With winter coming I was hoping to get some advice about heating

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

I started growing in early spring, I'm in zone 8, in the United States. I only had to give heat for a few weeks so I used this space heater that didn't work very well. I have an insulated building, an apartment out back that I grow in. It has no heating or cooling. I use window ac. My main concern is getting the right type of heater for that environment. I don't need to warm a large space. The room the tent is in is about 18x18. I've also got it partitioned off with blankets stapled to the ceiling. So the tent is really in a 3x8 little room that holds heat and cool well. I have the window ac in that little partitioned off room too and the dehu. I don't think the partition is extremely necessary but I thought it was at the beginning and it's up now. I've got my routine worked out and it's working. But now it's going to be heat instead of cooling I need. I need something that'll warm the room and is compatible with an inkbird temp controller? Any advice on heating is appreciated though.

Edit: I've got a 5x8 tent put together that I'm going to start using after this grow. I assume I'm looking for something I could put in there. I'll only grow 4 plants in there, so I'll have a good bit of extra room for dehu and heater.

 

[Triplefastaction]

Oil filled radiant heater and an Inkbird or similar basic controller. Preferably size it for your lung room. Good luck.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

Dang I didn't see anything about them. I'll go check them out now. Thank you.

Edit: oh, a radiator. I have one of those that still works after like 20 years of moving around with me. I'll prob get a new one for the lung room though.

 

[MICHI-CAN]

Dang I didn't see anything about them. I'll go check them out now. Thank you.

Keeps my 10'x20' greenhouse at 60+F @ 40F.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

Keeps my 10'x20' greenhouse at 60+F @ 40F.

That's perfect. I think I'll be good with 700W model.

 

[MICHI-CAN]

That's perfect. I think I'll be good with 700W model.

Mine is 1500W. Self controlled. And oil is slow or stable. No ink bird will make a difference beyond onboard ability.

 

[curious2garden]

Dang I didn't see anything about them. I'll go check them out now. Thank you.

Edit: oh, a radiator. I have one of those that still works after like 20 years of moving around with me. I'll prob get a new one for the lung room though.

If there's nothing wrong with the old one why not use it unless it's more energy efficient to get a new one.

 

[Triplefastaction]

Yeah, M-C is right, an Inkbird really isn't necessary with these, as they are slow to react. But that's what makes them perfect for this use. Just be patient when you first fire it up, it'll take awhile to bring the room temp up to where you need it to be, but once there you'll be golden and there shouldn't be much variation thereafter.

 

[Star Dog]

As well as getting cold the humidity is like a rain forest, 85/95% isn't unusual, watt for watt I get the exact same temperature from my dehumidifier as from my heater only the dehumidifier gives a better night time humidity, trying to use heat to lower my humidity equally would cost me a fortune, if you live in a humid area a dehumidifier is a better option, i can keep my 5x5 tent sweet through the night with 350w with ventilation of course lol.

 

[LeastExpectedGrower]

I'm in a 3x5 space and found that this was just the perfect fit:

Under-Desk Heater - Portable | Newair

Slim, portable under-desk heater. 400 watts, silent operation, energy efficient. Stay warm at your desk.

www.newair.com

Very small footprint thin oil-filled 400w radiator. I've also got it on an Inkbird, but the size is great since it doesn't really take up much of any tent real estate. I have it set to trigger right around 75 and it rides the tent in the 74-77 range . Here's what it does when it kicks on during lights-out:



To me 400w seemed like a good combo of energy efficiency as well as not getting so hot that I had a new worry.

 

[youraveragehorticulturist]

Maybe consider getting another little tent and light and running that 2nd set up on an opposite light cycle from your first.

Instead of powering a heater, power a light.

 

[xtsho]

Most oil filled heaters have a built in thermostat. No need for a controller.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

Mine is 1500W. Self controlled. And oil is slow or stable. No ink bird will make a difference beyond onboard ability.

View attachment 5203320

Just find the right setting and let it do its thing? I guess that would work. The Inkbird would help at lights on/off though. Without something to cut it off when the lights come on, I'll have to be there everyday at that time and I can't always be. I would need something. The heater like that that I have has a dial you set.

If there's nothing wrong with the old one why not use it unless it's more energy efficient to get a new one.

There's that, a little bit, but mostly I'm worried I can't trust the thermostat on it anymore. Also it's a 1500w and I was thinking I'd have to keep it on low all the time, which I thought wouldn't give me as much of a range with the thermostat. It would prob always have to be set to low and whatever temp it created would be what the tent was. I figured with a 700w I'd be somewhere in the middle and that would allow me to go down on warmer days or up on cold ones. Where I live the temps can fluctuate 50° week to week. Maybe like 30° day to day.
I guess I will try the big one though. Considering I'm a pretty cheap guy, I'd have prob tried it first anyway. And now that I've thought about the issues, I thought I'd some solutions. Other than if it's just to hot for the tent I think I could make it work.

Edit: I don't know if I said I was going to be in a 5x8 tent.

Edit 2: I guess I forgot to send that first message to michi-can. Didn't mean to combine them.

 

[curious2garden]

Just find the right setting and let it do its thing? I guess that would work. The Inkbird would help at lights on/off though. Without something to cut it off when the lights come on, I'll have to be there everyday at that time and I can't always be. I would need something. The heater like that that I have has a dial you set.
There's that, a little bit, but mostly I'm worried I can't trust the thermostat on it anymore. Also it's a 1500w and I was thinking I'd have to keep it on low all the time, which I thought wouldn't give me as much of a range with the thermostat. It would prob always have to be set to low and whatever temp it created would be what the tent was. I figured with a 700w I'd be somewhere in the middle and that would allow me to go down on warmer days or up on cold ones. Where I live the temps can fluctuate 50° week to week. Maybe like 30° day to day.
I guess I will try the big one though. Considering I'm a pretty cheap guy, I'd have prob tried it first anyway. And now that I've thought about the issues, I thought I'd some solutions. Other than if it's just to hot for the tent I think I could make it work.

I have a 400K BTU heater on my Pool/Spa because I want it to heat quickly to temp and not constantly be cycling on/off. I would do the same for your air, but certainly you can turn it down!

Have you been over to the Advertisers section? Often they have specials on the Inkbird. I'd get one. I love those kind of gadgets. I replaced a 6" MaxCan Fan with a AC Infinity 6" but it's the older board without wireless. I keep trying to talk myself into buying the wireless upgrade so I can log in from downstairs to see my temps. More information is great and if you can afford that's great, do it.

However if you're tight on money it can wait assuming its' thermostat is working. If not get the Inkbird or AC Infinity or research raspberry pi and write your own like @dstroy

Enjoy your grow and welcome to RIU

 

[MICHI-CAN]

I guess I should add that I have 2 320W 301b's running out there also. Those raise my temps to upper 70's at most.

Leaky disposable greenhouse, mostly overcast and average outside temps in the low 40's when I bring on the lights.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

Maybe consider getting another little tent and light and running that 2nd set up on an opposite light cycle from your first.

Instead of powering a heater, power a light.

Bro that's actually fucking genius. My hold up would be financial reasons. Also, I wouldn't be able to keep up with them with my work/ life schedule. I'm not automated on much at this point.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

Yeah, M-C is right, an Inkbird really isn't necessary with these, as they are slow to react. But that's what makes them perfect for this use. Just be patient when you first fire it up, it'll take awhile to bring the room temp up to where you need it to be, but once there you'll be golden and there shouldn't be much variation thereafter.

The only thing is I'll have to be there when the lights come on to turn it down and again when the lights go off to turn it up.

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

As well as getting cold the humidity is like a rain forest, 85/95% isn't unusual, watt for watt I get the exact same temperature from my dehumidifier as from my heater only the dehumidifier gives a better night time humidity, trying to use heat to lower my humidity equally would cost me a fortune, if you live in a humid area a dehumidifier is a better option, i can keep my 5x5 tent sweet through the night with 350w with ventilation of course lol.

Bro as I'm reading through these replies and thinking about all this, I started to wonder the same thing. In a 5x8 tent, with a 4x5 grow area being covered with a 300w led and on the other side of the tent there's a large dehumidifier, that that might be enough to keep it warm. My only problem is going to come when it's a warm winter day. We'll get days in the 70°s and days in the 20° all through winter here

 

[ClaytonNewbilFontaine]

I'm in a 3x5 space and found that this was just the perfect fit:

Under-Desk Heater - Portable | Newair

Slim, portable under-desk heater. 400 watts, silent operation, energy efficient. Stay warm at your desk.

www.newair.com

Very small footprint thin oil-filled 400w radiator. I've also got it on an Inkbird, but the size is great since it doesn't really take up much of any tent real estate. I have it set to trigger right around 75 and it rides the tent in the 74-77 range . Here's what it does when it kicks on during lights-out:

View attachment 5203444

To me 400w seemed like a good combo of energy efficiency as well as not getting so hot that I had a new worry.

View attachment 5203445

How does the Inkbird actually control it? Is it just cutting it on and off to control the temps in the tent?

 

[Drop That Sound]

Pretty sure you can't beat a flip flop style grow for winter months. One or the other set of lights\partitioned area is always lit up 24/7, keeping both rooms warmed up.

Using more lights instead of heaters in the dark.

You can partition almost any size room to do it. Also, you can basically run 2 grows from the same electrical circuits, without needing more amperage. Make sure to leave a small gap in the cycles so that everything isn't running at once and tripping the breaker. Run 11:55 on 12 off for example.


Heat recovery ventilators are your friend, if not running a sealed environment.