What to use instead of Window AC for winter

rmax

Well-Known Member
I am a little confused?
The plants generate humidity. If the humid air is warmed within the tent or room and released into the cool house. The moisture will condense. If the windows are much cooler, I think they'll fog from inside of the house. The outside in my area can get into sub zero territory.

How do you guys handle the humidity when recirculating the heat during winter months.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
The plants generate humidity. If the humid air is warmed within the tent or room and released into the cool house. The moisture will condense. If the windows are much cooler, I think they'll fog from inside of the house. The outside in my area can get into sub zero territory.

How do you guys handle the humidity when recirculating the heat during winter months.
Where I live in an airy house, it would benefit me but I see what you are saying

I would just add a dehu in the house to take care of the humidity if that was an issue

but if going with the window ac exhausting into the house, condensation would occur at the unit, and precipitate down the drain
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
Plus the window AC will start freezing up the evaporator coil when it gets down into the 50's outside. Can't blow much air through a block of ice lol.

The easiest solution is to draw cold air from outside to cool the grow. It often works out best if you run at night so it's still cool outside even if you have a warm ish day during the winter.
Very true, thank you for the suggestion
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
Portable AC? You could vent it through your room duct.
I have tried the portable ac before. Thats what i started with before this but man i didn't really have the best results as far as cooling while using it sadly. I will go back that route though should all else fail
 

Roshambizzle

Well-Known Member
Let me know what you figure out because my grow space is in my basement on the opposite side of the house from the window so I been thinking up ideas as well. Best I have came up with so far for my setup basically. Besides a mini-split which is out of my price range. Also kinda over kill for 1 5 by 5 and 1 4 by 4 grow space.
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
Do you need heat anywhere in the house? You could use box your ac and vent the heat to a cool part of the house. This assuming you're running sealed with co2, otherwise, yeah, cold air outdoors....
Yes, im running in a sealed room. So your saying to do what exactly? Set the ac unit up in my room inside of a box, and duct the heat from the box to a separate room or even through the window?
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
circulate the heat to the house instead of wasting it? Do you have a duct system you could dump it into? It shouldn't be an issue if you are carbon scrubbing or the grow isn't too big

If it is sealed, you could put the window a/c inside your house to transfer heat out of the room into the next room, but you will need to make a drain of some sort for it
I like that idea of moving the ac unit inside the room and ducting the air out. Im leaning towards having the hot ac vented back out thru the window and then just creating something for the condensation to drip in. I am using a carbon filter for scrubbing as well
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
How big is the grow room, how cold does it get, and how much heat do your lights put off.
So, as of right now i have a 4x4 grow tent and a 4x8 grow tent both with ducting from my window unit transferring fresh air to the tents keeping the rooms nice cool. Using 3 Luxx LED lights. My plan is to take the tents down though here and a few weeks and place the plants on drip trays. But I want to remove the window ac unit from my window before winter starts
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
I use a 6" inline fan to blow cool outside air into the grow room until about 79F, then it switches over (using an Inkbird temp controller) to my portable AC unit until lights out at about 3 PM. I live in a desert, cool nights but 80-90f through Sept., in Nov. or Dec. I have to put a heater in there for lights out for about 4-5 hours.

In the winter I have it changed around where the 6" fresh air fan comes on @ 78-80F. Heater programed to come on @ 65F max in dark. Plants love fresh air.
awesome idea. i assume once the time comes i could attach a few 4inch duct fans to pull in cold air.
 

bigpoppa69

New Member
Let me know what you figure out because my grow space is in my basement on the opposite side of the house from the window so I been thinking up ideas as well. Best I have came up with so far for my setup basically. Besides a mini-split which is out of my price range. Also kinda over kill for 1 5 by 5 and 1 4 by 4 grow space.
honestly i considered the mini split route. Except im renting. But i figure if i plan on being here at 2 years minimum, and i can increase my yield to atleast 7-10 pounds a harvest, then the mini split is worth the investment. Lol
However My first idea i think ill go with is pulling my window unit inside, placing it over some sort of tub for he drainage, and then ducting the hot air back out the window, thru a make shift hidden window.
Should that not work then option two will be to grab a couple inline fans and vent cold air from outside to inside, again vented thru a makeshift secret window.
Option 3 would be investing in a mini split.
But im going to continue researching new ideas
 

Roshambizzle

Well-Known Member
Yeah I did the window in and out last winter here in Canada gets too brutal some nights tho and unless you baby sit it can be deadly.
 

its.always.420

Well-Known Member
The plants generate humidity. If the humid air is warmed within the tent or room and released into the cool house. The moisture will condense. If the windows are much cooler, I think they'll fog from inside of the house. The outside in my area can get into sub zero territory.

How do you guys handle the humidity when recirculating the heat during winter months.
with a dehumidifier; more free heat !
 
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