-55% lights on, 65% lights off.

DemonTrich said:

I grow in a basement as well. no dehumidifier needed in my place. I do run a portable a/c from 7pm-7am. my rh is 50-55% lights on, 65% lights off.

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your a/c is a dehumidifer

no way around it, you seal a room, the plant transpires water and RH rises.

I do realize that. that's why I have no need for a separate dehumidifier. but I also have a dehumidifier setting on my ac unit if I really need to get the moisture down.

op said dehum is out of the Q, why not a portable ac. problem solved, and will also solve the heat issue he most likely will have.

im assuming its out of the ? financially....

Agree with all the comments here, your RH is high now, throw a few plants in and you'll raise it if anything (may drop slightly lights-on, but lights off you're screwed). Growing in that environment is a recipe for mould(s). Move the grow elsewhere, bring in drier air somehow, or dehumidify, anything else = mould...

also, running the heat/furnace in the winter will definitely drop your r/h. mine will dip into the high 20's, mid 30's. I have to choose my drying areas carefully during the winter months.

I would say go ahead its okay for veg, especially with lights running 18+ hours, but save up for the portable dehumidifier... Its like 150ish and the running cost would only apply during lights off or night during flower....but I run in a basement ad well and you got to have it

I run my grow in my basement, the cold cellar to be exact, the original room before I built a room inside it, is 9" concrete walls/ceiling/floor. But my native humidity in that room with no mods and a sump pump was 45-50%. I'd be concerned about your general humidity in the basement, that's very high. You must have air or water leaks throughout the basement for the humidity to be that high.

idk if you have a furnace. I tied into my furnace duct work for fresh air, it's clean air and drier so to drop my humidity in the grow room all I do is blow more air in instead of trying to exhaust it out. In the winter that room can get down below 60F, even after insulating it and sealing it, so the furnace air also warms the room to where I want it in winter. In summer the central air conditioner keeps it in check. All it costs me is the cost of running an inline fan I hooked into the duct work.

amgprb said:

I grow in my basement and a dehumidifier is an absolute must. There is no way around it (trust me, i have tried). The cost of the dehumidifier (plus operating costs) far outweigh wasting 12 weeks worth of time, electricity, materials and seeds to end up with a crop of unsmokable moldy weed.

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This is some advice you can take to the bank. That kind of humidity is ok in veg state but not once it's flowering. I grow in my musty ass basement too and it would be impossible to do without a dehumidifier. Find a used one or some shit somewhere but you'll need it. Even with all the precautions I take I still get mold every now and then. And it hits the biggest fattest buds on the plant and often you don't even see it until after the chop.

I would also recommend getting a dehumidifier that has a hose attachment so you can drain it. Otherwise, with high rh you will be emtyong it out every 8-14 hours

DemonTrich said:

also, running the heat/furnace in the winter will definitely drop your r/h. mine will dip into the high 20's, mid 30's. I have to choose my drying areas carefully during the winter months.

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This will be my first grow in the winter in a basement and I was figuring my rh would drop pretty low as I got my room in the same room with my furnace for air circulation right now it sits around 40-60 depending on time and area.

You can try bringing in fresh dry air with a passive intake. That should lower the humidity but keep in mind it has to be cool dry ambient air. I run intake based on room temp in winter. Lights on typically means intake is running. Ultimately a sealed room with climate control and CO2 is the way to go. But to keep cost down try fresh air first.

I'll def have fresh, dry air coming into my panda film room like I said. I'm going to have a panda film " room" build with 2 6" vents going straight from poly room through a window to outside ; the outtake will have an inline fan and intake will be passive (for now).
I figure once my room starts to get heated as well as bringing in fresh air and exhausting spend air I should be good right?
I have to say I ran a full crop in that basement last winter (Wide open no room, also no intake/outtake) and my eh was stable with anywhere from. 25%-55% at max but 55 rare. I'm just trying to get by for another month or so till the rh drops to an acceptable ambient level

GrowinDad said:

Yes it will effect it, that is the air pulling in. Ur lights will lower it some depending on what kind you use. But the plants in flower bring it up. You will need a dehumidifer in flower.

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Not pulling the air from inside basement. Pulling from outside, through a window

Do you guys think that my 8mil panda film will keep out the RH from my room? It'll be sealed with duct tape and pushing out the air inside and bringing in fresh air from outdoor via passive intake for now, plan on getting another inline fan for intake as well

negative pressure in the grow room is a good way to keep r/h down if drawing air from a low r/h area.