Venting and cooling for grow tents

I'm looking at a 4X4 or so tent Hydro hut Silver Edition, as of now I'm thinking of using two tents one for veg one for flower, with a 400W in the veg tent and a 600 in the bloom tent. Will heat be an issue? I'm in the Dc area, so we have very hot summers, but I'm in a house with central air and the tents will be in a bedroom. I plan on running a carbon filter, and a fan blowing into the tent thru a 4 or 6" duct to cool the lights. Also am I going to have to cut a hole in the celing or something for the air coming out of the tent, in other words were do I blow that air? Thanks for any help

Heat will be an issue with no fans or ventilation. You're on the right track with your ideas. I run a 600 watt inside a 4x4x7 and blow the hot air out the bedroom window.

LOL Funny thats what you are doing, thats what I thought about, I have panes in my windows so I guess I could take out a pane and put a flange in there that fit the ductwork, add a screen and hepa filter on the end to avoid pest....is that kinda what you got going? I read were one guy runs 2 600's in a 4X4 I think, and with the fan blowing in has no heat at all coming off the lights, that should help with the electric bill to yeah?

Tricks4u said:

Also am I going to have to cut a hole in the celing or something for the air coming out of the tent, in other words were do I blow that air? Thanks for any help

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If the ventilation in the house is relatively efficient, you can vent back into the bedroom.

You may also want to look into the ventilation for your tent in more detail. Blowing the air into it isn't really great.

Simon

Simon, maybe I wasn't clear on how I have seen them set up, the air comes from a fan attached to duct work and then runs in through a vent to cool the lights, I saw another few set ups that had a fan attached to a 5 gal bucket with holes drilled in it, the fan blew air into the lower part of the tent, thee cool air is then sucked up through the carbon filter you have running if I read it right, this does a few things one helps cool the tent, and replaces some or all of the air your sucking out, its also known to boost co2 if you have more air going out than in. All the tent set ups I saw running HID lamps have air blowing in and out. The other thing is if I vent back into the room I'm thinking it will make the AC have to work harder, and increase my electric cost.

It's easier if I show you: Above is a box very similar to a tent. The air is drawn via passive intakes seen on the bottom right of the box, then fed into the reflector cooling the light, then into a carbon filter. One centrifugal fan does all the work.

Simon

I can't see the pic for some reason, but I think I know what your saying, the way your talking about is the air contained the whole time in duct work or dose it enter the tent? it sounds like it runs right into the filter without any of the air escaping, if this is the case then what I'm talking about would have another small fan bring filtered air into the tent, I still don't understand why you say bring in air isn't good? you have to replace the old air with fresh, I must have misunderstood what you were saying about that.

If you bring in too much air from your intake it's bad, but otherwise I think you have the right idea. It's bad to bring in too much because you kill your negative pressure which keeps smell in. Make sure you're not bringing in more than you vent out so you can maintain the ever important negative pressure.

I had some temp issues with my tent but I have it all sorted away now. I found venting into my room made it too hot unless the air had somewhere to go (and it doesn't really with my ventilation system). For you that won't be an issue with the AC, but yes, you will increase your temps. Venting outside can attract attention but in the summer it sounds like probably your only reasonable option (and will be a lot less noticeable any way in the summertime). You might find the extra electricity cost is worth the piece of mind though as venting outside does get people caught sometimes (not necessarily by the police).

Thanks OEG, yeah I'll have to play the vent issue by ear as far as heat and oder goes, I thought of something that will save me money in the winter, but not sure if it will cause an issue in the summer (to hot) I live in an old house, and there is no insulation on the water pipes under the jouse, so every winter if it gets lower than say 30, I have to drip the water in all faucets! I thought of running the carbon filter exhaust into an excess panel for the water pipes to the tub, this will blow the air under the house which is very cold in the winter, if the filter runs 24-7 then so would the fan and I would probably get the heat above freezing in the winter, so I wouldn't have to run the water. The only concern is 1: smell, and I'm growing a very small amount maybe 4-6 OZ a month if I'm lucky, so maybe 8-12 OZ each harvest, and I think that is a dream in a 5X5, but anyway my point is I'm hoping it won't put out any smell with the carbon filter and negative air air flow, if needed I'll go with a larger filer than needed to assure that, because smell is a major issue. The other thing is can I run all this off of my 120 outlets? I'm thinking I may have to veg in one room and flower in another in order to be on 2 separate circuits if need be, I had read to never run more than I think two 600W on a outlet, which if true, tells me I need to be on 2 curcits, plugging into a different receptacle doesn't matter if that receptacle is on the same circuit, or at least it would seem that way. I don't really have the money to have an electrician come in. Thanks again!

Tricks4u said:

I can't see the pic for some reason....

Click to expand...

Can you see the pics now?

Simon

Nice, like others said make sure you have negative pressure and for a grow that size passive intakes should be fine. I would throw a carbon filter on the other end of that hood and kill two birds with one stone.

Nice set-up Simon! the differencce in mine is it will be in a closed space (small) a grow tent, this is why creating a negative air flow is a good idea, not only is it good for the plants, but it keeps the oder (what there is) confined to the grow tent, and helps to cool if needed..

Simon

Simon do you have your carbon filter on the exhaust end of your cent. fan? If so how is that working for smell?