iGrow420710
Active Member
I am getting a 4x4 tent with HLG 550 and HLG 40/65 strip in the middle. I need help on sorting out an intake and outake and a carbon filter please.. if anyone could direct me on how and where to start would be grateful.
Exhaust fan, intake and carbon filter
- Thread starter iGrow420710
- Start date
iGrow420710
Active Member
Any specifics brand or types? Should I not go bigger on the carbon filter?
kiwipaulie
Well-Known Member
Personally I'd run a 6" fan / filter in a 4x4. Especially if you live anywhere that gets hot.
Beachwalker
Well-Known Member
Dynamo626
Well-Known Member
a 4 in fan/filter exchanges the air in a 4x4 tent every 45-50 seconds. exchanging the air every 30-35 seconds dosnt make much difference, as in only a couple degrees. The grow boss on youtube has lots of vids on venting a cannabis garden. he uses infrared thermometers and smoke guns using scientific method to show what happens when you use larger fans. here is a playlist
iGrow420710
Active Member
LOL thanks buddy will check it out later today
swaggersDlite
Well-Known Member
It's really ganna depend on the ambient temperature in the room where your tent is. Whenever getting an inline Fan always go bigger!
iGrow420710
Active Member
My 4x4 tent is in the attic/loft in UK, so very cold winters and very hot summers.
swaggersDlite
Well-Known Member
If it's really cold you could get away with a just a fan, but with a bigger inline Fan you can just turn down the power on a controller better be safer than sorry. Just wait til your hlg gets in and then start taking temperatures to get a better idea of what your ganna need., Nice on the hlg I think in a order some of there boards an build a couple.
iGrow420710
Active Member
So I will defo need an in-line fan?
Also what kind of thermometer do I get for temperature readings would you have a link to show as an example
Currently watching the videos a lot of talking about stuff that doesn’t relate to my circumstances
The only reason I am venting is to remove ALL smell
iGrow420710
Active Member
Vids werent that helpful
All I got from it what;
Bigger the filter the better
Vent least amount of air possible
Slower the air moves the greater contact time in carbon filter to remove more odour.
Small fan big filter to capture more odour.
4inch or 6inch fan
Use less ducting on sucking side of fan
Get 3 ply thick 100% blowout proof thermoflow ducting
And to try get a vent fan controller????
iGrow420710
Active Member
Do you know of what kind of thermometer or an example of what i should get or what readings it should be taking etc temp, humidity etc
iGrow420710
Active Member
Yeah I saw that part
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
I'd go with a 6" fan. You can lower the speed and it will be a lot quieter and still move as much air as a 4" screaming at full speed. Cheapo ones burn out faster so something like a Vortex should last for ages. Their S series fans are way cool and have a 10 year warranty.
Get a larger carbon filter than needed for better smell removal. I bought one rated for 600CFM for a 440cmf 6" that I run at half speed so it should last for ages too. Dude at the hydro store gave me what sounds like a good tip. Take the plastic off the bottom half of the filter and once odors show up cover that half with saran wrap and take the top half off to expose fresh carbon. Get a decent one with virgin Australian carbon and not some crappy chinese POS.
A little electronic temp and humidity gauge works well enough. Keep it somewhere not in direct light. I recently got a remote sensor for both so I can keep an eye on that stuff sitting here in my mancave.
Another thing you should have is a temp/humidity controller to run your exhaust fan as needed and not going all the time. Maintains an even temp in the grow space and saves a lot of pissing around. If it's not coming on that often just burning a candle in there will keep your CO2 levels up over 1500ppm. I bought a CO2 controller for $300 but am just using it to see the CO2 levels atm. In my 9x9' bedroom a candle did the trick tho I made an alcohol lamp with a mason jar and tiki lantern wick that gets it up over 1500 in 20 min. Eventually I'll come up with the cash for a tank etc and run compressed CO2 but the lamp burning cheap methyl hydrate works well enough for now.
Attics are the worst place to grow in because of the wild swings in temp as the seasons change. My main grow space is in the basement where it never gets warmer than 16C/62F but can get down to 5C/40 or so. All my air comes from the larger space outside the grow room through filters so I never need A/C tho have a heater on a thermostat to keep it from getting too cold in there when the lights are off. If I switched from HID lights to LED I'd need heat when the lights are on too and heat doesn't grow plants, light does, so I'm sticking with HIDs.
Get a larger carbon filter than needed for better smell removal. I bought one rated for 600CFM for a 440cmf 6" that I run at half speed so it should last for ages too. Dude at the hydro store gave me what sounds like a good tip. Take the plastic off the bottom half of the filter and once odors show up cover that half with saran wrap and take the top half off to expose fresh carbon. Get a decent one with virgin Australian carbon and not some crappy chinese POS.
A little electronic temp and humidity gauge works well enough. Keep it somewhere not in direct light. I recently got a remote sensor for both so I can keep an eye on that stuff sitting here in my mancave.
Another thing you should have is a temp/humidity controller to run your exhaust fan as needed and not going all the time. Maintains an even temp in the grow space and saves a lot of pissing around. If it's not coming on that often just burning a candle in there will keep your CO2 levels up over 1500ppm. I bought a CO2 controller for $300 but am just using it to see the CO2 levels atm. In my 9x9' bedroom a candle did the trick tho I made an alcohol lamp with a mason jar and tiki lantern wick that gets it up over 1500 in 20 min. Eventually I'll come up with the cash for a tank etc and run compressed CO2 but the lamp burning cheap methyl hydrate works well enough for now.
Attics are the worst place to grow in because of the wild swings in temp as the seasons change. My main grow space is in the basement where it never gets warmer than 16C/62F but can get down to 5C/40 or so. All my air comes from the larger space outside the grow room through filters so I never need A/C tho have a heater on a thermostat to keep it from getting too cold in there when the lights are off. If I switched from HID lights to LED I'd need heat when the lights are on too and heat doesn't grow plants, light does, so I'm sticking with HIDs.
iGrow420710
Active Member
What size tent do you have? Just wondering in regards to where you mentioned your using a 600cfm fan.I'd go with a 6" fan. You can lower the speed and it will be a lot quieter and still move as much air as a 4" screaming at full speed. Cheapo ones burn out faster so something like a Vortex should last for ages. Their S series fans are way cool and have a 10 year warranty.
Get a larger carbon filter than needed for better smell removal. I bought one rated for 600CFM for a 440cmf 6" that I run at half speed so it should last for ages too. Dude at the hydro store gave me what sounds like a good tip. Take the plastic off the bottom half of the filter and once odors show up cover that half with saran wrap and take the top half off to expose fresh carbon. Get a decent one with virgin Australian carbon and not some crappy chinese POS.
A little electronic temp and humidity gauge works well enough. Keep it somewhere not in direct light. I recently got a remote sensor for both so I can keep an eye on that stuff sitting here in my mancave.
Another thing you should have is a temp/humidity controller to run your exhaust fan as needed and not going all the time. Maintains an even temp in the grow space and saves a lot of pissing around. If it's not coming on that often just burning a candle in there will keep your CO2 levels up over 1500ppm. I bought a CO2 controller for $300 but am just using it to see the CO2 levels atm. In my 9x9' bedroom a candle did the trick tho I made an alcohol lamp with a mason jar and tiki lantern wick that gets it up over 1500 in 20 min. Eventually I'll come up with the cash for a tank etc and run compressed CO2 but the lamp burning cheap methyl hydrate works well enough for now.
Attics are the worst place to grow in because of the wild swings in temp as the seasons change. My main grow space is in the basement where it never gets warmer than 16C/62F but can get down to 5C/40 or so. All my air comes from the larger space outside the grow room through filters so I never need A/C tho have a heater on a thermostat to keep it from getting too cold in there when the lights are off. If I switched from HID lights to LED I'd need heat when the lights are on too and heat doesn't grow plants, light does, so I'm sticking with HIDs.
In the beginning of your third paragraph you mention a temp/humidity controller for the exhaust? how would this help as i need to run exhaust 24/7 due to carbon filter and odour. Also wanted to ask how is a candle creating the co2 bit dangerous no?
OldMedUser
Well-Known Member
The filter is rated for 600cfm but the 6" fan is rated 440 unless I get a bigger fan as the one I have is slowly dying. The bearings are going on it but it's still chugging along.
I don't use a tent. I have what was built as a cold storage room in the utility basement by the previous owner that I ripped the shelves out of to turn into a grow room. It's 8x7x6.5'h There was already two 4" pipes installed to allow ventilation but no fan used. The exhaust one is in the ceiling and runs under the ceiling to the outside and the intake comes in next to it outside under the shop and lets air in at floor level across the room from the exhaust. I made an exhaust fan from one I took out of a dead microwave and made mounting brackets from a couple of metal corner braces. The fan was 5" so I mounted a 4-5" adapter to the existing 4" pipe and it was good enough until I fired up the 1000W then it couldn't move enough air to keep temps down so I made a 6" hole near the ceiling to install my existing 6" system that has a 6" metal clothes dryer vent type flap on the outside
If you run the fan 24/7 you are going to have problems with maintaining your environment. We have very low humidity here so I need to allow the moisture to build up to get a reasonable level. Plants go thru a lot of water when the RH is 15-20% and I'm lucky if I can get it to 50% with a humidifier and intermittent running of the exhaust fan. The controller makes sure that my temp is kept at the range I specify tho it can't help with the low RH it will kick the fan on if the RH gets higher than the setting. Very simple analog unit that has worked great for over 15 years tho I recently replaced the heat/cool thermostat as it was sticking and seem to recall replacing the RH unit some years back for the same reason. Parts are available at almost any hardware outlet. The speed controller is on the left and just a ceiling fan controller built into an electrical box. Cheaper I think to just buy a ready made one unless like me you have all the bits and pieces laying around to make one.
You shouldn't have much if any smell leakage when the fan is off as the air isn't under pressure in the tent. If anything there will be a slight movement of air through the exhaust system unless it's tightly sealed at the end.
If a candle is inside a metal container it's safe enough to burn in a tent but if the fan is going non-stop then it won't really help and the constant air changes will maintain the CO2 at normal atmospheric levels of ~400ppm. I use my DIY alcohol lamp but tried a candle just to see how it worked and for a smaller space it works fine for cheap CO2.
