Help choosing the right portable a/c for my specific needs

Ou8aCracker2

Ou8aCracker2

Well-Known Member
So summers pretty much here in the southeastern most state,temps and humidity climbing and I've still got 3 months left on my rental/lease.The room I'm working with is about 200 to 250 square feet with 8' ceilings.The room doesn't get a whole lot of direct sun exposure.In this room I have a 3x3x6 tent with vertical bare bulb 400w HPS and a 4" 170 cfm inline centrifugal exhaust fan (which usually leaves me with a lights on temp 8-10°F above ambient.Indoor temps can get to upper 80's and into the 90's here in summer without a/c and I'd like to cool the room the tent sits in to 65-70°F in order to keep lights on temp in the tent at 75-80°F.

I know for a room that is 200 to 250 square feet one would want to use about a 7,000 BTU a/c but I've been reading a lot of reviews online saying they have a 250 square foot or smaller room and that their 7,000 BTU a/c won't get their rooms below mid 70's.

I know you don't want too small of an a/c because it will run constantly and not cool the room very well.I also know that you don't want too large an a/c either because it will cycle on/off a lot and may very well cool the room but not allow for good enough dehumidification.

So,given the size of my room,tent,and lighting as well as what temp I want to cool said room housing the tent what size portable do you think I should purchase?


Here are some units I was looking at...

Portables:

LG 7000 BTU

LG 8000 BTU

LG 9000 BTU
 
fir3dragon

fir3dragon

Well-Known Member
Ou8aCracker2 said:
So summers pretty much here in the southeastern most state,temps and humidity climbing and I've still got 3 months left on my rental/lease.The room I'm working with is about 200 to 250 square feet with 8' ceilings.The room doesn't get a whole lot of direct sun exposure.In this room I have a 3x3x6 tent with vertical bare bulb 400w HPS and a 4" 170 cfm inline centrifugal exhaust fan (which usually leaves me with a lights on temp 8-10°F above ambient.Indoor temps can get to upper 80's and into the 90's here in summer without a/c and I'd like to cool the room the tent sits in to 65-70°F in order to keep lights on temp in the tent at 75-80°F.

I know for a room that is 200 to 250 square feet one would want to use about a 7,000 BTU a/c but I've been reading a lot of reviews online saying they have a 250 square foot or smaller room and that their 7,000 BTU a/c won't get their rooms below mid 70's.

I know you don't want too small of an a/c because it will run constantly and not cool the room very well.I also know that you don't want too large an a/c either because it will cycle on/off a lot and may very well cool the room but not allow for good enough dehumidification.

So,given the size of my room,tent,and lighting as well as what temp I want to cool said room housing the tent what size portable do you think I should purchase?


Here are some units I was looking at...

Portables:

LG 7000 BTU

LG 8000 BTU

LG 9000 BTU
Click to expand...
i hear portables aren't as efficient as window units. I would go with window unit. I would go with a minimum 10k btu. You can get more so if you upgrade the lights (not sure what ur using) the ac will cool and you won't have to fork more dough out for another one
 
AtomiCronic

AtomiCronic

Active Member
if you cant put a window unit in(either for stealth purposes or because your a renter and landlords sometimes dont allow window units) id look at the ideal-air unit here...
instead of jerry rigging a single hose unit into a dual hose unit just buy one thats designed to be as efficient as possible. i use this unit with a 600w hps veg, 1000w hps flower on a flip, 250w hps and a 450w T5 all contained inside a room 14' x 16' and its 74
 
justugh

justugh

Well-Known Member
ok man i have a 6000 it works fine for my room 12x12x8......the temp will drop below 70 if u shut the shades and block out the solar heat and keep the room door shut ....just fine i get it to 65 this is my room not the grow room .......depending if u have the venting out the house or back in the room u might need a larger unit


note ...i have a tv 2 tower computers 2 cfl lights and a small grow box in the room .......................if u run t5 and cfl mixed the temps are minal and u could get by with a 6000 or 7000 btu .............or go over kill .................but untill u run it u will not know what temps u make (note fabric bags keep the room cooler and humity decent )
 
Ou8aCracker2

Ou8aCracker2

Well-Known Member
fir3dragon said:
i hear portables aren't as efficient as window units. I would go with window unit. I would go with a minimum 10k btu. You can get more so if you upgrade the lights (not sure what ur using) the ac will cool and you won't have to fork more dough out for another one
Click to expand...

Lol,it's right there in my main post....

3x3x6 SJ DR90II
400w HPS vertical bare bulb
4" 170cfm inline centrifugal exhaust fan
The room the tent sits in is about 12' x 15' (I'll round it up to 15'x15' including the 2'x8' closet)

I think I'm going to just get either the 8000 BTU/Hr or 9000 BTU/Hr portable.

Portables are NOT as efficient as window a/c's and I would use a window a/c had I the proper windows but I don't have double or single hung (slider windows) but rather awning or casement windows that you crank open and shut (think jalousie window,but with two large panes of glass rather then many smaller panes).It would be easier to throw a piece of plywood over the window (from the inside) over the existing blinds and exhaust a single hose (or dual hose) portable out the window rather than design/build some box mounted to the window frame/opening to keep the window unit secure and the indoors sealed off from the outdoors.

I'll post back in about 2 weeks time when I have the funds to purchase a unit.In the meantime,I'm still open to suggestions but please try to refrain from suggesting window bangers.
 
X

x.man

Well-Known Member
I purchased an LG 8000 btu a few days ago. my room is 10 x 10. The roof is 9 feet on one side and 3 feet on the other, so it almost cuts the room volume in half.
I use 5 leds panels in 3 tents. Total watts probably between 750 and 800.

My outside temps are 60F at night. And even with the 4 inch exhaust fan at the middle speed setting on the controller, I can maintain 88F inside the tents. I set the AC to maintain 70F.
Also, it was light enough for me to carry up the attic ladder by myself.
So far, I am happy with the LG 8000.
 
justugh

justugh

Well-Known Member
effective verse exposing self to more risk

the window shakers .........if u use one u need to figure away to capture the water that leaks out the back ..............it will smell like weed drug dogs will hit and they will enter the house ..............personally i think u are a nutter to want a window shaker .....u piss off a neighbor or someone comes by that dis likes u ........they call out the cops u tell them no u can not enter they walk around the yard and house to see if they can see something ....dog barks they go bingo and they enter ......u are sitting in local jail for the trial then u go to state prison for the amount of time u get
 
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