Help Cooling a basement grow!!!

Hello everybody I have been viewing this site as well as icmag and overgrow back in the days but never posted!! Now i am in need of some help I have a basement grow in a big room over 25 x 20 i am planning on building a wall and will run 4 or 5 1000 watters in the room. Problem is there are no windows so can i build a wall an put a window ac in the wall with the back sitting outside the grow area or use a portable with the dual hoses? i have never set up a basement grow so i usally use window ac units and love the way they work but since the ac unit wouldn't be outside it would still be in the basement in a wall would it still work? thanks anybody for advice!! i know ductless mini- split is an option just trying not 2 thanks!

i have run rooms with a window shaker in an interior wall. it works great for winter but summer you will cook in your home. split is the only way for the summer months

i agree. get a mini split and pipe it from outside. if you are doing that much light you should have the money. any a/c you put in that closed space is just gonna heat the air so much that it won't cool the coils. eventually the a/c will run nonstop cause it can't catch up. then it won't be able to cool the coils anymore and the air in your grow room will heat up.

Just get a portable ac from Homedepot they cost about $300 and vent hose can go right out side like a laundry vent. Some have temp sensors and timers and work great.

Go with the mini split or the window shaker. Do you gave anywhere to vent on the outside of the room? You could always build a custom box around the AC to exhaust the heat out of your basement.

Zdeezy said:

Go with the mini split or the window shaker. Do you gave anywhere to vent on the outside of the room? You could always build a custom box around the AC to exhaust the heat out of your basement.

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building boxes around window shakers won't work. the box restricts the ability of the a/c to pass cooler air over the coils.

Thanks guys appreciate it well i was thinking i could just build the wall creating a room inside a room so since the basement is basically unfinished (Brick) which does have 2 small windows in the area that would be outside the wall as well as 2 other rooms but my concern was even though the back of the ac would be sittting outside the grow area but not outside the house but in a seperate area which still would be around 10 x 10 the wall that i build 2 the growroom would have insulation but i was thinking i could run into trouble with the window unit not being able to vent in that area like nuglet said but just thought it might work since the ac wouldnt be in a box but in the wall with the back in a seperate area thanks guys!!

Oh yeh about 7 years ago i tried a portable ac with one 1000 watt light (single hose) i had 2 buy a window unit cause the portable didnt do jack but now i see the duel hose ones like the hydrofarm anyone have experience with those?

FilthyFletch said:

Just get a portable ac from Homedepot they cost about $300 and vent hose can go right out side like a laundry vent. Some have temp sensors and timers and work great.

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The portables you're talking about have one exhaust hose, this means you'll get odor out the exhaust and if you run co2 you'll pump it right out of the room with the exhaust. Those portable pull room air over the coils to cool them and then exhaust. mini split is def the way to go.

artofwar329 said:

Oh yeh about 7 years ago i tried a portable ac with one 1000 watt light (single hose) i had 2 buy a window unit cause the portable didnt do jack but now i see the duel hose ones like the hydrofarm anyone have experience with those?

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Dual hose are much better than single hose just because the intake air from one hose to cool the coils and exhaust with the other hose. I read somewhere there's still a little room air that is pulled to the exhaust but don't know for fact, with split system the only thing running into the room is you copper lineset and wiring so there is no room air in the exhaust.

dbkick said:

Dual hose are much better than single hose just because the intake air from one hose to cool the coils and exhaust with the other hose. I read somewhere there's still a little room air that is pulled to the exhaust but don't know for fact, with split system the only thing running into the room is you copper lineset and wiring so there is no room air in the exhaust.

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Yes dual hoses will still pull air out of your room. My whole front yard reeks whenever the AC comes on. But I will solve this problem by rerouting the exhaust to my 6"inline that turns on with the AC and then all the stinky stink will go out the chimney with all the other hot/stinky air. If you have the $ go with the mini split. I will be after this summer. They're definitely worth the $$. And you can take them when you leave.

If you use a mini split, you will also have to invest into a dehumid which also puts out heat and takes up juice. Even for a basic set up going with a mini split you will need about $1000.

Using a flexible duct for the exhaust on the dual hose unit pushing thru a carbon filter (I use square cut outs, wrapped around the outer surface of the hose and duct tape to secure) would be perfect and cost and management effective. I change my little filter patch every month or two to be safe.

The CO2 loss by pumping exhaust out of the room is minor. CO2 is cheap, and a fresh supply of new air will ensure the air inside the tent does not go stale.