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Musty basement

Mr. So low dough low

Mr. So low dough low

Active Member
Hey guys, I'm starting my first grow. The grow is in a 5x5 tent in my basement. I have an exhaust fan inside with carbon filter attached. But I was worried about the musty smell of my basement, and had a few questions.

1. Will it make my harvest smell and taste bad?

2. I am getting a dehumidifier to control the humidity down there. Will that help the musty smell?

3. If not, maybe getting an intake fan for my tent with a filter on it?

Ideas and suggestions appreciated. Thanks.
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Clean it up, get a dehumidifier to control RH, get one with a built-in controller that you can set to your preference & forget. You can also box an area and insulate it, that's what I did, including a sub-floor. My cold room in my basement was converted to my main flower room. You'll likely need a source of clean air coming in though, if it's musty now you probably don't have a lot of circulation in there.
 
Mr. So low dough low

Mr. So low dough low

Active Member
GroErr said:
Clean it up, get a dehumidifier to control RH, get one with a built-in controller that you can set to your preference & forget. You can also box an area and insulate it, that's what I did, including a sub-floor. My cold room in my basement was converted to my main flower room. You'll likely need a source of clean air coming in though, if it's musty now you probably don't have a lot of circulation in there.
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Thanks for the reply! That's a good idea with the fresh air coming in. I forgot there is an old dryer vent down there that's not being used. Maybe I could put that to good use. I have fans in my tent, but I wonder if a fan outside of the tent might help too?
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Mr. So low dough low said:
Thanks for the reply! That's a good idea with the fresh air coming in. I forgot there is an old dryer vent down there that's not being used. Maybe I could put that to good use. I have fans in my tent, but I wonder if a fan outside of the tent might help too?
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You can never have enough ventilation, an extra fan moving the air outside the tent will help. Put some kind of filter on if you're brining in air through that dryer vent, you need it for spores/PM and the like. Exhaust through a carbon filter and it'll take care of the smell.
 
InTheValley

InTheValley

Well-Known Member
yes, your buds will smell, and you will probably get black mold looking shit on your main stem. I did a basement grow, and it sucked. Got half thru flower, and got black lines up the stalk, like black mold, IDK, i trashed it all..
musty is mold pathogens of sorts. When you open your tent, all the prevention is thrown out the window. even for the small amount of time.

You need a 2 stage tent. Your main tent, In a bigger tent, with 2 stage filtration, meaning, filter the big tent, then that air gets filtered of the main tent. Pain in the ass im thinking. I moved to a closet out of the basement, just couldnt risk it again.

good luck man,
 
MichiganMedGrower

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
I have a very humid open Michigan basement. And I live next to a big lake and river.

I run 1 or 2 70 pint dehumidifiers all the time.

With heavy rain I even still have a leak and puddle form down there.

But if humidity is kept under 60% everything is fine. If let go higher black mold will form at the bottom of the old rock form walls. Turn the humidifier lower. It disappears.

Also use plant stands to get the pots off the cold wet floor or the roots will likely rot.

And yes. Everything will smell of mildew if you don’t use a dehumidifier. And buds will likely rot.
 
Mr. So low dough low

Mr. So low dough low

Active Member
InTheValley said:
yes, your buds will smell, and you will probably get black mold looking shit on your main stem. I did a basement grow, and it sucked. Got half thru flower, and got black lines up the stalk, like black mold, IDK, i trashed it all..
musty is mold pathogens of sorts. When you open your tent, all the prevention is thrown out the window. even for the small amount of time.

You need a 2 stage tent. Your main tent, In a bigger tent, with 2 stage filtration, meaning, filter the big tent, then that air gets filtered of the main tent. Pain in the ass im thinking. I moved to a closet out of the basement, just couldnt risk it again.

good luck man,
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Damn, that's a bummer to hear, man. I guess I'll go ahead and give it a go down there since it's already set up and growing. Plus I just bought a dehumidifier. But I fear you could be correct. I guess I'll just wait and see lol
 
Mr. So low dough low

Mr. So low dough low

Active Member
MichiganMedGrower said:
I have a very humid open Michigan basement. And I live next to a big lake and river.

I run 1 or 2 70 pint dehumidifiers all the time.

With heavy rain I even still have a leak and puddle form down there.

But if humidity is kept under 60% everything is fine. If let go higher black mold will form at the bottom of the old rock form walls. Turn the humidifier lower. It disappears.

Also use plant stands to get the pots off the cold wet floor or the roots will likely rot.

And yes. Everything will smell of mildew if you don’t use a dehumidifier. And buds will likely rot.
Click to expand...
That makes me feel a little better. Hopefully I will have the same luck with my dehumidifier. I just got it today so we'll see how it goes. I also put a fan down there just to keep the air moving.
 
raggyb

raggyb

Well-Known Member
As you may have done already, I'd mop whole basement with bleach water before starting. If heavy rains do it again. Depending on how hot your lights are, the humidifiers will it heats things up even more. If you can vent to outside without concerns of neighbors smelling it, get an air conditioner instead. But I'm growing hot and plants may be a little grumpy but it's working. Could put a high end filter on an a/c before exhaust to outside but I don't trust that to completely scrub it and I don't trust closed vent window unit to do it either. Knock on wood no mold yet. And as always I think you shouldn't over water.
 
Flash63

Flash63

Well-Known Member
I live in a 120yr house that has a basement right out of a Steven king novel,I always noticed a musty smell when the weather got warm,first thing I did was get a dehumidifier (3)and also ran my return air ducts from the basement floor (right at the bottom)to draw up that cold humid air and recirculate it throughout the house.
 
Michael Huntherz

Michael Huntherz

Well-Known Member
Mr. So low dough low said:
Hey guys, I'm starting my first grow. The grow is in a 5x5 tent in my basement. I have an exhaust fan inside with carbon filter attached. But I was worried about the musty smell of my basement, and had a few questions.

1. Will it make my harvest smell and taste bad?

2. I am getting a dehumidifier to control the humidity down there. Will that help the musty smell?

3. If not, maybe getting an intake fan for my tent with a filter on it?

Ideas and suggestions appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Here’s how I would approach that problem.

Get a dehumidifier first, and place silica packets around, and do some cleaning and disinfecting, and measure humidity and temperatures over time, and...then, finally, consider getting some grow equipment to stick down there, if it seems safe. Get some Zep Musty Odor Eliminator at Home Despot and blast that space early on with it, too.
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
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