Summer growing indoors, best left undone.

I've been thinking of starting this thread for awhile, so here it is.

Every summer I stop my indoor operation, 8 X 600W HPS, for a couple reasons, and wondered what everyone else thought.

If you're a CFL grower stop reading, you wouldn't understand.

I shut down in April, and am getting a room prepared in a new house to start in a week or two.

Even when I was staying in the same house I shut down from may-september.

Reasons:
1. Heat, the biggest problem.
2. Energy bill.
3. Inefficiency.

To explain; In the summer you must run a/c to keep temps within range, and a mighty powerful one at that.

It's near impossible to use 8 lights and keep temps alright, I've tried once, then I saw the electric bill.

As gardeners, shouldn't we be concerned with energy conservation, and the environment?

My energy bill ran to 760 in one month, I started a late crop in April finished mid June.

In the winter, I run my lights through the central air in the house, and never have to turn the heat on, my bill is 250 a month.

It's nonsense to try to have a successful big summer crop without spending hella cash on electric.

Thoughts?

i feel the same way

8 lights, i have enough problems with 1 tryin to keep the temp down

yeah i guess its different for commercial grows but 8 lights is a lot of juice. Seems like you have a really good system maybe you can spend some time crossing genetics and making some new funky strains with one or two lights in the summer. Good luck anyway.

Funny you should say that, this summer I've aquired some good genetics from seed, actually joined to talk to breeders... Not many, or any here though.

I'm trying to find someone that justifies wasting electricity on a/c etc.

a lot of people stop during summer, which is why there is always a shortage around this time of year...

Hey man I just went through my first grow just harvested a couple of days ago. And in rotation to harvest a girl every 2 months or less. And, Ohhh man it was imposible to keep temps down. My electric bill wow $$$.

Wow, you folks must live in the south.
Of course I have only 1-1000 and 2-400s, not to mention I'm doing it in a basement but summer is wonderful because I can get the temps up to where they should be.
The winter sucks trying to keep the temps up.

I live in the north and even during winter months them lights can heat up the room your in and one false move with the timer can cause some issues to your plants sitting in to hot of heat for a period of time...thats in the winter...The a/c cost in my mind would be worth it only if the cost of electricity of course is outweighed by the need of the bud whether to smoke it or sell it. You cant be spending money unless you justify it somehow in a manner you find acceptable...so if you somehow justify it then yeah it could be worth it.Basically if the demand outweighs the cost or maybe even makes it so there is no cost by of course selling it. Just an opinion...sorry if its messed up im extremley tired after my ambien.lol

Do you use cool tubes? They work wonders and a basement helps to manage temps too in warm regions.

ha i live in teh uk we dont get summers anymore
daz

darrendiablo said:

ha i live in teh uk we dont get summers anymore
daz

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second that, we get 2 months spring at best before winter roles back round!!

I didn't have near the lights you do but I grew 2000 watts in a small apartment, middle floor. That place was normally hot all the damn time in the summer and then the lights just made it worse. I didn't shut down, I did use A/C 24/7, but it was a real fight to keep the place reasonable even after switching the light cycle to being on only at night when it was cooler.

Next I rented a HUGE house with a giant basement. That was a whole nother story but as far as temps go even in the summer it really wasn't a problem to control or keep the electricity down at all.

I agree with the person who said to cooltube your lights and vent all that heat out directly. That could make a world of difference.

Anyway it's all about location. Get a place with a basement if you can and vent your heat as wisely as you can so you don't have to fight the heat of the lamps against the power of a A/C. Plus the larger the place, the less problem it is to control the temps.


That is if you want to bother. I guess if you're only growing for yourself you can easily skip summer growing with havy winter harvests but since you have six damn lights we all know you're not just growing your own.

Also if you own a house I have always wanted to try frosted skylights... A ton of skylights...

My room is 12 x 12 x 8 and I've only had three out of 8 lights (400w'ers) running at any given time. During the peak heat of the day, the temps were creeping up on the 90 deg mark. Eventually, I'm gonna have to be able to run 8 (or 10) 600w lights in order to make this whole endeavor worthwhile. I gotta re-think my ventilation/cooling. Right now I rely on the central heat and air, but I'm thinking along the lines of a window unit in the back wall. It has a bedroom closet on the other side. Also, I really didn't think that I needed the air cooled hoods, but it looks like I am going to have to either buy some or have them made.
Those hoods are starting to look real good right now. I think it's the only way I'm gonna get all the lights on at once , while keeping temps down.

I do vent my hoods, 8, not 6 of them...

I also use the basement...

I wasn't really trying to grow in the summer, just wanted to start a thread that discussed it, carry on, talk amongest yourselves...

juststartin said:

second that, we get 2 months spring at best before winter roles back round!!

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Is this why you're all pale and wear flannel jackets? J/k

Don't forget it's always raining too.

i run my lights at night. it helps with heat and electric bill.i live in norcal

it gets hella hot here

im running 6 six hundreds watt lights