co2 questions (not sure my ambient readings make sense)

It may be that I need to calibrate my co2 controller , but before I go to that length, I wanted to get some input from growers who regularly use co2.

Right now, I have all the co2 stuff installed (dispensing tubing on ceiling, co2 tank /regulator/ controller on the ready) but decided to just monitor the room for a day and see what the ambient levels are. My plan was to then add co2 at a few hundred ppm per day until reaching 1,800. To my surprise the ambient co2 is higher than I expected, and I want to understand if it is because of my home environment (breathing humans) or the monitor being calibrated right.

Room conditions: Right now, the room is very SLOWLY exhausting air (the idea is along the lines of what this post says https://www.rollitup.org/t/100-seal...t-dump-during-lights-off.843605/post-13754145 ). To give a sense of how slow, a 6" fan with a damper on it is barely able to open the damper (one half of damper is open about 2cm). Yes this will cost more in co2 once I turn the gas on, and yes, I may just wind up going with no exhaust during lights on. But those details don't change my confusion around the pre-supplemented ambient readings. The very slow intake comes from my house (and through a hepa filter), which is currently windows closed because of AC (mini splits) and has 4 adults. I understand that 4 adults and windows closed can partly explain higher co2 levels.

Observations;

I've only had the monitor on for about 14 hours (4 lights on last night, and 10 to now which is still dark).
Lights on last night, no co2 supplementation, the room was around 900-1,100 ppm (about half hour after I was out).
Overnight, it got as low as 750ppm during lights off. But since I started watching this morning its been 1000-1,200ppm with lights off.
I will be watching closely at lights on and will update the thread.

Do those numbers sound reasonable given conditions? I am surprised at how high they are. On the other hand when I started "researching" (lol) normal indoor co2 levels I learned that 1,000 and above is not at all rare. Of course I could open all the windows in my house and expect it to drop but its hot out, so not gonna try that till this heat wave breaks

Finally... the co2 controller has a remote sensor which is great as I can keep the tank and controller in a separate room BUT.... I ran and light sealed the cabling yesterday (not thinking ahead) and therefore I am unable to just walk around the house (or take the unit outside) to see if the readings elsewhere make sense. I may resort to that today depending on the feedback I get.

hot_box_enthusiast said:

It may be that I need to calibrate my co2 controller , but before I go to that length, I wanted to get some input from growers who regularly use co2.

Right now, I have all the co2 stuff installed (dispensing tubing on ceiling, co2 tank /regulator/ controller on the ready) but decided to just monitor the room for a day and see what the ambient levels are. My plan was to then add co2 at a few hundred ppm per day until reaching 1,800. To my surprise the ambient co2 is higher than I expected, and I want to understand if it is because of my home environment (breathing humans) or the monitor being calibrated right.

Room conditions: Right now, the room is very SLOWLY exhausting air (the idea is along the lines of what this post says https://www.rollitup.org/t/100-seal...t-dump-during-lights-off.843605/post-13754145 ). To give a sense of how slow, a 6" fan with a damper on it is barely able to open the damper (one half of damper is open about 2cm). Yes this will cost more in co2 once I turn the gas on, and yes, I may just wind up going with no exhaust during lights on. But those details don't change my confusion around the pre-supplemented ambient readings. The very slow intake comes from my house (and through a hepa filter), which is currently windows closed because of AC (mini splits) and has 4 adults. I understand that 4 adults and windows closed can partly explain higher co2 levels.

Observations;

I've only had the monitor on for about 14 hours (4 lights on last night, and 10 to now which is still dark).
Lights on last night, no co2 supplementation, the room was around 900-1,100 ppm (about half hour after I was out).
Overnight, it got as low as 750ppm during lights off. But since I started watching this morning its been 1000-1,200ppm with lights off.
I will be watching closely at lights on and will update the thread.

Do those numbers sound reasonable given conditions? I am surprised at how high they are. On the other hand when I started "researching" (lol) normal indoor co2 levels I learned that 1,000 and above is not at all rare. Of course I could open all the windows in my house and expect it to drop but its hot out, so not gonna try that till this heat wave breaks

Finally... the co2 controller has a remote sensor which is great as I can keep the tank and controller in a separate room BUT.... I ran and light sealed the cabling yesterday (not thinking ahead) and therefore I am unable to just walk around the house (or take the unit outside) to see if the readings elsewhere make sense. I may resort to that today depending on the feedback I get.

Click to expand...

If the house is small and with 4 adults co2 can raise close to those levels. Homes with no fresh air intake coming into the home as in a fresh air intake that most hvac units have will allow the co2 to build. Most people that suffer from migraines can account them to piss poor air quality in the home. Several sleep studies have shown that co2 levels in a bedroom while sleeping can get as high as 2500 ppm and fluctuate with the doors opening and closing wildly.

hot_box_enthusiast said:

It may be that I need to calibrate my co2 controller , but before I go to that length, I wanted to get some input from growers who regularly use co2.

Right now, I have all the co2 stuff installed (dispensing tubing on ceiling, co2 tank /regulator/ controller on the ready) but decided to just monitor the room for a day and see what the ambient levels are. My plan was to then add co2 at a few hundred ppm per day until reaching 1,800. To my surprise the ambient co2 is higher than I expected, and I want to understand if it is because of my home environment (breathing humans) or the monitor being calibrated right.

Room conditions: Right now, the room is very SLOWLY exhausting air (the idea is along the lines of what this post says https://www.rollitup.org/t/100-seal...t-dump-during-lights-off.843605/post-13754145 ). To give a sense of how slow, a 6" fan with a damper on it is barely able to open the damper (one half of damper is open about 2cm). Yes this will cost more in co2 once I turn the gas on, and yes, I may just wind up going with no exhaust during lights on. But those details don't change my confusion around the pre-supplemented ambient readings. The very slow intake comes from my house (and through a hepa filter), which is currently windows closed because of AC (mini splits) and has 4 adults. I understand that 4 adults and windows closed can partly explain higher co2 levels.

Observations;

I've only had the monitor on for about 14 hours (4 lights on last night, and 10 to now which is still dark).
Lights on last night, no co2 supplementation, the room was around 900-1,100 ppm (about half hour after I was out).
Overnight, it got as low as 750ppm during lights off. But since I started watching this morning its been 1000-1,200ppm with lights off.
I will be watching closely at lights on and will update the thread.

Do those numbers sound reasonable given conditions? I am surprised at how high they are. On the other hand when I started "researching" (lol) normal indoor co2 levels I learned that 1,000 and above is not at all rare. Of course I could open all the windows in my house and expect it to drop but its hot out, so not gonna try that till this heat wave breaks

Finally... the co2 controller has a remote sensor which is great as I can keep the tank and controller in a separate room BUT.... I ran and light sealed the cabling yesterday (not thinking ahead) and therefore I am unable to just walk around the house (or take the unit outside) to see if the readings elsewhere make sense. I may resort to that today depending on the feedback I get.

Click to expand...

Me alone working in my room can raise the ppm by 500ppm per hour or so. Also if your grow is in the basement. And you have a natural gas water heater the pilot light is constantly making CO2.

I’ve heard working in the room can bump it. No furnace or other co2 sources in my place. Appreciate the feedback thank you.

It crept as high as 1400 before the lights came on and it then dropped to 1,000 in the first 40 mins until I went in the room and it started to creep up again. Keeping an eye on it today will post updates.

If it's a small home with people and or pets always breathing co2 can get pretty high. I thought about supplementing with co2, but when I tested it between me(who rarely leaves the house)and my 2 cats(indoor) and the pilot light(oil heat) in my 800sqft house co2 stays around 1000

Purchased (probably to return except that I like it already and can see it’s utility ongoing) a Temtop M2000 portable unit that allows data export and has a graphing display. Placing it outside it read 390-410 as expected. Leaving in the garden it was matching the sensor (which varies between 700-1200 over 24hrs). I found my house was 1200-1500 in places. Experimenting with opening windows slightly last night in bedroom (got down to 800 while still keeping air cool with mini split) and now on my main floor which improves things.

I guess one of the (house health) upsides of my previous non sealed garden was that the constant exhaust was pulling fresh air through my house all the time. Now with my house sealed up for a/c and no active exhaust i’ll have to rethink my fresh air situation.

Soon after getting my monitor, I realized I just need to throw the cat in the tent.

Lordhooha said:

If the house is small and with 4 adults co2 can raise close to those levels. Homes with no fresh air intake coming into the home as in a fresh air intake that most hvac units have will allow the co2 to build. Most people that suffer from migraines can account them to piss poor air quality in the home. Several sleep studies have shown that co2 levels in a bedroom while sleeping can get as high as 2500 ppm and fluctuate with the doors opening and closing wildly.

Click to expand...

Hmm, not using the monitor atm, I'll log the bedroom for a few days. Had it in the living room, can definitely see the effect of cooking a couple eggs on the gas stove!