New set up- please advise!

Hey all... I've currently got a 4x8 table under a 1000w hps on a light rail... I'm about to expand the space, so it will essentially be 4x16, adding another 4x8 at one end. I'm thinking I'd like to use 2 600w hps to cover the new table.

The basement the set up is in gets down to around 50 degrees in the winter, and around 68 degrees in the summer. I'm planning on using supplemental CO2... my question is about ventilation: should I draw air in through the lights and out of the building, or will I need that additional heat in the winter when it gets down to 50? Right now my light is not vented, but I don't have CO2 going, either, so my exhaust fan runs 24/7. I'm planning on using an environmental controller attached to a cycle timer on the CO2 tank, and a dehumidifier to take care of excess humidity. Am I thinking right about this? Does anyone have any suggestions on a better/more efficient set-up? Thanks in advance.

Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, why don't I go eat worms?

50 degrees is quite cold for marijuana, i would recommend venting the light because that would be your best bet to eliminate smell seeing as how its right over the plants, but for heat problems i would bring a space heater in, in the winter. or something along those lines

Most fans work best when pulling air as opposed to pushing it.
What is your average temp. w/ the single 1000w? You say that your exhaust fan is runnnig 24/7. Is it because it is already too warm?
Is your fan hooked up to a thermostat?

I grow in my basement as well and the temps are a lil warmer than yours. I bought a dehumidifier to help with moisture in my flowering room but it throws off alot of heat and would make my temps soar to 85+. So I would only run it when necessary. That was w/ a 400w light. Now I have a 600w light and I knew there was no way I wolud even be able to think about using that dehumidifier. So long story short I would strongly consider an ac unit. I put a 7600 btu window unit in my room and it keeps my temps perfect, and the ac will dehumidify the room. You can the window units relatively cheap compared to the portable units. Good Luck

Hey, thanks for the responses, people. The ambient temps in my space with a 1000w light going, and the dehumidifier keeping the humididity around 55%, are from 70 to 80 degrees, seasonally dependent. The canopy temps are a bit higher, of course... but not higher than 85 degrees that I've ever seen. I understand that using CO2 allows higher temps to be used, which is one (very small) reason I want to add an emitter system to the mix. Yes, I think it might get too warm without the fan running, although I am currently using a 4" EcoPlus fan and plan on upgrading to a 6" when I expand the space. This is also a reason I'm thinking I should vent through the lights (pulling air through, of course, with a big enough carbon scrubber at the intake end)... I've been fighting the idea of adding an A/C unit, mainly because I haven't really needed one and I'm not wanting to use too much more juice, but I suppose I could if I absolutely had to.

Tyrannabudz said:

Most fans work best when pulling air as opposed to pushing it.
What is your average temp. w/ the single 1000w? You say that your exhaust fan is runnnig 24/7. Is it because it is already too warm?
Is your fan hooked up to a thermostat?

I grow in my basement as well and the temps are a lil warmer than yours. I bought a dehumidifier to help with moisture in my flowering room but it throws off alot of heat and would make my temps soar to 85+. So I would only run it when necessary. That was w/ a 400w light. Now I have a 600w light and I knew there was no way I wolud even be able to think about using that dehumidifier. So long story short I would strongly consider an ac unit. I put a 7600 btu window unit in my room and it keeps my temps perfect, and the ac will dehumidify the room. You can the window units relatively cheap compared to the portable units. Good Luck

Click to expand...

Nice setup, by the way, very neat and clean... what about the condensation coming off the back of the A/C unit, though, doesn't it make a big puddle in your basement?