Building a stealth Super Cabinet (at least im trying)

I'm always thinking of the best ways in stealth. I'm thinking of one of those tall Igloo coolers w/ a small 2 plant ebb and flow, CFLs, and PC fans. Tiny, but could work...and cheap. There are those companies that sell the two-door $80 metal office cabinet with lights and fans for over $1400!?! People are always throwing out storage and filling cabs or sell at yard sales. A 48" high cab would be great...just drill some holes for fans, white mylar on inside, weatherproof, hydro, ba-bing!

Definitely NID you can do it real cheap.. Wouldnt want to grow in plastic though personally. Like the idea of a used cabinet...

I think if i went used and got something other than T5's and a little more DIY, i could have pulled off something jsut as funtional for say 600 w/o C02 and advanced controllers.

Here is what i was thinking if i were to add AC and Dehumidfier. Still havent decided yet...Any input?


DH- dehumidifier
Dark square - AC
WC - Water Cooler

Ive seen some thermoelectic AC and humidfiers that i might try building. Would really save space and work really well. 5000 btu is really overkill but hard to find a quality AC any smaller. That AC and Dehumidifier would add alot of noise too. Theromoelectic is just the fan noise and i can make a unit 1 ft deep, 1.5 wide and 8" high that does both AC and dehumidifying seperately or together. Will show you a desigh for that soon.

Help me out people 3rd cab or the DIY thermo device??????????????????

Hey FMJ,

I've been thinking about your prospective third cab since you first proposed the idea a while ago.

First, let me say that I think you've done a 1st rate job on the project so far.

I'm not sure where you are planning to put this monster, but 9ft of metal cabinets is a bit conspicuous. Especially if they seems to have wind whistling through them and humming machinery inside.

Aside from that, I think it would be pretty kick ass to have a internally cooled, self-contained cab! I'm not sure what the water cooler is all about though. Wouldn't the AC act to dehumidify as well when it is running. Also, the AC would have to be in a section with separate ventilation or it will heat things up.

If the room's ambient temp is contributing to the high internal temps, maybe the addition of an evaporative cooler or portable AC outside the cab directed at the intakes would be helpful.

Maybe it will just take some experimentation on the controller to reach a balance between necessary cabinet ventilation (and heat control) and CO2 administration. I would lean toward increased ventilation over CO2 as I have seen some amazing buds grown without the need for supplemental CO2.

Also, if I remember correctly from earlier in the thread, you are planning a cross-country move in the relatively near future. Maybe you could see how things are working with the current set-up and add the third cab. after the move if you find it necessary. Hell, you may find the perfect house/apartment and decide to set up a grow room. I'm not sure why, but I guess I am discouraging you from the third cab just now... I just think it is a bit overkill.

I truly wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing how it all works out!

~Rock~

Yea maybe you are right. The AC though would be behind that wall in the left cab with a "box" on the back just pulling air out the very rear to exhaust out the top. The box and AC both would still be in the cab. The AC would dehumidify but i dont want to cool the cab toomuch and feel i would do so if i were to kick it off it whenever my humidity went over 50%. The water chillerr i think i will still need. I plan on going DWC i think and will use it to keep my res temps perfect.

And you are right, i may not even need any of this. I should wait and see. Thanks for your input and keeping my best interest in mind.

If i do need something additional, I am leaning towards creating my own thermoelectic cooler and dehumidifier and keeping the dual cab design instead of adding a third...

I just wanted to exhaust the cab a little as possible for stealth reasons and the CO2.

After i did some CO2 waste calculations and hearing how quiet the exhaust is I am less worried. I could run the exhaust for 1 min every 15 min and a 20lb tank would last me 84 days. I don't see i will need to exhaust anymore than once every 1-3 hours in reality at most to keep humidity and temps in check. So I could potentailly get 4 flowering cycles out of a 20lb tank.

here are my CO2 calculations...

Grow room area: 36 cubic feet
Amount of CO2 required: 0.0432 cubic feet
On time: 0.65 minutes
At this flow rate:
If you are using a 20 pound CO2 bottle with a regulator, it will last 43.7 hours.
flow setting 4
4 times an hour
12 hours on
48 cO2 cycles at .65 min
48 * .65 = 31.2 min a day
C02 tank will last 43.7 hours or 2622 min
using 31.2 min a day
2622/31.22 = 84
20 lb Co2 tank will last 84 days of usage if I recycle my air every 15 min (this is worst case scenerio, and i will not need to do this)

just checking in. still in love with your cabs. if i upgrade in the near future i'm sure you will be getting some PMs from me with questions.

great job and i'll be watching for a journal.

WOW! nice setup!!!

so...How much did it cost?!

i give you props for the design

FullMetalJacket said:

Here is what i was thinking if i were to add AC and Dehumidfier. Still havent decided yet...Any input?

DH- dehumidifier
Dark square - AC
WC - Water Cooler

Ive seen some thermoelectic AC and humidfiers that i might try building. Would really save space and work really well. 5000 btu is really overkill but hard to find a quality AC any smaller. That AC and Dehumidifier would add alot of noise too. Theromoelectic is just the fan noise and i can make a unit 1 ft deep, 1.5 wide and 8" high that does both AC and dehumidifying seperately or together. Will show you a desigh for that soon.

Help me out people 3rd cab or the DIY thermo device??????????????????

Click to expand...

no third cab.......if you could put something together like you said..and still keep the 2......thats the road i would go down.......

Companies make indoor air conditioners for windows that are too small...you could use one of them and the ducting that comes with. it looks pretty enough to not be hidden

BackyardHappyness said:

Companies make indoor air conditioners for windows that are too small...you could use one of them and the ducting that comes with. it looks pretty enough to not be hidden

Click to expand...

You have a link? I could not find one anywhere. I can't find any AC under 5000 btu for windows or walls..

Thanks Fury

i can look. most of them are meant for mid size rooms...not closets. you are looking for cooling, no? i dont know of any system that heats AND cools to keep the right temp

BackyardHappyness said:

i can look. most of them are meant for mid size rooms...not closets. you are looking for cooling, no? i dont know of any system that heats AND cools to keep the right temp

Click to expand...

Yea man just cooling..Thanks if you take the time to look. I looked damn near everywhere and usually you can find anything on the net...

Portable Air Conditioners, Room Home & Window air conditioner

this is the style im thinking of, not necessarily size. these are a bit big...

BackyardHappyness said:

Portable Air Conditioners, Room Home & Window air conditioner

this is the style im thinking of, not necessarily size. these are a bit big...

Click to expand...

Yea but i need to find something that doesnt mix the air it treats and the air it exhausts...thanks for looking though.

i believe they have an exhaust duct that fits into small windows. its basically an airconditioner that blows the hot air outside, instead of having the unit hang outside

ive never done that kinda thing before, so i dont know what you need.

BackyardHappyness said:

i believe they have an exhaust duct that fits into small windows. its basically an airconditioner that blows the hot air outside, instead of having the unit hang outside

ive never done that kinda thing before, so i dont know what you need.

Click to expand...

right but that they use air from the inside to run over the fan and exhaust that air out. Do benefit over just exhausting my air. And it would smell.

OH. yeah i see what you are saying now! yeah theres no way that would work. you'd have to build another cab too. ok, i see now, my bad.

i dunno what else might work...

possibly keeping the actual room air conditioned, then pumping it into the cab? then the exhaust fans take care of it from there.

Man you have done some serious work on that thing!! Very impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing this one advance!

I KNOW! youve spent so long on the setup, now all we wanna see is the weeeed!!