Need help cooling down a stealth cabinet without letting the light through (confused)

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wafhigh

Member
Good evening,
I am trying to move my growth into a stealth cabinet (so that I can block the light from entering and grow non autoflowering strains). I plan to pick up this cabinet Today - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100576023/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053#BVRRWidgetID - (I will be growing 4 plants under a 250w hps).

Unfortunately I don't understand a thing when it comes to cooling (after I have been looking it up all day) so I came here hoping to get your help.

I heard about a different types of fans (centrifugal inline axial ...) all with different looks. All I know is that I need a fan on top for the exhaust and one on the bottom for the intake, and I don't know which one of those I should chose to get the job done (without too much noise, the closet will be in my room, and if possible without spending a fortune if unnecessary since this is for personal use).

These fans all have a weird design, will they block the light when installed? (that's probably my main concern/curiosity)

I noticed someone mentioned the "EcoPlus Axial Fans" (eg http://www.4hydroponics.com/growroom/fans2.asp?ItemNo=ecoPlusAxialFans ). Those fans look like regular fans (flat with the blade being visible), I would love to simply use those but how would I block the light?

Thank you for your time and knowledge!
 
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Plebscrubber

Active Member
get a centrifugal fan for your extraction
you might get away with no intake fan if its just a small cab
you should have more air sucking out than blowing in, to get a negative air pressure in the cab

run it thru some ducting with black inside, and bend it like an S bend, light wont bend around 2 90degree bends in it
its not that important until you start flowering
 
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wafhigh

Member
Those are the "squirrel cage fans" right? That sounds pretty simple, thank you!
(The plants in there will always be flowering, they will vegetate where I currently have my autoflowers)
 
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zar82

Member
I rocked the same cabinet for years. first thing i did was put a solid front door on it so it was air tight. I used a 400w hps with an air cooled hood with a 190 cfm squirl cage fan. I also used a 60cfm inline duct fan to pull in fresh air. It kept the box anywere from 75-82 degrees.
 
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aljinn

Active Member
wafhigh said:
Good evening,
I am trying to move my growth into a stealth cabinet (so that I can block the light from entering and grow non autoflowering strains). I plan to pick up this cabinet Today - http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100576023/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053#BVRRWidgetID - (I will be growing 4 plants under a 250w hps).

Unfortunately I don't understand a thing when it comes to cooling (after I have been looking it up all day) so I came here hoping to get your help.

I heard about a different types of fans (centrifugal inline axial ...) all with different looks. All I know is that I need a fan on top for the exhaust and one on the bottom for the intake, and I don't know which one of those I should chose to get the job done (without too much noise, the closet will be in my room, and if possible without spending a fortune if unnecessary since this is for personal use).

These fans all have a weird design, will they block the light when installed? (that's probably my main concern/curiosity)

I noticed someone mentioned the "EcoPlus Axial Fans" (eg http://www.4hydroponics.com/growroom/fans2.asp?ItemNo=ecoPlusAxialFans ). Those fans look like regular fans (flat with the blade being visible), I would love to simply use those but how would I block the light?

Thank you for your time and knowledge!
Click to expand...
There a few ways you can go about it. I suggest going to a computer store / look online for quite computer fans . computer stores usually have them. place a fan at the top and bottom.


then out of card board (or any thing you think would work) create a box like in the picture place over your fan . light does not bend so by placing the box over the fan you get air flow and no light leaking out
 

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wafhigh

Member
Thank you everyone! My cabinet is done and my plants seem to enjoy it, except for the fact that I dropped a pot on the biggest plant and the top snapped while trying to move the lights (10 days into flowering).

I used the smallest squirrel cage fan my hydroponic shop had, it's louder than I wanted it to be but I can live with it (especially since they will only be on for 12hours once I get regular plants in there), and a passive intake. Didn't get a chance to take the temperature yet but it doesn't feel to hot.

The pots I was using fit perfectly, the largest trays Home Depot had (about $15 each). I just had to cut off the borders. I will be switching between those two (4plants), and 1 of those+3 smaller square pots(5plants) every grow.

I just need to add a little bit of tape mostly to block the tiny cracks of light (I ran out of shiny tape) and probably some computer fans.
My setup is 250w HPS, FoxFarm everything according to schedule and Happy Frog soil, Nirvana's short riders almost two months from seed (they grew under cfl's for the most part). Sorry I only had my phone to take pictures:0225111012a.jpg0225111013b.jpg0225111012.jpg0225111013a.jpg0225111012b.jpg0225111011.jpg0225111013.jpg
 
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