New small grow room ventilation question

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Arby64

Well-Known Member
I have a small (4x4 feet) room in my air conditioned basement that I'm planning to set up for growing 4-6 plants at a time. I'm planning to install an in-line fan with carbon filter near the ceiling to exhaust the air from this small room into the rest of the basement. I'll also install vents near the floor to allow air from the basement into the room. I'm planning to use LED lighting to keep the heat down.

Is this a reasonable way to do it? I want to minimize odor, but venting outside would be a much larger task. If venting outside was needed, I'd have to give up using this room that already exists and build something in a different part of the basement.

Thanks.
 
coreywebster

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
^^useful! :wall:

If you extract outside then you will be drawing in fresh air which will replenish co2 in your environment.
I like to know that there's plenty when setting up a grow.
But with just a 4x4 in a large basement you will probably be fine doing as you said, there was a thread the other day in which somebody was trying to prove the point that in a small grow co2 was not depleted fast enough to cause a problem.
As long as the basement is not entirely sealed either from the house or outside the house then there should be enough natural air exchange to ensure co2 is at a good level with such a small grow.
bongsmilie
 
A

Arby64

Well-Known Member
coreywebster said:
^^useful! :wall:

If you extract outside then you will be drawing in fresh air which will replenish co2 in your environment.
I like to know that there's plenty when setting up a grow.
But with just a 4x4 in a large basement you will probably be fine doing as you said, there was a thread the other day in which somebody was trying to prove the point that in a small grow co2 was not depleted fast enough to cause a problem.
As long as the basement is not entirely sealed either from the house or outside the house then there should be enough natural air exchange to ensure co2 is at a good level with such a small grow.
bongsmilie
Click to expand...
The basement is definitely not air tight, so there is some air exchange with the outdoors. I can also open a window in the basement as needed. The problem is that the window is in a different area than the small room. In fact, the small room (an unused bathroom) has its own small window, but anyone walking up to my front door passes right by it, so I really don't want to exhaust grow room air out that window. I don't want to make any changes that are visible outside, especially leading to my front door.

Thanks for your input.
 
x0x

x0x

Well-Known Member
I use a 150cfm inline fan to cool a box 3'x2'x8' using a 250w hps to flower and a built in veg box running multiple a19 cfl and LED. I even keep the ballast outside the grow box. this fan cools my box around 10f below room temp without ac, and I'm venting into the same room. running ducting thru the attic or across the room to a window was just not an option. even venting into the same room with or without the window ac running I can run the furnace fan (only) for very cheap all month and it will homogenize the temp throughout the whole house nicely.

I've run that setup for many years with great success and at the moment am setting it back up after a few year break in growing. so far trialling the equipment with that method in my new closet everything is going smoothly and the bedroom and grow box are comfortable temps.
 
A

Arby64

Well-Known Member
x0x said:
I use a 150cfm inline fan to cool a box 3'x2'x8' using a 250w hps to flower and a built in veg box running multiple a19 cfl and LED. I even keep the ballast outside the grow box. this fan cools my box around 10f below room temp without ac, and I'm venting into the same room. running ducting thru the attic or across the room to a window was just not an option. even venting into the same room with or without the window ac running I can run the furnace fan (only) for very cheap all month and it will homogenize the temp throughout the whole house nicely.

I've run that setup for many years with great success and at the moment am setting it back up after a few year break in growing. so far trialling the equipment with that method in my new closet everything is going smoothly and the bedroom and grow box are comfortable temps.
Click to expand...
In my situation, I'm more concerned about odors than temperatures. Do you have a carbon filter as part of your ventilation?
 
x0x

x0x

Well-Known Member
Arby64 said:
In my situation, I'm more concerned about odors than temperatures. Do you have a carbon filter as part of your ventilation?
Click to expand...
I used to with that same setup. be sure your fan is sufficiently large enough as adding a scrubber will reduce the cfm rating (thus raising your box temp).

I used to run a homemade carbon filter and it worked great with this setup, no smells in my room. I was in prohibition land at the time so I had to. right now I'm a legal medical mj card holder so I'm much less concerned. I do like the smell of it growing but we'll see how potent this stuff smells here in a month or two. if it's too much for my wife I'll add the filter back!
 
A

Arby64

Well-Known Member
x0x said:
I used to with that same setup. be sure your fan is sufficiently large enough as adding a scrubber will reduce the cfm rating (thus raising your box temp).

I used to run a homemade carbon filter and it worked great with this setup, no smells in my room. I was in prohibition land at the time so I had to. right now I'm a legal medical mj card holder so I'm much less concerned. I do like the smell of it growing but we'll see how potent this stuff smells here in a month or two. if it's too much for my wife I'll add the filter back!
Click to expand...
Great. Thanks for the advice.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
Arby64 said:
I have a small (4x4 feet) room in my air conditioned basement that I'm planning to set up for growing 4-6 plants at a time. I'm planning to install an in-line fan with carbon filter near the ceiling to exhaust the air from this small room into the rest of the basement. I'll also install vents near the floor to allow air from the basement into the room. I'm planning to use LED lighting to keep the heat down.

Is this a reasonable way to do it? I want to minimize odor, but venting outside would be a much larger task. If venting outside was needed, I'd have to give up using this room that already exists and build something in a different part of the basement.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
It needs to be exhausted outside. My basement grow caused mold when I tried to exhaust back into the basement.
 
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Arby64

Well-Known Member
whitebb2727 said:
It needs to be exhausted outside. My basement grow caused mold when I tried to exhaust back into the basement.
Click to expand...
That's definitely something to consider. It might be OK during the summer when the AC is on, but could be an issue during other times of the year.

Thanks for your input.
 
SSGrower

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
Arby64 said:
The basement is definitely not air tight, so there is some air exchange with the outdoors. I can also open a window in the basement as needed. The problem is that the window is in a different area than the small room. In fact, the small room (an unused bathroom) has its own small window, but anyone walking up to my front door passes right by it, so I really don't want to exhaust grow room air out that window. I don't want to make any changes that are visible outside, especially leading to my front door.

Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...
Depending on where you are and how tne basement was done, i.e. jo owner vs. Licensed contractor, the bathroom "should" be vented outside, but could go to attic which would not suit you well.
 
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