Heat issue :(

[kushhound187]

I used the method that SLIPON shows in the pic drawing for quite some time......but now i run multiple 600s and I had to get away from that. The heat out put from those lamps is just incredible. I dont know if you can bring in your cool air from outside on a dedicated run just for your light and exit it back out into the atsmophere. Of course that also means dedicated runs for the carbon filter as well. I know as many of these guys do, controlling your micro climate is HUGE if your going to have success growing indoors and it truley is the difference in many cases.

I run a 6" 450 CFM fan drawing cool air from the outside, I pipe it through my lights and on the opposite side of the lights I run another 6" 450 CFM fan assisting my primary intake fan, then pipe it back outside. I also have the fans connected to a fan speed control unit because depending on the outdoor temps it can cool down to much and by simply slowing down the fans speed I can raise the room temp. If your in a cold location and your pulling air from the outside, you have to watch out that your glass on your light fixture does not condensate....this usually only applies to winter. I run my carbon filter on a seperate fan out into the atsmophere....it is also set on a temp controler, should the temp drop below my desired settings that fan cuts off for a short period until the room again recovers.....last note....cannabis will do better in cooler temps then hotter temps any day....Obviously your grow space is different then mine....you make the adjustments accordingly....smaller space...smaller fans ETC Dialing in your micro climate is key....do that and your plants will thank you!! .. ..Bear

slips method is primo for smaller areas. bur you have to change shit when you go bigger.

i like how you pipe in outside air. i usually do this so i can not have to burn propane for co2, plus its cool.

but its been to cold for me to go fucking around outside long enogh to set it up.


Ill still need the ac, but it helps. the only thing i dont like is bringing in outside air can bring extra humidity. altho where i live now thats not the problem. im more worried about critters getting into the fan. ill need a extra fine mesh guard over the pipe inlet.

and i knkw what ya mean about 600 watters being hot. i have 1k dimmies and they do 500,7500, 1000 w. and 750 and up the lamps and ballasts produce intense heat. it needs to be vented or it gets like 40+ in here and kills errything. but im in a expansive but short basement. its like 1350 sq ft. its just like 6 feet 2 in the highest place. so heat builds quickly. and can be horribly dangedous. even to myself. ive got dizzy working under the lamps for to long.

 

[Bear Country]

next time you go out to one of those franchise eaterys like olive garden or tgi fridays , look up at the ceiling these type of places always run exposed ductwork notice how the duct starts big and end up transitioning smaller . Why ? static pressure , if you dont transition you lose pressure = no or low air flow.

Im really tired of hereing it does not matter how you set your ventlation up ,It does matter its science and math , Really you should go to a HVAC forum for your Air realated problems ,I belong to a few, and good people that are more then willing to help you , but you know what thats the last place I would ask a cannabis question , Thats why Im here trying to learn about cannabis growing not installing exhaust fans and duct work.

You are CORRECT.....AIR FLOW does matter...in fact it is critical.....Thats why I have invested Several THOUSAND dollars into my grow area and that is why I can grow COLAS the size of water bottles glistening with trichs and resin.....because I can control the temps and micro enviroment to ideal conditions for cannabis......the results are outstanding but I have one up on most becuase of my experience in Mechanical Engineering. I designed the shit for thirty years!!! Sometimes I just like to see what others think or what others are doing.....obviously....allot of people cant afford elaborate expensive systems.....so they do the best they can do....and thats ok to.....got to start somewhere

 

[kushhound187]

You are CORRECT.....AIR FLOW does matter...in fact it is critical.....Thats why I have invested Several THOUSAND dollars into my grow area and that is why I can grow COLAS the size of water bottles glistening with trichs and resin.....because I can control the temps and micro enviroment to ideal conditions for cannabis......the results are outstanding but I have one up on most becuase of my experience in Mechanical Engineering. I designed the shit for thirty years!!! Sometimes I just like to see what others think or what others are doing.....obviously....allot of people cant afford elaborate expensive systems.....so they do the best they can do....and thats ok to.....got to start somewhere

Guilty of spending a few gs on enviroment. but learned this evening my fans should be pulling air thru my hoods and ducting. i have it set so it blows. I trusted a useless dumbass. whatever, ill fix that shit tomorrow. At least i still learn things all the time

 

[Bilbo Baggins]

good info on this thread guys, keep it coming, its a goldmine for us guys just planning or tweaking our own grow rooms/closets, well done

 

[Eurohigh]

Hey Guys.. I moved the fan to right before the reflector intake.. Made the difference i needed and i dont need to buy another fan..

It went from 90.5 f to 84...

 

[Bear Country]

Hey Guys.. I moved the fan to right before the reflector intake.. Made the difference i needed and i dont need to buy another fan..

It went from 90.5 f to 84...

84 degrees is tolorable for allot of strains....there are strains that just are not happy in temps exceeding 78 degrees or so.....as a grower its a matter of trial and error. I keep a journal of all my grows......especially when growing out new genetics.....notes are pricless for future reference when trouble shooting problems in your grow spaces.....adding CO2 to your grow will help you run at higher temps but question is ....is it worth doing that in a relative small set up...IMO its not.....co can provide CO2 to your garden if its small just by exchanging your air.....that is a must.....balance your system by supplying the grow with equal amounts of air....in other words if your exhausting your grow with a six in fan through your carbon filter....bring in 6" of fresh air to the grow....that also reduces negative pressure. If you really want to grow and succeed....it should be your mission to DIAL IN your grow space, small or big, to obtain optimum conditions for Cannabis....72 to 76 degrees are optimum.....you also want your dark cycle to be 10 to 15 degrees cooler then your lights on cycle.....your trying to duplicate the natural growings of cannabis as if it was growing in the great outdoors....the investment will pay for itself....trust me on that......I had a great mentor who spent 15 years growing with the big boys on the other side of the pond....now he is one of the most reputible breeders in CALI.....

 

[kushhound187]

I second that buddy. addapt your enviroment, and addapt to it.

side note. mandala satoris can handle extreme temps. im talking 100° + all day. no issue. the highest its got in my last room was 103° for 3 weeks strait. the plants didnt show any signs of stress.

i had a equipment failure and i couldnt get a new ac. lucky for me i cropped that shit and came out hear. changed my setup. now i haven had any heat issues. but this space is mich bigger. its low, but wide. and i exhaust alot of spare heat into my house. keeps the gas bill low.

but the last joint was a 2 bedroom appartment. full of plants. That shit was hot as hhell, and i didnt have the ducting hooked up to my hoods. i had never had such a serious heat issue before that. lucky for me i was on my trial of mandala seeds. and thank god they are as heat resistant as they say. i could have lost everything

 

[Bilbo Baggins]

Good post bear County, I'd be interested to see a thread or post listing strains that prefer high / low temps, makes sense really, other threads and growers say 77--83 degrees is the optimum range but experience tells me some strains like Northern Lights prefer low 70s.

 

[Gquebed]

Good post bear County, I'd be interested to see a thread or post listing strains that prefer high / low temps, makes sense really, other threads and growers say 77--83 degrees is the optimum range but experience tells me some strains like Northern Lights prefer low 70s.

I can testify to NL liking the low temps. My first run on that strain was with temps around 77/78. The second run was 74/75. (all else was exact same) The cooler run yielded much denser and bigger colas... and 25% more weight. I believe the potency was better too...

Lesson for me here is, sometimes less is more, but defineately have to know your strain.

 

[kushhound187]

It depends on strain, medium, co2 levels, air circulation, theres lots of things. theres so many variables. nl can do alright in hot enviroments, but deffinotly prefers cooler climates. nl is hardy. ive always found if given a nice overall enviroment, it grows just fine in the low to mid 80s.

i stopped growing nl a few years ago, kush and the dank shit is whats most popular.

 

[RedWhiteBlueGreen]

yeah, i agree with most here - u need to pull the air thru the hood rather than pushing it thru - that should make a shit load of difference for u.

And a quick last 2 cents - someone else did make a good, valid point: is ur ballast inside the tent as well?? That can contribute to heat certainly but its also worth removing as thats the most likely fire risk outta all the equipment and is both cooler & safer to have it outside tent on a ceramic tile, paving slab or in metal tub, etc. Of course, i appreciate it might not be possible due to cabling awkwardness, etc.

 

[RedWhiteBlueGreen]

Also thanks Bear Country for the informative posts - interesting read cheers! I totally agree with all u say, but 1 question i got for u, if u don't mind, is regarding costs. I currently manually regulate my environ as closely as poss, cause i can't yet afford the $200+ it seems to cost for decent quality automation controllers. With ur strong mech knowledge, are u able to recommend any cheap way/DIY of thermostat controlling plugs, or would u advise just saving up for quality brandname products?? Thanks in advance!

 

[hbbum]

I think what you want is a line voltage thermostat, you can pick them up here for $20-30 USD, you just need the cooling only version.

That said not sure you want to turn off your fans since airflow is needed even during the cooler times, this would also have an impact on smell if you are using a carbon scrubber.

I have considered adding one as well, but did not for the reasons above.

 

[Bear Country]

Also thanks Bear Country for the informative posts - interesting read cheers! I totally agree with all u say, but 1 question i got for u, if u don't mind, is regarding costs. I currently manually regulate my environ as closely as poss, cause i can't yet afford the $200+ it seems to cost for decent quality automation controllers. With ur strong mech knowledge, are u able to recommend any cheap way/DIY of thermostat controlling plugs, or would u advise just saving up for quality brandname products?? Thanks in advance!

Hbbum makes good points.....There are litterally many ways to work things out with your set up. I realize that for many ....expense is an issue. Depending on the size of your space and how many lights you are running, what type of lights your running....ETC....that all plays a role in how you set up your system. We all know that CFL's work ok and heat output is minimal in comparison to HPS. But the set up for each of those light choices is quite different because certain demands need to be met (especially with HPS ). They have many options for controllers...from high dollar to what I consider affordable....$50- $60 bucks....and they will do the job. Every situation is different because some peeps dont have the luxury of creating the " perfect grow space ".... Thats what can make things difficult for many.....its hard to punch holes everywhere for venting ....unless you own your own home and can dedicate a room specifically for growing.....In my case thats exactly what I have done. I DO NOT grow indoors in the summer because I am able to grow outdoors but my set up is perfect for winters cold temps...To answer you question....use a controller you can afford....make your changes and adjustments as you experience the conditions of your grows micro climate.....get that mastered and you will reap the rewards. I do bring in fresh air on dark cycle....but I dont run my fans full throttle....I dial down the fan speed just to keep air moving....I balance the climate ( TEMPS ) at night by adding a thermostatically controlled heater to the space....if temps start to drop below my desired dark ( night ) temps...the heater kicks on and once the T-Stat is satisified....it simply kicks off.....Outdoors is a complete different ball game with cannabis......many variables that the grower can't control....MOTHER NATURE RULES THERE!!!!!

 

[jrainman]

If your looking for low cost or free good 120v controls like T/stat, fan relay/ speed controllers . old discarded A/C widow units have everything you need , curbside or scrap yard maybe $10.00 cost.

To check T/stat simply turn slowly if click is heard your good,no click NG ,no power needed to check


Plug in to check all other fuctions like fan goes on fan and speeds fuction your good to go,if not move on to the next one.


Info on using this type of T/stat...... Type : capulery bulb . the bulb( fat part) is what senses the temp they are extrmly sensitive to temp, so I would mount this in the duct , there is only a numerical reading 123 ect ect you will have to dial this in for desired temp ,again very sensitive so small amount of movement when dialing in.

Benefits: low cost maybe 0 , pre wired ,some of these units have seperate Cab for controls that can be removed as one small unit and screwed on your duct next to the fan

they also have wiring diagrams rite in side the cab ,but remember you are dealing with 120v always be safe Make sure all power is off when installing.

 

[Bear Country]

If your looking for low cost or free good 120v controls like T/stat, fan relay/ speed controllers . old discarded A/C widow units have everything you need , curbside or scrap yard maybe $10.00 cost.

To check T/stat simply turn slowly if click is heard your good,no click NG ,no power needed to check





Bear Wrote

Not a bad idea....you would not need to spend much money to pull out used parts like these......but I would say that the person tinkering with such a set up has to be mechanically inclined......the average joe would prob be totally confused on how to put it all together....if you are a mechanically inclined person....by all means....try out rainmans suggestion....but if you are the type that does not know a flat head from a phillips....just spent the $40 or $50 bucks on one that you just plug into the 120 wall socket.....most people freak out with electrical....with good reason...it can KILL you......

My Apologies JRAINMAN.......I cut out half your post on my response...to tired to re type it...sorry