I need help

seemeat420

seemeat420

Active Member
I am about to build a grow box this weekend. I am modeling it off of the cool cab. I am at a road block though on fans and inline and exhaust. I just finished my first grow and it turned out ok but because of things like temps and no air exchange or proper ventilation my plants did not reach their potential. I have posted this question several times and received no responses so I am trying again before I build the box. I have a 400 watt ballast and super sun 2 air cooled reflector and my box will be almost 4 feet wide and almost 3 feet deep and about 5 to 6 feet tall. I will try to grow 3 maybe 4 plants in soil. I am also planning on buying some t5 floros to put on the walls of the box for side lighting maybe up to 5 of those. I was thinking that a duct booster fan would be adequate and cheap but everyone else uses high powered inline fans. Someone I seen with a similar box size was using a 400 cfm inline or active air fan??. If I use that 400 cfm fan I will connect it to the duct and hang it from the ceiling feeding into the air cooled reflector (correct me if needed). I am guessing that I will still need air exchange but if my light bulb is adequately cooled I am unsure of what I can get by with. I know that I need a carbon scrubber thing somewhere to combat smell. What I was thinking was using a squirrel cage blower fan and connect it to the wall with the sucker facing inside the box and the blower on the outside connected to the scrubber (correct me if needed). But what kind of intake do i need. I was thinking of computer fans or something like and puttting them at stem level so to promote strong stem growth. Do all these fans have to relate or can I just buy any cfm anything and hook it up and be fine or do I need a contrast like 2:1 ratio of intake and exhaust or whatever. Also keep in mind that there will still be t5 floros that will probably have to cool. I am going to have the ballast outside the box though so that will help. And I am thinking of getting a thermostat to kick on the fans when temps get to hot or should I just leave the fans on all the time. If you have any suggestions or corrections please respond because I am very new and I don't want to waste a shit ton of money on stuff that doesn't work or I don't need. Oh one last thing I am unsure if duct work is flexible enough for my light to move up and down throughout the grow. Is it flexible enough or not?
 
DubsFan

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
seemeat420 said:
I am about to build a grow box this weekend. I am modeling it off of the cool cab. I am at a road block though on fans and inline and exhaust. I just finished my first grow and it turned out ok but because of things like temps and no air exchange or proper ventilation my plants did not reach their potential. I have posted this question several times and received no responses so I am trying again before I build the box. I have a 400 watt ballast and super sun 2 air cooled reflector and my box will be almost 4 feet wide and almost 3 feet deep and about 5 to 6 feet tall. I will try to grow 3 maybe 4 plants in soil. I am also planning on buying some t5 floros to put on the walls of the box for side lighting maybe up to 5 of those. I was thinking that a duct booster fan would be adequate and cheap but everyone else uses high powered inline fans. Someone I seen with a similar box size was using a 400 cfm inline or active air fan??. If I use that 400 cfm fan I will connect it to the duct and hang it from the ceiling feeding into the air cooled reflector (correct me if needed). I am guessing that I will still need air exchange but if my light bulb is adequately cooled I am unsure of what I can get by with. I know that I need a carbon scrubber thing somewhere to combat smell. What I was thinking was using a squirrel cage blower fan and connect it to the wall with the sucker facing inside the box and the blower on the outside connected to the scrubber (correct me if needed). But what kind of intake do i need. I was thinking of computer fans or something like and puttting them at stem level so to promote strong stem growth. Do all these fans have to relate or can I just buy any cfm anything and hook it up and be fine or do I need a contrast like 2:1 ratio of intake and exhaust or whatever. Also keep in mind that there will still be t5 floros that will probably have to cool. I am going to have the ballast outside the box though so that will help. And I am thinking of getting a thermostat to kick on the fans when temps get to hot or should I just leave the fans on all the time. If you have any suggestions or corrections please respond because I am very new and I don't want to waste a shit ton of money on stuff that doesn't work or I don't need. Oh one last thing I am unsure if duct work is flexible enough for my light to move up and down throughout the grow. Is it flexible enough or not?
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Run that fan non stop 24/0. I'm assuming no Co2. The best way to cool that cabinet and get fresh air intake to get you through a grow would be to buy a 6" inline fan (ditch the booster dude).

What you want to do is have that inline fan against the cabinet wall sucking air out from your light and into another space room etc. So you'll have one end of your light/hood connected to this fan sucking air out. The other end of this hood will be open. You will be sucking air from the grow cabinet, into your light, then into your fan and out of the fan into the room.

As far as fresh air in. If you have a 6" hood and a 6" fan sucking that much air, I would suggest at least a nice 8" hole at the bottom of the cabinet. Maybe just above the top of the pot your plant is in. Then the fresh air runs right across the plant.

You just might be able to get away with no AC.

This is a passive intake set up. The suction of the fan with one end of the hood open will force the hole you cut to suck in air.

Your fan should always be sucking and not pushing air. Pushing air will create some turbulance and you will lose effectiveness of your fan. With that 400w and that fan you should do pretty well with heat. Don't skimp on that fan. It's very important. My 2x1000w set up in my avi has hoods that are room temp.
 
seemeat420

seemeat420

Active Member
So with that setup all I need is the one inline fan with ducting connected to it and only one side of the reflector. The other side would be open. That would definitely save me money on all the other fans and that would be good. If I hooked up a carbon scrubber to this inline fan would it hurt it or make it weaker? If I do this setup then I will hook the fan into the inside wall and on the outside wall the scrubber will be connected. I read a lot of people's posts saying that wind or fans blowing on the plant promotes stem strength and it's good for the plants. With this setup do you get enough plant movement to help it or does that even matter. And also with the t5 floro tubes (possibly 5) do you think that will be enough to combat heat.
 
DubsFan

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
seemeat420 said:
So with that setup all I need is the one inline fan with ducting connected to it and only one side of the reflector. The other side would be open. That would definitely save me money on all the other fans and that would be good. If I hooked up a carbon scrubber to this inline fan would it hurt it or make it weaker? If I do this setup then I will hook the fan into the inside wall and on the outside wall the scrubber will be connected. I read a lot of people's posts saying that wind or fans blowing on the plant promotes stem strength and it's good for the plants. With this setup do you get enough plant movement to help it or does that even matter. And also with the t5 floro tubes (possibly 5) do you think that will be enough to combat heat.
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All you really need for that size room is that 400w you have. You could bump up to 600 no problem.

Yes, on your light you will have the scrubber on the open end to filter the smell running through your light, fan and then out of the fan and into whatever room your grow box is.

I'm sure the scrubber will slow down the suction a little. That's why you cannot use a booster. To do it right buy a good 6" fan for about $130-150. It will suck in enough air to keep the air fresh and kind of be like a fan. It wouldn't hurt to add an oscillating fan to keep the air moving. I like a fan that is between the tops of my plants and the lights.
 
seemeat420

seemeat420

Active Member
Do they make oscillating fans that are small enough to easily fit in a small grow box. Almost like those small desk fans but it needs to be able to be mounted. I got the dimensions wrong a little bit. The depth will be about 2 feet. The only reason I didn't get a 600 watt light was because I was afraid of the heat and energy consumption of it along with the fans. I found a no name brand inline 400 cfm fan for 80 dollars. Does name brand matter. I think it is called Valueline. So you suggest hooking the scrubber to the open end of the reflector. I was thinking it would go on the outside of the box connected to the fan but what you suggest sounds better. Also do you mean hooking it up to the open end of reflector or to duct work hooked to the open end of reflector. With the 2 passive intakes is there a way to stop the light leaks.
 
seemeat420

seemeat420

Active Member
Dubs I meant to ask you If I get those hanging yo yos for the reflector will the ducting move with the reflector or will it rip?
 
DubsFan

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
seemeat420 said:
Do they make oscillating fans that are small enough to easily fit in a small grow box. Almost like those small desk fans but it needs to be able to be mounted. I got the dimensions wrong a little bit. The depth will be about 2 feet. The only reason I didn't get a 600 watt light was because I was afraid of the heat and energy consumption of it along with the fans. I found a no name brand inline 400 cfm fan for 80 dollars. Does name brand matter. I think it is called Valueline. So you suggest hooking the scrubber to the open end of the reflector. I was thinking it would go on the outside of the box connected to the fan but what you suggest sounds better. Also do you mean hooking it up to the open end of reflector or to duct work hooked to the open end of reflector. With the 2 passive intakes is there a way to stop the light leaks.
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My 1000w hoods are cool to the touch with a 435cfm fan. Yeild fixes everything. Later on you'll find that having denser nugs and a higher yield seem to be worth the extra few bucks a month of energy.

Scrubber goes on the open end of the hood.

There is flexible ducting. It comes in 25ft lengths. It's only $25 so save the rest for some other time. As far as blocking light. You might have to use that same ducting for the intake. Bend up an elbow of ducting and that migh stop outside light from getting in.

The best way is to build and learn as you go. Just build it.
 
seemeat420

seemeat420

Active Member
Hey thanks dub... So the light bill is only a few dollar increase with 1000 watt lights. If that is so I will take back my 400 watt ballast and buy a 600 or a 1000. I haven't used it yet because I just finished my first grow with cfls and I bought it for this new grow I will be starting next week. So do you think the valueline is ok as an inline fan.
 
DubsFan

DubsFan

Well-Known Member
seemeat420 said:
I got you plus rep I think...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rep. It's there.

Think of this for second. Dudes buy 4x8 grow tents and put 2x1000w in there with no problem. I would go at least with the 600. If you haven't opened it I would return it for an upgrade.

You could run the 1000 but heat would be an issue I think. A lot of hydro shop guys suck. But they do know what they've sold and heard comments from the customers. Talk with them about the AC requirements if you jump up in wattage.

Def a 600 dude.

As far as the fan. Some have had good success with CAP products. The price is really close to the fan I have. Mine is not a vortex but the name starts with a V as well.

I would read some reviews online. Or post up in the indoor section. Someone will respond.
 
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