Makeshift cab grow... cheapest ventilation?

BygonEra

BygonEra

Well-Known Member
Hey guys! So, I was growing in my closet until my girl started to smell... so I picked up a crappy old stereo cabinet from a yard sale for $10, intending to turn it into a functional grow cab lol. Now, keep in mind, this is my first grow and I'm a college student renting an apt... needless to say, budget and stealth are my biggest concerns. I'm also including electricity costs in my budget.

So, atm I have one plant in flowering but I plan on adding 2-3 more (seeds on the way). I'm growing with about 100 watts of CFL's but will add more. I also have a small little personal fan moving air in the cab. I need to figure out the cheapest ventilation solution that uses minimal wattage... I also have a makeshift carbon filter. Looks don't matter to me at all, so if I can get away with not using pricey inline fans, that'd be awesome. I just don't really know what I need and where to put the intake/exhaust. It's a very small space (2x2x4) so I don't need much.

I'm looking at something like this.. thoughts? http://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-HS1238A-X-Standard-Cooling/dp/B009OWRMZ6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
 
BeastGrow

BeastGrow

Well-Known Member
intake at the bottom of one side and exhaust on the top of the other side. just make sure you get enough air flow for the size of carbon filter you are using.

i would probably get a 50cfm 4" inline duct fan for air intake and 200cfm 4" centrifugal fan to exhaust into your carbon filter.
 
Ogonzo

Ogonzo

Member
BygonEra said:
Hey guys! So, I was growing in my closet until my girl started to smell... so I picked up a crappy old stereo cabinet from a yard sale for $10, intending to turn it into a functional grow cab lol. Now, keep in mind, this is my first grow and I'm a college student renting an apt... needless to say, budget and stealth are my biggest concerns. I'm also including electricity costs in my budget.

So, atm I have one plant in flowering but I plan on adding 2-3 more (seeds on the way). I'm growing with about 100 watts of CFL's but will add more. I also have a small little personal fan moving air in the cab. I need to figure out the cheapest ventilation solution that uses minimal wattage... I also have a makeshift carbon filter. Looks don't matter to me at all, so if I can get away with not using pricey inline fans, that'd be awesome. I just don't really know what I need and where to put the intake/exhaust. It's a very small space (2x2x4) so I don't need much.

I'm looking at something like this.. thoughts? http://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-HS1238A-X-Standard-Cooling/dp/B009OWRMZ6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Click to expand...
Hey BygonEra,
Welcome to RIU! I think that fan would be great! And it has a plug on it already! Looks like it's big enough to pass air through a small homemade carbon filter and will definitely pull air through. To start, instead of having an intake fan, you could use the outtake fan along with passive air intake (having a hole with a light trap on it to allow air to be pulled through the cabinet from the outtake fan).
 
N

Nok

Member
Ogonzo said:
Hey BygonEra,
Welcome to RIU! I think that fan would be great! And it has a plug on it already! Looks like it's big enough to pass air through a small homemade carbon filter and will definitely pull air through. To start, instead of having an intake fan, you could use the outtake fan along with passive air intake (having a hole with a light trap on it to allow air to be pulled through the cabinet from the outtake fan).
Click to expand...
Not trying to hijack the thread by any means but what would be the benefits on having an intake fan as opposed to passive intake? I'm in my planning stages of building a stealth box and love the idea of just having a passive intake... Less power and less noise! Thanks for any help!
 
Ogonzo

Ogonzo

Member
That's a good question. I use an intake fan because that's what I saw when I built mine, and I thought that it would be good to have to blow air on the stems and help strengthen them. Other than that, I'm not sure if there is a specific reason other than peace of mind knowing that cool air is being drawn in.

Anyone else?
 
BygonEra

BygonEra

Well-Known Member
Ogonzo said:
Hey BygonEra,
Welcome to RIU! I think that fan would be great! And it has a plug on it already! Looks like it's big enough to pass air through a small homemade carbon filter and will definitely pull air through. To start, instead of having an intake fan, you could use the outtake fan along with passive air intake (having a hole with a light trap on it to allow air to be pulled through the cabinet from the outtake fan).
Click to expand...
Oh I like that idea! :D I know that air will be pulled into the cab, but will having a passive air intake allow some of the smell to escape? I guess I could make a pretty decently sized hole and cover it with a carbon filter (like for air purifiers) just to be sure. I'll definitely try that and see how it works before I go for an intake fan. Thanks!
 
Ogonzo

Ogonzo

Member
I wouldn't restrict airflow in, a carbon filter on the intake doesn't make any sense (IMO). Another reason why I didn't want to go with passive intakes is that I wasn't sure how good my fans were and I didn't want to put any added stress on my outtake fans.
If you decide not to use an intake fan, place a piece of light cardboard on the inside or build a light trap to stop light from coming in. Here's a link from a youtube series on how to build a stealth cabinet. I'm not sure if it's this episode or one prio that shows how to build a light trap - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j4QEdAbZpc.
 
lilroach

lilroach

Well-Known Member
I've read where some people take those carbon filters (try to get one that says "active carbon filter") and just hang 'em in front of the fan that blows on the plants....as these filters work with air moving through or near them. How well this works....I dunno.

Do not underestimate how much weed can smell up a house. My grow room is pretty well sealed, is behind two doors, has a room air purifier in it, another inline filter system, a candle tart warmer with fruit-flavored sent going on just outside the grow room, and one of those automatic spraying air fresheners that sprays every 10 minutes......and I can still get wiffs of bud upstairs.
 
Ogonzo

Ogonzo

Member
lilroach said:
Do not underestimate how much weed can smell up a house. My grow room is pretty well sealed, is behind two doors, has a room air purifier in it, another inline filter system, a candle tart warmer with fruit-flavored sent going on just outside the grow room, and one of those automatic spraying air fresheners that sprays every 10 minutes......and I can still get wiffs of bud upstairs.
Click to expand...
And how good does it smell?
 
n0tmycupoftea

n0tmycupoftea

Well-Known Member
lilroach said:
I've read where some people take those carbon filters (try to get one that says "active carbon filter") and just hang 'em in front of the fan that blows on the plants....as these filters work with air moving through or near them. How well this works....I dunno.

Do not underestimate how much weed can smell up a house. My grow room is pretty well sealed, is behind two doors, has a room air purifier in it, another inline filter system, a candle tart warmer with fruit-flavored sent going on just outside the grow room, and one of those automatic spraying air fresheners that sprays every 10 minutes......and I can still get wiffs of bud upstairs.
Click to expand...

You're going to attach the carbon filter on the back of your exhaust fan that way as your fan is blowing the air out of your cab the active carbon is going to filter that air resulting in air that doesn't smell.

Here's the link for the DIY one https://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/101248-best-diy-ez-walmart-carbon.html


I use it and don't smell anything.
 
Bubbagineer

Bubbagineer

Well-Known Member
IMO you need a decent exhaust fan pulling through the carbon. If you use a powered intake, you run the risk of not maintaining your negative air pressure through the cab and you will have smell leaks. Passive intakes 2X the area of the exhaust. I.e. 4" exhaust fan => (2) 4" passive intakes. Don't underestimate the stench that even small plants can put off. Good luck, be safe.
 
lilroach

lilroach

Well-Known Member
There's all sorts of very good odor eating products at the hydro store. I'm sitting two floors above my grow room and am getting bud stink up here. I'll be off to the store to pick up some stuff.
 
n0tmycupoftea

n0tmycupoftea

Well-Known Member
Is ono block one of the things youre scoping at the hydro store? Those work very well from what ive read. I havent coughed up the money for it yet but plan to for my tent grow.
 
BygonEra

BygonEra

Well-Known Member
n0tmycupoftea said:
You're going to attach the carbon filter on the back of your exhaust fan that way as your fan is blowing the air out of your cab the active carbon is going to filter that air resulting in air that doesn't smell.

Here's the link for the DIY one https://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/101248-best-diy-ez-walmart-carbon.html


I use it and don't smell anything.
Click to expand...
The one I'm using is basically this... bought the same activated carbon and filled up a big ol' car intake filter. I have a few activated carbon gel deodorizers in the cab and a really big ass air purifier right next to it (I have allergies lol). Atm, there is a huge hole in the back of my cab (for intake/exhaust and all that) and the smell is only barely noticeable in my room. Probably about as much smoking and blowing out the window... so I'm hoping with the hole plugged up and the exhaust/carbon filter in place, I should be good to go.
 
BygonEra

BygonEra

Well-Known Member
BeastGrow said:
intake at the bottom of one side and exhaust on the top of the other side. just make sure you get enough air flow for the size of carbon filter you are using.

i would probably get a 50cfm 4" inline duct fan for air intake and 200cfm 4" centrifugal fan to exhaust into your carbon filter.
Click to expand...
I'm having a hard time finding a 4" high cfm fan at a decent price... 6" are easier. My carbon filter is 4", so while I can buy an adapter... that sort of defeats the purpose of this thread. Will 100cfm be enough to push air through my filter?
 
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