cooling needed or no?
- Thread starter khakiman
- Start date
ScrogThis
Active Member
Depends. Is the room sealed? What is the ambient temp? metal halide runs a little cooler than HPS but I suspect you're going to need some ventilation or at least a fresh air source, a cooltube is nice but they can be expensive. if you already have the light just hang it in there temporarily and see how hot the room gets. You don't want to go over 85 F w/o supplemental CO2, 75F is much better. If you have an attic you can likely exhaust through the ceiling, the intake needs to come from a cooler source (outside air for example). Good luck!
Mikov
Member
run a test, just hang the lights, throw some junk in the room(dummy plants, or just anything that will hold heat) and leave them on for 18 hours and see how hot it gets. if it gets in the 90s it will probably stunt growth a little, and you'll have to install some sort of cooling. remember that the more plants and junk you have in the room, the hotter it will be. all the things the light hits(including the plants) will absorb and hold the heat, raising overall temp. my temp rose as my plants got bigger, nothing terribly significant but noticeable.
swiftisaac
Member
I agree with Mikov take temperature reading after you build your room with the light in it and try to compensate for winter/summer a little bit. If your in a hot climate during summer time you might want some ventilation but if your running a sealed room w/ co2 you dont need it. Do you run A/C if so definitely don't need cooling
It really depends on your temperature variances between night/day and seasons.
It really depends on your temperature variances between night/day and seasons.
1gne
Active Member
yea your goin to need it i can tell you that now. I mean if its an open type closet grow and your door is open then you might get away with sum good fans.
Now the only thing i cant find is if a regular (80cfm) inline fan would properly vent and have enuf power to push the "dirty" stinky air through the carbon filter thoroughly.
Snote: its a 64 cubic feet area
Now the only thing i cant find is if a regular (80cfm) inline fan would properly vent and have enuf power to push the "dirty" stinky air through the carbon filter thoroughly.
Snote: its a 64 cubic feet area
ScrogThis
Active Member
Nah, I ask as most DIY filters create a little less back pressure, mine is DIY as well. I use the main exhaust fan (I think it's 240 cfm), it's a 6" duct fan I got at a hardware store for like $30. The reason I said maybe a little small is after you add the filter, any screens to keep out bugs on the intake and such, the effective air flow is reduced somewhat. Any is better than none imho, grow on brother and let me know how it goes.
ambient temp is 67F (basement) its sealed with a door but not air tight by any means. i could probably run a duct outside if i needed to. the room next to it is my computer room and even with my computer and two monitors on ive been having to use a space heater to keep it at 67 and its not even winter yet. so i am hoping it will be nice and cool down here for a while until i can figure out the ductwork and buy the fans/blowers/exhaust stuff.
is a reflector that is designed to have inline fans like a cooltube worthless without an inline fan? because id rather get one of those and run it without a fan until spring then spend some money on proper cooling. Im in MI so its hot summers, cold winters.
is a reflector that is designed to have inline fans like a cooltube worthless without an inline fan? because id rather get one of those and run it without a fan until spring then spend some money on proper cooling. Im in MI so its hot summers, cold winters.
majBuzz
Active Member
I do not know how to grow/cultivate cannabis. All posts made by me are fictitious in the form of role playing a cannabis cultivator. None of this is Real and I reitterate I have no expierence with growing or using cannabis.
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Active Member
I have a space that's basically the same size except w/ a 8' ceiling and im also running a 400w system. I don't vent the heat off my ballast but if I had a exhaustible reflector I would. Right now I just a HoneyWell fan blowing on the reflector to move air and to cool it down, also I do have to vent the built up heat/humidity out of my room and most likely you will too. I have a 8" 300cfm inline duct fan (www.htgsupply.com $29.95) to remove my air,smell & humidity and it also brings in fresh air from the next room. So Id say if it was me and if I could get a reflector you can hook a inline fan up too, id get it and id def. get an exhaust fan even if you dont get the exhaustible hood just so you can get rid of that built up heat/humidity/smell.
legallyflying
Well-Known Member
I have a similar setup. I have a 7x7 grow room in the basement. I insulated the ceiling with r19 and the walls with r7 closed cell Styrofoam (the pink stuff). The room is completely sealed. I'm running dual 400/600 watt lights that are cooled with a 440cfm fan. Inlet and exhaust from outside. My ballasts (and reservoir) are outside the room. 18 hour cycles will get temps inside between 82-84. Which is perfect for me as I am running co2. If my ballasts were inside, it would be at least 10 hotter. I would HIGHLY suggest you run air cooled hoods. That way you can get the light closer to the plants without scorching. infrared heat gun readings on my light bulb can get in excess of 170 degrees!!
A slick way to do it is time the lights to come on without the fan for about 30 minutes or so to get temps where you want them, then have the hood fan turn on. (word to the wise, make sure your hood fan shuts off at exactly the same time or slightly before your light does. If not, when your light shuts off the RAPIDLY cooling aluminum ducting will condensate like a muther fucker--and nobody likes rain indoors). Insulate the room to moderate temps, big swings in night/day temps are not good for the plants and makes it easier to control the temps of the room. In the summer when the lghts are not as effectively cooled with the outside air I do have a cheap 4" inline fan mounted up high that exhausts the internal hot air and lets cool air in the room from a passive intake down low. These are sealed for most of the year as I run co2 and I cringe at thee thought of spider mites or molds making there way into my room. Humidity is controlled by a de-humidifier that runs when the lights are off.
I have a small carbon scrubber that runs 24/7during flowering. You need a decent fan to pull air through your carbon filter. 80cfm not going to cut it. You need to completely scrub all the air in 5 minutes. A good carbon filter will be densely filled with carbon and slow the fan down allot.
Lastly, Your going to want to have a metric shit load of fans to blow on, near, on top, below your plants. It enables you to keep the lights closer, reduce the chance of molds, increases gas exchange across the leaf surface, and most importantly, the swaying of the plants damages the cell walls of the stems and they heal themselves..thus making them stronger. just like in nature. I also put a wet towel in front of the fan when I want to jack up humidity rates.
That's my advice for what it is worth. I don't know anything about any of this stuff either so maybe just rig some half ass system, save $200 and struggle.
A slick way to do it is time the lights to come on without the fan for about 30 minutes or so to get temps where you want them, then have the hood fan turn on. (word to the wise, make sure your hood fan shuts off at exactly the same time or slightly before your light does. If not, when your light shuts off the RAPIDLY cooling aluminum ducting will condensate like a muther fucker--and nobody likes rain indoors). Insulate the room to moderate temps, big swings in night/day temps are not good for the plants and makes it easier to control the temps of the room. In the summer when the lghts are not as effectively cooled with the outside air I do have a cheap 4" inline fan mounted up high that exhausts the internal hot air and lets cool air in the room from a passive intake down low. These are sealed for most of the year as I run co2 and I cringe at thee thought of spider mites or molds making there way into my room. Humidity is controlled by a de-humidifier that runs when the lights are off.
I have a small carbon scrubber that runs 24/7during flowering. You need a decent fan to pull air through your carbon filter. 80cfm not going to cut it. You need to completely scrub all the air in 5 minutes. A good carbon filter will be densely filled with carbon and slow the fan down allot.
Lastly, Your going to want to have a metric shit load of fans to blow on, near, on top, below your plants. It enables you to keep the lights closer, reduce the chance of molds, increases gas exchange across the leaf surface, and most importantly, the swaying of the plants damages the cell walls of the stems and they heal themselves..thus making them stronger. just like in nature. I also put a wet towel in front of the fan when I want to jack up humidity rates.
That's my advice for what it is worth. I don't know anything about any of this stuff either so maybe just rig some half ass system, save $200 and struggle.