Ducting Co2 from outside is it likely I'll be detected?

unfortunately I live in a state which isn't legal so I have to be very careful when growing my meds

I want to use co2 but the amount of heat I won't be able to deal with and bottled co2 isn't an option due to size of room.

I'm thinking of using a propane hot water heater mounted outside. I can use it to heat my large pond on a co2 controller rigged up to the pump.

I will use pvc ducting from the exhaust vent on the burner and duct it directly into the grow room on second floor.

My question is would this be a security risk? What do people think? If you looked across the road and saw a propane heater running and a pipe running up against the wall (it will look like the drainage pipe from toilet etc right next to it)

What about cops with flir? Hot propane burner running randomly throughout the night and possibly a hot pipe? Not sure how hot the fumes would be.

I could really use any opinions on this I've been fine for the last few years but don't want to ruin things by using co2.

Cheers

give it up, dont kill yourself for the little c02 you might collect.
just be sure you exchange your grow space air after filtering through activated carbon cans(phresh, etc)

chemphlegm said:

give it up, dont kill yourself for the little c02 you might collect.
just be sure you exchange your grow space air after filtering through activated carbon cans(phresh, etc)

Click to expand...

I already do all that.
The co2 wouldn't be a little it would take my ppm to 1500 easily.

It would be perfectly safe only issue I face is detection.

co2 isn't worth it for what little it will add to the plants. You will be spending a lot of money that isn't needed and any increase in risk detection definitely isn't worth it.

Kerovan said:

co2 isn't worth it for what little it will add to the plants. You will be spending a lot of money that isn't needed and any increase in risk detection definitely isn't worth it.

Click to expand...

I dont agree with that.
If my c02 generator failed I'd replace it next day. for instance if op had a sealed room with no ventilation the lack of c02 will
be evident quickly. a plant grows to its weakest resource, if thats c02 then a full expression cannot be expected.
a perfect room with perfect nutrients wont mean diddly with subpar lighting for instance, the plant will grow to the weakest resource every time. theres no hit or miss in the garden when every resource is provided correctly. without knowing the ambient c02 in a space its impossible to know if its sufficient.

I have custom built cobs 100w per square foot. I recently sealed the room.
So I do need co2 I'm just trying to think of best way to do the co2.

I was trying to see if people on here could give there opinion on wether the drainage pipe going from the propane burner to the indoor room from outside would look suspicious

My 24000 btu AC may be able to handle the extra heat from a burner I'm not sure - but even if it could I don't really like the idea of trying to carry 50kg propane tanks up my stairs every time it needs replacing.
I use 10000w of cobs at about 55% efficiency so they produce nearly 4500W of heat from just the cobs. Then I have general heat from the sun that heats my house on top of that. Not sure how many watts of heat the burner would give off though.
I could possibly heat my 500l hydro reservoir and then immediately run it through a chiller within the same room and hope the AC can deal with it

This is in a 7m x 7m room

chemphlegm said:

I dont agree with that.
If my c02 generator failed I'd replace it next day. for instance if op had a sealed room with no ventilation the lack of c02 will
be evident quickly. a plant grows to its weakest resource, if thats c02 then a full expression cannot be expected.
a perfect room with perfect nutrients wont mean diddly with subpar lighting for instance, the plant will grow to the weakest resource every time. theres no hit or miss in the garden when every resource is provided correctly. without knowing the ambient c02 in a space its impossible to know if its sufficient.

Click to expand...

I'm not saying co2 isn't beneficial, it's "fertilizer" just like other. Everything needs to be balanced, you are correct. But houses breathe, and when you are in an area where it is illegal anything that you do that may draw attention to it is not worth the extra risk for the small benefit. Especially if you are just growing for your own use. I grow 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds in 3 1/2 months in a 4x4 tent for my own use, the addition of co2 just wouldn't be worth it since I grow more than I can use anyway.

James1982 said:

My 24000 btu AC may be able to handle the extra heat from a burner I'm not sure - but even if it could I don't really like the idea of trying to carry 50kg propane tanks up my stairs every time it needs replacing.
I use 10000w of cobs at about 55% efficiency so they produce nearly 4500W of heat from just the cobs. Then I have general heat from the sun that heats my house on top of that. Not sure how many watts of heat the burner would give off though.
I could possibly heat my 500l hydro reservoir and then immediately run it through a chiller within the same room and hope the AC can deal with it

This is in a 7m x 7m room

Click to expand...

You need to be very careful, co2 is dangerous. It is also heavier than air, so if you are using it on the upper floor any co2 that leaks out will go downstairs and displace oxygen on the lower level that could create a hazard for those living there. Also make sure to turn it off when the lights are out since plants actually take in oxygen when it's dark and put out co2 just like animals.

Kerovan said:

I'm not saying co2 isn't beneficial, it's "fertilizer" just like other. Everything needs to be balanced, you are correct. But houses breathe, and when you are in an area where it is illegal anything that you do that may draw attention to it is not worth the extra risk for the small benefit. Especially if you are just growing for your own use. I grow 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds in 3 1/2 months in a 4x4 tent for my own use, the addition of co2 just wouldn't be worth it since I grow more than I can use anyway.

Click to expand...

agreed

Honestly, i don't think the water heater would burn clean enough to use in a grow room.

With propane burners and stove-top burners they are designed to burn as clean as possible minimizing any byproducts especially CO, outdoor burners usually aren't designed the same way.

James1982 said:

My 24000 btu AC may be able to handle the extra heat from a burner I'm not sure - but even if it could I don't really like the idea of trying to carry 50kg propane tanks up my stairs every time it needs replacing.
I use 10000w of cobs at about 55% efficiency so they produce nearly 4500W of heat from just the cobs. Then I have general heat from the sun that heats my house on top of that. Not sure how many watts of heat the burner would give off though.
I could possibly heat my 500l hydro reservoir and then immediately run it through a chiller within the same room and hope the AC can deal with it

This is in a 7m x 7m room

Click to expand...

ok a Co2 burner and a burner off something else is to a totally different thing
yes they both make Co2 but a Co2 burner is made to make Co2 at the lowest possible heat exchange to the air from the flames .....other systems are ment to make heat from the burning of it even at the lowest settings u can get it is still ment to make heat Co2 is just a by product of it burning (the amount that comes off it not going to be controlled vs the heat it is going to add on your system )

do u like beer wine or moonshine .......also do u have a outlet for all that and mushrooms
brewing anything with alc the by product is Co2 ....same with growing mushrooms (Trippy or Fancy dining kind)

wine making is actually the simplest of over all ...Co2 output is high due to longer brew
beer making is little complex depending on what u do mash only goes to 8% highest so short life but a big burst of Co2....and u have beer cheaper then store and stronger
moonshine is complex but the end result is something can be sold for a profit (rem this ppl are dumb they are morons when it comes to shine.....u can not warn them they do not listen ...sell to someone at whole sale and let them part it off for a higher profit marge)
shroom farming is simple but u need a outlet for this to work the turning over of the crop will stunt the Co2 but make u cash and the regrowth will boost Co2 up (need own area just same air cycling )

other thing u can do to increase the Co2 lvls is spend time in the area .......alter the current air flow so u suck in air from the living areas of ppl/pets

Kerovan said:

I'm not saying co2 isn't beneficial, it's "fertilizer" just like other. Everything needs to be balanced, you are correct. But houses breathe, and when you are in an area where it is illegal anything that you do that may draw attention to it is not worth the extra risk for the small benefit. Especially if you are just growing for your own use. I grow 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 pounds in 3 1/2 months in a 4x4 tent for my own use, the addition of co2 just wouldn't be worth it since I grow more than I can use anyway.

Click to expand...

You do realize that co2 is the whole cause of transpiration, don’t you? Even ambient 380-600 is better than nothing, but stoma “breathe” in co2 and release o2. The opposite of mammals. It’s essential for proper photosynthesis. Have any of you considered co2 boost or the other mushroom compost gens?? No heat. No tanks. Just an air pump.

A proper safe CO2 system will have an alarm linked to the local firefighters.

The room is air sealed with plenty of air circulation within the room to stop co2 settling downwards so leaking downstairs isn't a problem.

All co2 burners are made the same. Burners that are sold for grow ops just get a fancy label and a boost in price to make them profit.

The only time a burner won't burn clean is if there is a lack of oxygen. Due to the burner being outside it would never produce CO as the abundance of oxygen will always cause co2 to be produced.

I have CO alarms in any event. I know that the system I have would work. The only issue I had was stealth. I could easily state its for heating my pond as it would be used to heat the pond.

The thread seems to be getting off topic I was just hoping for opinions on wether or not it would look suspicious I could have the propane burner low down and hidden behind things like garden storage unit, compost bin etc so that people can't see where the pipe is coming from I suppose then it just looks like a drainage pipe is coming out of the second floor and down to the ground

Toohighmf said:

You do realize that co2 is the whole cause of transpiration, don’t you? Even ambient 380-600 is better than nothing, but stoma “breathe” in co2 and release o2. The opposite of mammals. It’s essential for proper photosynthesis. Have any of you considered co2 boost or the other mushroom compost gens?? No heat. No tanks. Just an air pump.

Click to expand...

Extra co2 isn't needed for my grows, they do fine without it. And yes, I know plants need co2 in the light, but in the dark they do just the opposite and respirate and take in oxygen and give off co2 just like mammals.

ANC said:

A proper safe CO2 system will have an alarm linked to the local firefighters.

Click to expand...

That would be an improper co2 system in this case...

The burner is also designed for inside or outside use so it's perfectly safe to use indoors I am just thinking it may be possible to use outside to make life easier

ANC said:

A proper safe CO2 system will have an alarm linked to the local firefighters.

Click to expand...

WTF?

James1982 said:

unfortunately I live in a state which isn't legal so I have to be very careful when growing my meds

I want to use co2 but the amount of heat I won't be able to deal with and bottled co2 isn't an option due to size of room.

I'm thinking of using a propane hot water heater mounted outside. I can use it to heat my large pond on a co2 controller rigged up to the pump.

I will use pvc ducting from the exhaust vent on the burner and duct it directly into the grow room on second floor.

My question is would this be a security risk? What do people think? If you looked across the road and saw a propane heater running and a pipe running up against the wall (it will look like the drainage pipe from toilet etc right next to it)

What about cops with flir? Hot propane burner running randomly throughout the night and possibly a hot pipe? Not sure how hot the fumes would be.

I could really use any opinions on this I've been fine for the last few years but don't want to ruin things by using co2.

Cheers

Click to expand...

Sooooo many misconceptions in this thread already.

CO2 isn't deadly unless you exceed 20,000ppm. CO, carbon monoxide, is entirely another story and can easily kill everyone in the house at low concentrations. This is because it takes the place of oxygen in the hemoglobin in your blood and will build up in your bloodstream over time.

I point this out because if your water heater runs natural gas it really isn't suitable for the job you want to give it, because it's more likely to produce carbon monoxide than a propane burner.

Surely you can get propane in smaller tanks than 50 kg dewars. They come in 10lb tanks for grills here, easy enough to find and not conspicuous.

How often you'll need to replace your tank depends more on how well sealed your room is- nice and tight makes for longer intervals.

Yes, CO2 is necessary in sealed rooms. It's an essential growth input and growth will be seriously stunted without a consistent supply...

..which leads to the next point, which is that you need an integrated environmental controller so that it only runs when it's needed to replenish low levels and only during the day cycle. This is another reason why your water heater idea is inadequate; you gonna take a shower or do dishes every time your room needs a bit? Lol

The police FLIR will not be able to see heat inside your home, but a window AC unit running in February will stick out. Consider mounting the unit inside, so the heat it extracts from your growroom will be dumped into your home and allow you to save money on domestic heating. This is easier if your grow is on a lower floor, since heat rises.

Finally, congrats on your 10kW of COB LED! That said, no matter how efficient it is, IT WILL STILL CREATE 10kW OF HEAT. The moment that light touches something, it will turn right back to heat or a byproduct thereof, like humidity. The efficiency improvement comes in when you're able to run 30W/ft² instead of 50-60W/ft² for traditional HPS. Plan your cooling strategy accordingly.