Stand Up Freezer Conversion!!!!

[TwoupTwodwnGrower]

WHats up everyone im trying to start a new stealth grow room from a stand up freezer i have in the garage....Its still in working order so my ?'s are


Has anyone done this before?
and is it possible to use the freezer to keep the space cool when my light is on...
Basically im looking for Suggestions any help would be great thnkx....



Im going to be using a 400w Mh and HPS light system so heat will be a problem. so i was wondering if using the freezer would help with the heat

 

[ADIMEN]

hey dude im also looking to convert an old fridge into a growbox too . if you get some answers share em with me.

as for keeping the temp cool with the actual freezer not sure it would work. read somewhere else someone did it with a mini fridge and they said the it overloaded cuz tring to keep it cold when all that heat was being generated burnt out the motor. but that was a mini fridge not a full freezer, so who knows.

also man did u remove all the coils and stuff first cuz i want to, but read that theres freon gas in the coils and its dangerous to be exposed to it.

good luck man and hope you find some answers

 

[mobone]

400w will certainly cause a heat problem. Especially since a freezer, even a stand up freezer, is such a small space. And if its a freezer that creates an air tight seal, the plants wont have any air to take in.

 

[macdadyabc]

ass for the gasses, yes theres alot in an average old freezer,fridge, or combo. I gutted a craigslist fridge and used it with cfls to veg years ago. you can cut the copper coil, and bend both ends closed quikly while getting sprayed in the face(keep mouth closed).
its supposed to be bad for the environment, thats all i know. the fridge was to hot though (it didnt work no duh) with all the insulation. i started gutting a second standup fridge/freezer to the bare metal on the inside, but depending on the fridge, it can be hell( when the foam is shot or super permanently glued in). good luck

 

[podunk421]

I have a standing grow freezer I am using myself. As for the aspect of using it to cool the area with the internal motor I would avoid it. They make switches to keep the temp at a set degree between 30 and 80 degrees for like 30$ but I went other routes with it. I'm using a 250HPS and I don't foresee heat problems because of my fan size. It can be done and very effective with some work. Im using a 3 foot wide by 2 foot deep, 3 foot tall freezer and will be going with SOG and around 12 plants but the thought of utilizing a single or 2 plants as a SCROG has crossed my mind but I dont know if I want to invest in that much work being the door is the lid and trying to maneuver under a screen would be a pain. Good luck with your grow and I'll be stopping by to see how yours works and trade ideas on how to improve both our grows...

 

[podunk421]

hey dude im also looking to convert an old fridge into a growbox too . if you get some answers share em with me.

as for keeping the temp cool with the actual freezer not sure it would work. read somewhere else someone did it with a mini fridge and they said the it overloaded cuz tring to keep it cold when all that heat was being generated burnt out the motor. but that was a mini fridge not a full freezer, so who knows.

also man did u remove all the coils and stuff first cuz i want to, but read that theres freon gas in the coils and its dangerous to be exposed to it.

good luck man and hope you find some answers

As for the freon and motor I was also nervous but a fellow grower came by, bent the lines and pinched em off and let em leak for a bit and we just yanked the compressor right out. I was nervous, seen too many explosions and wasn't looking for one in my kitchen but it came out like a charm...

 

[ADIMEN]

ass for the gasses, yes theres alot in an average old freezer,fridge, or combo. I gutted a craigslist fridge and used it with cfls to veg years ago. you can cut the copper coil, and bend both ends closed quikly while getting sprayed in the face(keep mouth closed).
its supposed to be bad for the environment, thats all i know



are you being totally serious about that? as long as it doesnt get in my mouth its safe? and is it only in the copper coils? after i get that out i can just rip out all the other metal and motors ?
thanks for helping me out guys. and sorry if im jacking the OP's thread but i really wanna set up the fridge so i can get taller plants than my current setup allows

 

[podunk421]

DO NOT GO THAT ROUTE!!! There is freon and other lubricants in the motor and they can blind you, sicken you, or kill you. Use pliers and crimp down 2 parts of one metal line to slow the pressure through the line and then cut a small spot out of the middle of the two pinches and let it SLOWLY drain. Doing it that way is much safer and more common sense than just cut it and stand back and cover your mouth. The last thing anybody wants is to have high pressure freon lines spraying or rupturing if not cut right and blasting you in the face with metal fragments or toxic chemicals. Go the smart safe way and you'll have a much better grow since you will actually have your eyesight intact while growing!!!

 

[LimitedTimer]

i used a mini refridge just fine...

If your willing to convert it to use it for growing.. holes for fans shouldnt be a option its a must...

as for the cooling unit in then freezer to keep your light cool...

i did this for about 5 weeks with the fans still....put it on a timer 15 mins on 15 mins off kept my area at 72F no problem....but! it kept it over 80% humidity at all times


i guted it out and used just fans and it worked just as well siting next to a AC vent from my floor


best way to remove the foam was just cuting the liner off it and scraping it out....in all and all...it was Light tight minus my fans leaking some light it looked like i was just cooling some beers when i had friends over( minus keeping them from opening it i up) all in all....one of the best stealthies out there... do it to it... 1 day of work will be worth it

 

[TwoupTwodwnGrower]

Thnkx everyone for your comments and suggestions... i think im going to have to gut it and use fans for ventilation...since trying to use the thermostat seems like a bad idea....and the dimensions are 3 ft wide 2 and half feet deep and about 6 feet high...i saw on another forum a guy using a cool tube for his 400 w to keep the heat down i may try to rig something up like that hopefully i can get some pics of the fridge soon so u can see it and give me some pointers with that

 

[macdadyabc]

shit man, yah, dont listen to stupid me. I forgot what i did the second time after learning from the first. i pinched it off after cutting the first time. Second time i hit the copper line with a hammer to flatten a good few inches and then cut and pinched. i didnt get sprayed at all the second time.

it would take me a week to get all this tough shit foam outta my second fridge, so im still puting it off.

 

[Green Cross]

Thnkx everyone for your comments and suggestions... i think im going to have to gut it and use fans for ventilation...since trying to use the thermostat seems like a bad idea....and the dimensions are 3 ft wide 2 and half feet deep and about 6 feet high...i saw on another forum a guy using a cool tube for his 400 w to keep the heat down i may try to rig something up like that hopefully i can get some pics of the fridge soon so u can see it and give me some pointers with that

I've seen trophy bud (purple Jack herer) grown in a functioning refrigerator, but not a freezer. The video was on utube - called Jack Herer is in my fridge.

It had glass in-between the refrigerator/freezer compartment, and the ballast and condenser in the freezer compartment. It cycled on and off using an appliance timer. It had a cool tube with switchable lights 250w floro/400 MH/600 HPS, and CO2 injection.

It was called the "refriginator", but the video and web site (explaining how-to mod the fridge) are all down now. Hopefully the guy who did it didn't get raided.

 

[podunk421]

Thnkx everyone for your comments and suggestions... i think im going to have to gut it and use fans for ventilation...since trying to use the thermostat seems like a bad idea....and the dimensions are 3 ft wide 2 and half feet deep and about 6 feet high...i saw on another forum a guy using a cool tube for his 400 w to keep the heat down i may try to rig something up like that hopefully i can get some pics of the fridge soon so u can see it and give me some pointers with that

I would suggest saving the time and patience in removing the insulation as its almost pointless. I left the insulation in mine due to the super glue adhesive they used to build it and run 3 3" passive intakes as well as a 4" s&p inline fan rated at 148cfm and dont see heat problems. I am only using a 250w HPS but with a slightly larger fan you could run a 400, Im overkilling it with air flow but the insulation keeps the humidity just right. When running it sounds like a regular freezer, slight humming and all. Plus leaving the insulation intact helps with preventing odor leaks. It could be different with your application but mine had the nice sheet metal flat white interior so I just pulled the compressor and built it up.

 

[crazy7605150]

i have always wondered about one of those big soda coolers with the big glass doors... or the one at my work i have had my eye on for a while is a freezer but it its about 6ft high and 4ft long and like 3 ft deep... man that would be nice it gets down to -30 if i want but has a digital temp gauge u change easily... has anyone ever thought about buying one of these things off a business going out of business or on craigslist or something .... man i have thought of that for a long time

 

[podunk421]

i have always wondered about one of those big soda coolers with the big glass doors... or the one at my work i have had my eye on for a while is a freezer but it its about 6ft high and 4ft long and like 3 ft deep... man that would be nice it gets down to -30 if i want but has a digital temp gauge u change easily... has anyone ever thought about buying one of these things off a business going out of business or on craigslist or something .... man i have thought of that for a long time

Man you got my mind rolling off ideas with that. A soda machine could be an awesome cabinet. While not as stealthy there are plenty of coca cola vinyls you could throw over the glass and have it look like a fridge in the garage. Excellent idea!!!

 

[LimitedTimer]

might not even need 400 w's but you cuold carbon filter cooltube a 400w in that bitch no problem imo

i left foam in my box .....the siding over the foam is reflective and didnt cause any heat problems with the insulation its only a 1 inch loss on all walls

and you could loose your door seal with out the foam around it

 

[macdadyabc]

i just finished gutting my second fridge yesterday, and im trying to think of a good way to lock it. i was thinking run a rod through the fridge on the inside wall, and have it connect to the door, so i can put a lock on the back un noticed. without the 3 inches of foam, the fridge is basically a cardboard box, so wood is needed lining the inside walls.

 

[podunk421]

i just finished gutting my second fridge yesterday, and im trying to think of a good way to lock it. i was thinking run a rod through the fridge on the inside wall, and have it connect to the door, so i can put a lock on the back un noticed. without the 3 inches of foam, the fridge is basically a cardboard box, so wood is needed lining the inside walls.

Dont know your model or design in your freezer, but mine was easy to work with. The rear hinges for the lid had holes already pre-drilled for some odd reason and all I did was run a small bolt through them. With the bolt in place the hinges cannot open at all so it is effectively locked yet not noticeable like say a padlock hanging off the front.