Attic Grow: Dual-Hose Portable AC

[E...]

Need advice for attic grow room. I'm considering a dual-hose AC unit so that I can grow year-round. Air to be vented from inside house into grow room. Note that I do a lot of lighting with CFLs primarily because of the heat issue. Even during winter, temps can regularly get into the upper 80s, since I live in a hot and humid climate.

• Situation:
  • ​Insulated attic grow room (15' length x 7' width x 7' height )
  • 735 cubic feet; 105 sq ft
  • Temps during dead of summer still hit in the upper 90s at times.
  • Because of this, I've only been growing through fall and winter months.
• Veg Setup:
  
  • ​light-proof grow chamber 4x4x7, framed w/ 2x4 and panda film
  • CFL lighting w/ two 300w bulbs for clone mothers
  • 12 27w CFLs for offspring.
  • Air is vented from inside room, through grow chamber, and back into room w/ inline fan
• Flowering setup:
  
  • main space w/400w HPS
  • cool-tube and can fan (runs 7p-7a only - attic air from attic is pulled through cool tube and vented back into attic)
  • Side lighting by 32 CFLs in DIY light boards.
• Constraints:
  
  • Cost - don't wanna spend more than $500 US or so.
  • Air from exhaust has to be vented into attic because of my situation.
  • Can't use a split AC unit (see above).
  • Weight is somewhat of a consideration (lighter is better, since joists were not reinforced before the attic room was installed (bought the house after the room was built).

QUESTIONS:

1. Will a dual-hose portable AC do the trick?
2. Are there other alternatives?
3. Are there other threads that address this? If so, I've obviously missed them, even though I've searched fairly extensively.

Many thanks to you all - while primarily a lurker, I've learned a ton from the collective knowledge here! All of you rock!

 

[fir3dragon]

Need advice for attic grow room. I'm considering a dual-hose AC unit so that I can grow year-round. Air to be vented from inside house into grow room. Note that I do a lot of lighting with CFLs primarily because of the heat issue. Even during winter, temps can regularly get into the upper 80s, since I live in a hot and humid climate.

• Situation:
  • ​Insulated attic grow room (15' length x 7' width x 7' height )
  • 735 cubic feet; 105 sq ft
  • Temps during dead of summer still hit in the upper 90s at times.
  • Because of this, I've only been growing through fall and winter months.
• Veg Setup:
  
  • ​light-proof grow chamber 4x4x7, framed w/ 2x4 and panda film
  • CFL lighting w/ two 300w bulbs for clone mothers
  • 12 27w CFLs for offspring.
  • Air is vented from inside room, through grow chamber, and back into room w/ inline fan
• Flowering setup:
  
  • main space w/400w HPS
  • cool-tube and can fan (runs 7p-7a only - attic air from attic is pulled through cool tube and vented back into attic)
  • Side lighting by 32 CFLs in DIY light boards.
• Constraints:
  
  • Cost - don't wanna spend more than $500 US or so.
  • Air from exhaust has to be vented into attic because of my situation.
  • Can't use a split AC unit (see above).
  • Weight is somewhat of a consideration (lighter is better, since joists were not reinforced before the attic room was installed (bought the house after the room was built).

QUESTIONS:

1. Will a dual-hose portable AC do the trick?
2. Are there other alternatives?
3. Are there other threads that address this? If so, I've obviously missed them, even though I've searched fairly extensively.

Many thanks to you all - while primarily a lurker, I've learned a ton from the collective knowledge here! All of you rock!

• 
  

  • Constraints:
    
    • Cost - don't wanna spend more than $500 US or so.
    • Air from exhaust has to be vented into attic because of my situation.
    • Can't use a split AC unit (see above).
    • Weight is somewhat of a consideration (lighter is better, since joists were not reinforced before the attic room was installed (bought the house after the room was built).

  
  
  
  
  ​

  
  
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^^^^ you need to vent the hot air out of your cab somewhere else, not back into the room were its been taking air

 

[bowlfullofbliss]

yea.....dual hose ac you have one hose pulling in fresh air into the unit from the OUTSIDE....the other blows the heat back OUTSIDE, no air in the room is ever used in the process, thus being able to use co2 and not blowing out heat that stinks like your grow into the air outside. The exhausted air is extremely hot......you can't extend the run that the unit comes with, as it causes stess on the unit, so it has to be close to the wall or wherever, I use the soffit under my roof overhang, just cut holes to install the connections.

You'll need a decent unit, I use the Whytner 14,000 btu unit, it has a heat pump and a dehumidifier if you wish to use it.

I think finding one that will work for you will cost a couple hundred more than you need, but well worth it. That will include shipping, which is expensive...it's heavy, but no too heavy for your joists for sure.

 

[budleydoright]

Running a 400 in an attik that peaks at 90 shouldn't be too hard. If you need to extend the hoses on your dual dose AC use duct booster fans.

Spend some money on insulation. And prepare for the inevitable spill, lay down a good barrier that can hold the amount of water that your carrying up there. A wet dry shop vac is a real lifesaver!