Humidity Problems

Hi guys,

I seem to be having trouble getting my humidity up . I bought a humidifier for my grow tent, but can't seem to get my humidity up above 55%. if was only 50% before i started use it.

I'm just wondering what the problem is. i'v got a grow lab 145. 600watt HPS. I have my inline fan pulling air from outside the tent, through the sealed reflector, and out the other side of the tent. I have a fan in one of the lower intake holes to draw fresh air in. and i have a fan inside moving air around the tent. free flow vents are closed. (had them open, but closed them to see if that made a difference. nope.)

I was wondering if it was my set up or maybe i just bought a crappy humidifier. [sunbeam - ultrasonic humidifier. cool mist] $60 at Home Depot.

I have the thing on high. and you can see the vapor coming out of the machine. but it's been on for more then 3 hours now and it hasn't raised more then 5%. and it did that in the first 20 mins.

does anyone have any idea why my humidity wont rise anymore.

thx.

Not an expert, but I'm pretty sure you don't want your humidity to be much above 50%. That seems optimal to me to avoid mold/mildew problems.

I forgot to mention, i am using the room to veg right now. im just starting out.

I also bought it, so i could check to see if it will work for my main veg room. for my clones and whatnot ( i have T5's in there). even with the clone dome i use, the humidity won't get above 60. i spray the inside of the dome with some water, and in a few hours it is gone. there's some water left in the tray, but the humidity doesn't get very high. i'm afrid my clones are dying right now, because i can't seem to get the humidity up. from what i learned, clones can only intake water thru it's leaves, until the roots start forming. but with out high humidity, that's kinda impossible. I have my T5 CFL's just a few inches from the top of the dome too.

in this book i have, it says clones need 95%+ humidity. and vegetating plants need 60-70%. flowering 40-60%

Ahh I see. How much are you ventilating your tent right now? Less ventilation would allow more humidity to build up inside the tent.

those ultrasonic ones have to be reeeal expensive to keep up with a (replaceable) wick style unit. also you don't need to suck air through the tent for veg really if your light's sealed.

I've tried decreasing my ventilation. allowing more of the sir to stay is side for longer, and with the humidifier going, it actually creates a positive air pressure within the tent.

Xmax, so are you saying these cheap ultrasonic's are a waste and i should just get a different style? can you point me in any direction?

as for the the sealed reflector. the air is being pulled their the reflector to cool the bulb. without is, even with the tempered glass. my tent gets near 90 degrees. my carbon filter will be outside the tent. air will be pulled thru the carbon filter, thru the duct work, thru the reflector to coll the bulb, and out the other side of the tent. I have another fan that act as an intake fan to bring fresh air in. If you have a different suggestion for the design....

and i just checked on my clones in the dome, the temps gets about 85 degrees. but the humidity is only 57%. i just rigged the humidifier so the vapor that comes out is caught by the dome. so we'll see if that helps at all. and i do mist the clones a few times a day.