Venting 1000w 3x3 tent in garage

Hey guys,

I'm experiencing a troublesome ventilation problem that could really benefit from someone with experience, as I am fairly noob on these matters.

I want to run a 1000w in my garage, but it doesn't have any windows and the second floor sits above it, so I can't vent through the ceiling as far as I know. I don't think I can run an AC unit either, because that will generate heat itself and become counterproductive if I can't vent that hot air. However, I do have one idea which I hope may be my salvation.

First, let me explain the setup. An 8" Phresh filter acting as the intake would be connected to a lamp w/ 6" flanges, hanging inside a 3x3 tent, using a 8"-6" reducer. The other end of the lamp would be connected to an 8" elicent fan (636cfm) using another 8"-6" reducer. Now, I want to exhaust this out of the tent, but I need some way to also get it out of the garage.

While thinking of ways to deal with this, I noticed that the hot water heater's fan appears to be connected to a 4" pvc pipe, which runs parallel to the garage wall, and leads to what looks like an exhaust vent on the outside of the building. I'm not 100% sure that the pipe exhausts air from the fan, but if it did, my question is, can I splice into that 4" PVC pipe by using some kind of Y-pipe, or slip elbow or something? Would I need some kind of a backdraft damper to prevent air from heading towards the hot water heater?

Is something like this even possible or a good idea? Could this mess up the hot water heater somehow?

TL;dr I drew a diagram to illustrate what I want to do: http://www.anony.ws/i/a2lQ.jpg Everything in the diagram is in place right now, EXCEPT for connector between the exhaust from the tent and the PVC pipe. Right now the tent just exhausts into the garage and hot air builds. I want to know if, in principle, I could connect to that PVC to exhaust air out of the garage and more importantly, would this handle airflow adequately?

edit: I just had a thought. Maybe something like this would work as well and possible be a little better: http://www.anony.ws/i/uAkn2.jpg

1kW is always going to be too much heat for a 3x3 regardless of airflow - in my honest opinion.

jaysper said:

Hey guys,

I'm experiencing a troublesome ventilation problem that could really benefit from someone with experience, as I am fairly noob on these matters.

I want to run a 1000w in my garage, but it doesn't have any windows and the second floor sits above it, so I can't vent through the ceiling as far as I know. I don't think I can run an AC unit either, because that will generate heat itself and become counterproductive if I can't vent that hot air. However, I do have one idea which I hope may be my salvation.

First, let me explain the setup. An 8" Phresh filter acting as the intake would be connected to a lamp w/ 6" flanges, hanging inside a 3x3 tent, using a 8"-6" reducer. The other end of the lamp would be connected to an 8" elicent fan (636cfm) using another 8"-6" reducer. Now, I want to exhaust this out of the tent, but I need some way to also get it out of the garage.

While thinking of ways to deal with this, I noticed that the hot water heater's fan appears to be connected to a 4" pvc pipe, which runs parallel to the garage wall, and leads to what looks like an exhaust vent on the outside of the building. I'm not 100% sure that the pipe exhausts air from the fan, but if it did, my question is, can I splice into that 4" PVC pipe by using some kind of Y-pipe, or slip elbow or something? Would I need some kind of a backdraft damper to prevent air from heading towards the hot water heater?

Is something like this even possible or a good idea? Could this mess up the hot water heater somehow?

TL;dr I drew a diagram to illustrate what I want to do: http://www.anony.ws/i/a2lQ.jpg Everything in the diagram is in place right now, EXCEPT for connector between the exhaust from the tent and the PVC pipe. Right now the tent just exhausts into the garage and hot air builds. I want to know if, in principle, I could connect to that PVC to exhaust air out of the garage and more importantly, would this handle airflow adequately?

edit: I just had a thought. Maybe something like this would work as well and possible be a little better: http://www.anony.ws/i/uAkn2.jpg

Click to expand...

all that sounds like an interesting idea ..will it work?? i dont know you need to talk to a technition about that..... I will say that a 3x3 in a 1000w is a bit much and if your ambiant temps are above 70 degress in your tent well then its HOPLESS!!! with no proper ventalation leaving the garagde and no AC you might as well just save your money bro.....

In a 3x3 I would probly go with a 400 but no bigger ther a 600. Then heat won't be to bad and the 8 inch is over kill too. You will suck that thing in big time. A 6icnh would be fine. No real idea if it it would mess up the heater. But I would think sence it's canected to the pilot flame. You might have outages all the time.

The big risk with this design idea is the air is going to take the path of least resistance in two ways. First the hot air from your tent will go out the right way, but it will likely also come out by the water heater. Secondly the water heater exhaust will be fighting against a faster flowing fan to compete for exhaust space (and that 4inch pvc is going to force a very fast exhaust flow from that 8in fan, most water heaters are either passive exhaust or very weak fans). So the result is the water heater finds the least resistance to be NOT going through the pipe and rather into the garage. These fumes are not good and are indeed pretty dangerous to humans.

Suggestion? make another hole/piping wherever the hot water heater exits or at least make the pipe where the Y is six+ inches. You would need your output pipe to be smaller(from the tent and the heater) so that the high velocity air chooses the 6in path and there is more room for the two pipes to meet in an expanded section. This will help flow, but i still think joining the pipes is a bad idea.

karr said:

Suggestion? make another hole/piping wherever the hot water heater exits or at least make the pipe where the Y is six+ inches. You would need your output pipe to be smaller(from the tent and the heater) so that the high velocity air chooses the 6in path and there is more room for the two pipes to meet in an expanded section. This will help flow, but i still think joining the pipes is a bad idea.

Click to expand...

I've thought about this before and people have brought it up too, but I'm trying to avoid it since I rent, however if that's my only option, I'll consider it. After looking at the piping again, it appears that the PVC follows the wall of the garage and then connects to an elbow, which cuts through the ceiling, right before the garage door. Since it is in such close proximity to the garage door, from here it must go through the ceiling and make another bend headed towards outside, almost immediately connecting to the exhaust port on the outside.

I don't have any experience with drilling holes and don't want to have to cut through ceiling, so I'd rather just vent straight out, but there must be a reason the builders didn't do that and went through the ceiling instead. Could I just vent straight through the garage wall? How would I know where is safe to cut?

f0ssil420 said:

I've thought about this before and people have brought it up too, but I'm trying to avoid it since I rent, however if that's my only option, I'll consider it. After looking at the piping again, it appears that the PVC follows the wall of the garage and then connects to an elbow, which cuts through the ceiling, right before the garage door. Since it is in such close proximity to the garage door, from here it must go through the ceiling and make another bend headed towards outside, almost immediately connecting to the exhaust port on the outside.

I don't have any experience with drilling holes and don't want to have to cut through ceiling, so I'd rather just vent straight out, but there must be a reason the builders didn't do that and went through the ceiling instead. Could I just vent straight through the garage wall? How would I know where is safe to cut?

Click to expand...

First never connect to any exhaust or intake on any mechanical system in your home unless its something you can confirm as abandoned.

Best vent system for 600 or god forbid 1000 in a 3x3 is to use 2 fans. One for the hood (pull air from the garage thru the hood and exhaust back into the garage. The other sucking on your carbon filter this can also vent into the garage. This system will only work if you can keep your garage at 70 or less. For heat conditions it would be best to dump the hood outside.

If your garage is always over 80 then you will have little hope of getting a decent grow especially with hi watt HID

My recommendation would be to put the small tent in a conditioned space, run an open 400W CMH bulb and use a 4" inline fan and filter.
Best of luck on your grow.

If you have to vent outside PM me you need to provide more info on your conditions.

Not trying to jack thread..., but what is the smallest recommended footprint for a 1kw lamp? Or smallest footprint that someone's used that has worked? stay high

400w cmh and 600w hps in a 39x39 tent. Single exhaust fan with a carbon filter. Ambient temps need to be real low or it wont work.

WattSaver said:

First never connect to any exhaust or intake on any mechanical system in your home unless its something you can confirm as abandoned.

Best vent system for 600 or god forbid 1000 in a 3x3 is to use 2 fans. One for the hood (pull air from the garage thru the hood and exhaust back into the garage. The other sucking on your carbon filter this can also vent into the garage. This system will only work if you can keep your garage at 70 or less. For heat conditions it would be best to dump the hood outside.

If your garage is always over 80 then you will have little hope of getting a decent grow especially with hi watt HID

My recommendation would be to put the small tent in a conditioned space, run an open 400W CMH bulb and use a 4" inline fan and filter.
Best of luck on your grow.

If you have to vent outside PM me you need to provide more info on your conditions.

Click to expand...

its not a good idea to exhaust back into the garadge you want your hot co2 depleated air to LEAVE the garagde nut just blow it right back into the same space your pulling your fresh air from...... That is not the propper way to set up an good exhaust system......