heating for the winter?

budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
So I'm building a shed to grow in year round. It's gonna end up being 8'×12' with a 6' roof (maybe a little taller) fully insulated and will be dividing it into 4 separate rooms.

The flower room will be 8'×6' and I'm thinking of running 2x600w wing hood hps.The veg room will be 6'×4' and have a 600w wing hood MH. This is simply because those are the lights I have. Also have an extra 400w. the other room will be my dry/cure room which is 4'×2' and just a 4'×4' walk in area.

Now I'm from up north and Temps have gotten to almost -30°F some days this winter.
The shed is going to be kept in the garage (not heated) out of the weather but still very cold obviously. So I'm looking for the best way to heat my rooms efficiently. I can't keep a wood stove going or anything like that going, just don't have the time. Maybe a good electric heater that won't make my electric bill sky rocket? Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks
 
beastbub

beastbub

Well-Known Member
budLIFE60 said:
So I'm building a shed to grow in year round. It's gonna end up being 8'×12' with a 6' roof (maybe a little taller) fully insulated and will be dividing it into 4 separate rooms.

The flower room will be 8'×6' and I'm thinking of running 2x600w wing hood hps.The veg room will be 6'×4' and have a 600w wing hood MH. This is simply because those are the lights I have. Also have an extra 400w. the other room will be my dry/cure room which is 4'×2' and just a 4'×4' walk in area.

Now I'm from up north and Temps have gotten to almost -30°F some days this winter.
The shed is going to be kept in the garage (not heated) out of the weather but still very cold obviously. So I'm looking for the best way to heat my rooms efficiently. I can't keep a wood stove going or anything like that going, just don't have the time. Maybe a good electric heater that won't make my electric bill sky rocket? Any suggestions welcome!

Thanks
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I found the lights providing good amount of heat
but then ur facing the problem during night time when the lights are off
 
Terry385

Terry385

Well-Known Member
wall mounted propane furnace in garage use 100 lb tanks i think,, My garage is a wood shop used 40lb tanks got 40 hrs at 69 degrees
 
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vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
have one wall sun facing made of old gas drums painted black and filled with water, to act as a solar heater
 
budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
beastbub said:
I found the lights providing good amount of heat
but then ur facing the problem during night time when the lights are off
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I had thought about running my veg lights 24 hours a day and venting the heat to my flower room when it's lights are off. Maybe that would help?
 
budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
Terry385 said:
wall mounted propane furnace in garage use 100 lb tanks i think,, My garage is a wood shop used 40lb tanks got 40 hrs at 69 degrees
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Thanks for the suggestion! That's a possibility. Propane may be a bit expensive though having to refill those tanks so often.

And forgot to mention my garage is not insulated well
 
Cobnobuler

Cobnobuler

Well-Known Member
If your in the north like I'm in the north you'll have to figure out something thats good and also reliable. When your talkin -30 F and say you dont have much for insulation you'll be in a fix real quick.
I use space heaters when lights are off and its still a battle. And my growrooms actualy in my house in my basement. But when your talkin THAT kinda cold, its tough
 
Terry385

Terry385

Well-Known Member
up north have a 300lb tank fill one time a year about $900 left heat off this year drained the water and put anti freeze in traps
 
beastbub

beastbub

Well-Known Member
budLIFE60 said:
I had thought about running my veg lights 24 hours a day and venting the heat to my flower room when it's lights are off. Maybe that would help?
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yea that could definitely help! Not sure if its going to be enough though
Maybe throw in a few autos in your 24hr room so you get some side bonus haha!
 
nomofatum

nomofatum

Well-Known Member
I would just use the lights to heat. Insulate the shell. Have 2 flower rooms and a veg room. Veg room and one flower room will be on all night, other flower room will be on all day. Connect the rooms with baffle boxes + small fan for air transfer without light transfer between rooms. Have fan on temp controller to turn exhaust fan on only when temps exceed whatever temp you prefer or better have it run very slowly no matter what, but kicks up if the temps exceed...

You an use the AC bigger computer style fans to circulate between rooms.
 
blowincherrypie

blowincherrypie

Well-Known Member
Lights on at night.. vent from veg into flower (way easier said than done).. have the heaters ready for when it gets really low.. I have yet to see a heater that doesn't eat electricity.. How are the temps in summer?

Good luck!
 
amgprb

amgprb

Well-Known Member
-39°? Yep, you are in my neck of the woods! My close friend has a room built in a barn. He went over kill on the insulation, PLUS has the entire room surrounded by bales of hey (for both insulation and to hide it) and has 4x 600 watters running and a 400 for veg. The lights do not put off nearly enough heat. He had to put in a walmount propane heater. It was like $100 at value. That keeps his temps around 65ish day & night... Good luck
 
budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
Hmm okay well I may have to rethink my design a little bit. Do you think it would be better if I only build a walk in area (to keep the cold air out of my grow rooms) and then left the rest of the shed open to put 3 grow tents in, one for veg and two for flower and exchanged heat from each other as nomofatum said and also have a back up space heater set to kick in if temps get lower than 60°f for those extra cold nights ? And it may be easier to cool then tents in the summer time when Temps get 85°F +
 
Greenhouse;save

Greenhouse;save

Well-Known Member
You have multiple choices my friend I to had the same prob to cold when lights r off and my grow is virtually the same as yours just a bit smaller.I was thinking of getting a couple of those tubular heaters but was told they were a wast of cash so I bit the bullet and bought a 2kw convector heater(small) and honestly mate it's the best £50 I've spent it keeps a 20ft+12 garage that my 4 grow rooms r in at a constant temp and I live in scotland so you'll have an idea how cold it is here but to be honest imo this is your only option all the outher more intricate method of blowing and changing light schedules just doesn't cut it .....
 
zchopper420

zchopper420

Well-Known Member
Delongie oil fill radiator works well. It has a digital thermostat and built in timer for $100. I have been having-20 nights here and is been keeping temps where i want them. I have a8x4x7 tent that's in a11x6 enclosed area. The heater is in that area where i pull my intake air from. Without it my temps hit 50 when it was like 5 outside
 
nomofatum

nomofatum

Well-Known Member
Just remember all electric heaters are exactly the same efficiency, 100% (assuming you don't let light escape from the IR ones.) All waste with electricity is heat, so lucky us in this case. So you only have to worry about how long they will last and if you use the thermostat on it, you have to trust that.
 
budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
Greenhouse;save said:
You have multiple choices my friend I to had the same prob to cold when lights r off and my grow is virtually the same as yours just a bit smaller.I was thinking of getting a couple of those tubular heaters but was told they were a wast of cash so I bit the bullet and bought a 2kw convector heater(small) and honestly mate it's the best £50 I've spent it keeps a 20ft+12 garage that my 4 grow rooms r in at a constant temp and I live in scotland so you'll have an idea how cold it is here but to be honest imo this is your only option all the outher more intricate method of blowing and changing light schedules just doesn't cut it .....
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You know I had my doubts about the light thing, not totally sure if it would be enough. I'm glad you came right out and said. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm gonna be looking into a nice (close to efficient as possible) space heater for my rooms!
Best of luck in those cold temps! Thanks brotha
 
budLIFE60

budLIFE60

Well-Known Member
zchopper420 said:
Delongie oil fill radiator works well. It has a digital thermostat and built in timer for $100. I have been having-20 nights here and is been keeping temps where i want them. I have a8x4x7 tent that's in a11x6 enclosed area. The heater is in that area where i pull my intake air from. Without it my temps hit 50 when it was like 5 outside
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Hey awesome thanks for the info I'll keep be giving this a try I think! How much does it cost a month having it running?
 
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