Grow Cabinet Question

Hello everyone, I am a first time poser and grower. I am looking into building a grow cabinet and I have a few basic questions that I could not find answers for in the newbie guide and 101 questions:


Question #1: Is it possible to control the stench of a plant in an enclosed area without installing ducting? Almost every build I have seen on here and online has had a dryer duct that removes air from the cabinet. I have two issues with doing this. First is that I need the cabinet to look like a regular cabinet. For security, reasons I cannot have a carbon filter or a duct sticking out of the cabinet (I would like to avoid roommates and friends asking questions). The second is the air would be blowing into an enclosed room (I can only assume it would stink up my room pretty bad, if not the entire floor). I was wondering if it would be possible to put a compact air filter or an ozone-free air ionizer into a cabinet to control the smell. I found a bunch of people asking about everything from charcoal filters to smell removing lights, but I didn’t see any real recommendations on products or methods. If anyone has any experience in doing this, I would greatly appreciate any advice and or model/store recommendations =).


Question #2: Without ducting, would temperature be an issue using CFL bulbs ?


Question #3: I have seen a bunch of different cabinets using a bunch of different reflective materials to line walls. I have seen everything from Mylar and automobile shades to white paint used. Is there a definitive best material?

q1: you should be able to place small air filters int he cabinet itself if u cant add a carbon filter onto an exhaust system, and tbh if you use bagseed you dont really have much of an issue with smell, so i dont think that sould be your biggets worry

q2 = ur biggest worry
depends on how big ur cabinant is/how many CFLS and how hot the sourondings are outside the cab, you can put an occilating fan in the cab to help, but without an exhaust(even if its int he form of a hole in the top) things can heat up pready quickly if ur using a serous amount of CFL's

q3, there is a fair debate on this, but each of these odesnt really vary much on reflectivity, the easiest thing is to go to a shop and get a cheap thermo blanket which is made of mylar and line the walls, if nto there is this panda stuff, and if u cant get any of that paint the walls with a flat white paint and u should go aight, DO NOT use aluminium foil(shit u have in a roll in ur kitchen) it create hotspots which would bur ur leaves etc

Thanks for the reply!

q1: you should be able to place small air filters int he cabinet itself if u cant add a carbon filter onto an exhaust system, and tbh if you use bagseed you dont really have much of an issue with smell, so i dont think that sould be your biggets worry

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Do you think it would be possible to hook up a fan & carbon filter and not vent it? Would blowing the air right back into the cabinet be an issue with anything other than overheating?

q2 = ur biggest worry
depends on how big ur cabinant is/how many CFLS and how hot the sourondings are outside the cab, you can put an occilating fan in the cab to help, but without an exhaust(even if its int he form of a hole in the top) things can heat up pready quickly if ur using a serous amount of CFL's

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The cabinet is 42x36x18 and I plan to use six CFL plant lights. I decided to use a 4” fan hooked up to an activated carbon filter (just not hooked up to a vent, and pushing the air back into the cabinet). Do you think that would be enough cooling?
If heat still causes problems, I was thinking about hooking up one of the automobile air conditioners that plug into a cigarette lighter for additional cooling. I have never used one of them before but I would probably hook up two or three of them if necessary. I think I could get decent air circulation system set up with them. Do you think I would still have issues under those conditions?

q3, there is a fair debate on this, but each of these odesnt really vary much on reflectivity, the easiest thing is to go to a shop and get a cheap thermo blanket which is made of mylar and line the walls, if nto there is this panda stuff, and if u cant get any of that paint the walls with a flat white paint and u should go aight, DO NOT use aluminium foil(shit u have in a roll in ur kitchen) it create hotspots which would bur ur leaves etc

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Will the Mylar roll create hotspots? I was looking at picking up this to line my cabinet:
http://www.amazon.com/Sunleaves-50-Roll-Mylar/dp/B0001WW410/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1279720479&sr=1-3

And using aluminum foil duck tape to hold it in place:
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Heating-Venting-Cooling-Ducts-Tape/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgyZariy/R-100030120/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053


If the foil tape is a no go I guess I could pick up a glue gun and use that to hold it. Do you think the tape would be an issue? I always end up burning myself with the stupid glue guns

for q1, im pready sure it should work without any problems other than overheating
the mylar roll is perfect
the tape hsouldnt be an issue

would putting a hole in the cab sumwhere really be that much of an issue?!?!?!!? imean come on, if its on a wall jsut put it at the back and it should be right

can you take a photo of the cab and where it sits in the room?? i myt have a few ideas for u

put your hole in the floor of the cabinet so it vents underneth your cab no one will see it there thats where i did mine when i did my dresser grow but you need fresh air brought into your cabinet aswell you will sufficate your plants with no fresh air they need co2 to live so a constant rotation of stale air just wont do it for them but now if you do holes in the bottom of the cab for both intake and exhaust you'll be golden

conepuller2299 said:

for q1, im pready sure it should work without any problems other than overheating
the mylar roll is perfect
the tape hsouldnt be an issue

would putting a hole in the cab sumwhere really be that much of an issue?!?!?!!? imean come on, if its on a wall jsut put it at the back and it should be right

can you take a photo of the cab and where it sits in the room?? i myt have a few ideas for u

Click to expand...

Sadly, it actually it is my only issue with constructing a grow-cabinet. My home has 60+ year old radiators that run on the floor along the outside walls of each room (the entire floor ). The radiators cause two problems they stick out 2” and they are a fire hazard if you have anything flammable touching them.

The radiators sticking out 2” means I cannot put a cabinet on those two walls. The holes would be noticeable if someone looked behind the cabinet.

The threat of catching things on fire forces me to keep my bed and futon on the opposing walls. The outside walls (the walls with the radiators) are the walls with windows. I have three bookshelf greenhouses that I am trying to keep off those walls so they will not be underneath the windows giving them light. I also cannot mount my TV and Whiteboard on the walls with windows.

Putting holes in the bottom of my cabinet actually solves this issue completely. I no longer have to worry about the 2” radiators making the holes visible, which means I do not have to move something onto one of my outside walls. Problem solved. Thanks guys!