Way to dispose of heat without ducting?

S

Schtev

Active Member
Hi guys,

Im newish to growing, and I've just emptied out one of my cupboards for an indoor grow.

The cupboard is 180H 84W 54D (CM's)

Im currently using CFL's, a 250w and 4 20w bulbs...

Ive been testing the lights to see how much heat they make in the cupboard... To do this, I put a simple house plant in there... Not even sure what it is, left it in cupboard with lights on for 18 hours (Like I would on veg cycle) came back and leaves had drooped and didnt look nice, took it out the cupboard, 30 mins later it was fine... So my only guess to it being like that was the heat.

Before I get humped for not using HPS... I dont use hps becuase the space im using, I dont want random holes in the walls around it for ducting etc.

But getting to the point... Would anyone know if it would be a good idea to take the top 10-20cm's off the door to make a little gap for hot air to escape, and hope an oscillating fan can push enough of the hot air inside the cupboard out the gap?

Or extra on top of this, does anyone else have any cooling methods without having to use ducting?

Thanks in advance for all responses, helpful ones get +rep =]

:peace:
 
KaleoXxX

KaleoXxX

Well-Known Member
that hole over the door will cause light leaks and problems for when your flowering

do you have a thermometer? check your temps, if its over 85(F, since your measuring in Cm im gonna guess you do temps in C too)

i think to make it work your going to need some kind of passive intake holes and a light proof fan for exhaust
 
F

frenzied

Active Member
Well mate i dont know if this is any good to you but im a newbie myself and im currently trying to build my own little stealth box and someone said to use this for my ventilation

2-4 pc fans with pc fan filters to stop dust and bugs, pc fans 120mm are 3-5 pound each and u can hotwire a old PSU unit to run them from the plug sockets in ur wall this way u can have about 2-6 fans for intake and output venting whether this works or is noisy i dont know but im trying soon as i get payed :D

hope this helped
 
S

Schtev

Active Member
Thanks for the replies so far =] reped you both...

These computer fans sound interesting... My only problem with that is I wouldnt have a clue how to "hotwire an old PSU"... Just had a look on google and all the sites had many different options for PSU's would you be able to tell me which type I would need to get it to work?

Thanks again
 
Arrid

Arrid

Well-Known Member
You'd be better off buying decent fans instead of pc fans, they'll last longer and there's not the danger of wiring them wrong..

Just saw this posted on another thread and they seem pretty cheap : http://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/Bathroom-Ventilation/Remote-Fans-for-Bath/SP-TD-Series-Inline-Fans

The cheapest one there is about £40

Have you also considered bathroom extractor fans?
They're about £10-£20 each.

You do need intake and out take fans. Bite the bullet and spend around £120 on the fans and you'll be glad you did.

Get a stronger out take fan than the intake.

Hope this helps.
 
bb61

bb61

Well-Known Member
well idk if this helps cuz Im in the US but at target they have a 4" desk top fan for $5 which is cheaper than the pc fans and you wont have to hotwire it
 
N

Nocturn3

Well-Known Member
Schtev said:
Hi guys,
Im currently using CFL's, a 250w and 4 20w bulbs...

Before I get humped for not using HPS... I dont use hps becuase the space im using, I dont want random holes in the walls around it for ducting etc.
Click to expand...
Just so you know, a 250 watt HPS will put out less heat than your current setup, and will also give you more light, for less power usage.

As for random holes, it makes no difference whether you use CFL or HPS, heat still needs to be vented, and the plants need a supply of fresh air, if you want them to grow well.
 
S

Schtev

Active Member
Would 250w actually be less heat? I was under the impression that pretty much any watt hps in a cupboard without proper ventilation would torch the plants =/

At the moment im tempted by the idea of the bathroom extractor fans, one at the bottom for air in and one up to for air/heat out, any one know if that would be enough to cool the room from the CFL's?
 
Arrid

Arrid

Well-Known Member
Schtev said:
Would 250w actually be less heat? I was under the impression that pretty much any watt hps in a cupboard without proper ventilation would torch the plants =/

At the moment im tempted by the idea of the bathroom extractor fans, one at the bottom for air in and one up to for air/heat out, any one know if that would be enough to cool the room from the CFL's?
Click to expand...
I'd suggest at least one for intake and TWO for out take. The bathroom extractor fans will not do the job as good as the other fans I posted in that link.

The only thing I can really say is give it a go, buy three, install them and run for a few days..if they don't cool it down enough you can take the fans back to the shop and get a refund, just say something like "they were way too loud, could hear them in the other room"
 
N

Nocturn3

Well-Known Member
Schtev said:
Would 250w actually be less heat? I was under the impression that pretty much any watt hps in a cupboard without proper ventilation would torch the plants =/
Click to expand...
No, that's a misconception. Since HPS lights are more efficient, they put out more light and less heat than the equivalent wattage of CFL. The only difference is the type of heat they put out. CFLs are mainly convected heat, whereas HPS puts out radiant heat.

This simply means that HPS have a "hot spot" immediately around the bulb, so you can't place plants too close to them. This is not that big of a deal, I can get plants within 6 inches of my 250 with no problems.

Overall, 250 watts of HPS will put out less heat than 250 watts of CFL.
 
W

whiterino

Member
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