McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
It seems that the two 4 foot flouros raise the temp about the same amount as the two extra CFL's we had in for side lights. However, they do add considerably more light to a larger area of the lower growth and won't burn the leaves like the CFL's. For that reason we'd like to keep them in. So, in our ongoing battle to keep the temps in a more tolerable range, we thought we'd try exhausting to outside the house rather than relying on the A/C to compenste for the extra heat.
With a couple pieces of tin, a few feet of flex duct, a piece of cardboard and about 14 pounds of duct tape we connected the 8 inch exhaust fan on the Homebox to the exhaust fan in the ceiling. The weight was a bit much for the springs that normally hold up the grill on the exhaust vent. I had to put in 4 sheetrock screws to compensate. Nothing a few dabs of spackle can't take care of later.
So far the temp has dropped from 86 degrees to 83.8 in about 30 minutes. The house's A/C is still set at 76, 2 to 3 degrees lower than we normally keep it. We're hoping the grow box temp will go still lower. I was hoping to use insulated ducting but the smallest amount I could find was 25 feet and we already had the non-insulated stuff.
Mrs. McToker wanted me to be sure to mention that she is even less excited about the new vent arrangement than she was about having the grow box in the master bathroom.
But, it's the one room we can keep folks away from in our downsized retirement home.:) I really need to figure out how to build a stealth grow room in my shop. Building it isn't the stumbling block at this point...... it's the "stealth" part that is holding us back.
If this doesn't do the trick we will try placing frozen one gallon water jugs near the passive intake flaps. I can't remember whose idea that was but is seems plausable.
For what it's worth, the girls don't seem to mind the heat but, I figure that if we can't get it under control while running CFL's it will only be worse if/when we upgrade to an HPS down the road.
Sorry if I seem to go on and on but I figure the purpose of this log, in part, is to have a record of what did and didn't work with this grow.
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
Mctoker. I really hope your using a carbon filter if your filtering outside. your going to smell the neighbor hood up. If you have a home box this is what you need to do to increase stealth.
Look at a long wall. Put a TV entertainment center against a wall. Put your home box next to it. right smack dab next to it.....now if you can, have like a dresser next to the homebox or something so its just the front of the homebox that is visible....go to homedepot and pick up a 8ft x 4ft piece of masonite (white side and brown side. for siding walls) and then go to a fabric store and less mrs. mctoker pic a print she really loves!! take the masonite and cut it to the exact dimensions of the home box. Cover the homebox sized masonite with the fabric and put it in front of the homebox to hide it...if you can, get to other boards of masonite and fabric and use it for the other sides. Hiding them is easier then you think. If you really think about it, if you cover that stupid green sympol on it, it looks exactly like a portable closet to hang jackets and dresses in. :) good luck man! say hello to mrs mctoker
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
Quote:
Originally Posted by anbesol
Mctoker. I really hope your using a carbon filter if your filtering outside. your going to smell the neighbor hood up.
So much for my next brilliant idea.:(
We are running a DIY carbon scrubber. I don't know if it's because we are now down to two plants in the box or the fact that we got all the males out of there and they were just stinkier, but the smell just isn't that strong.
I was thinking about removing the scrubber. Guess I won't, afterall.
The inline duct fan we're using just doesn't seem to have the balls to pull through the filter and push air through two 90 degree bends even with the bathroom exhaust fan pulling on the other end.
Trying to be "cheap" I've been avoiding getting a better fan. Guess I'm just gonna have to break down and do it.
That brings up my next question. I've been looking at 6 inch fans that range in CFM from 250 to 440 and range in price from $119 to $165 from various vendors. Brands include EcoPlus, Value-Line, Cannon, Can, C.A.P. and GrowBright.
Not wishing to throw good money after bad, any recommendations?
I don't see that the fabric/masonite stealth would work out for our situation. Part of our problem is adult sons that will show up from out of town to visit on short notice. That pretty much rules out anywhere but the master bedroom and bath. I'll even have to be carefull with the shop as one of our boys will go in there to fabricate motorcycle parts. I'm thinking of building what looks like add-on storage to the outside back wall of the shop which would actually hide an insulated grow room, a room A/C unit and the ventilation system. I don't think that even our boys would pay much notice to just another storage shed.
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
McToker, i'm usin a a xs homebox at the moment and haven't got a carbon filter yet, my babies are just startin to flower and startin to stink out my room,
wat were you usin to keep the odour under control?
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamboyce
McToker, i'm usin a a xs homebox at the moment and haven't got a carbon filter yet, my babies are just startin to flower and startin to stink out my room,
wat were you usin to keep the odour under control?
We built ours similar to this one:
http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-gr...-ofs-unit.html
which is an adaptation of this one:
http://boards.cannabis.com/growroom-...on-filter.html
and I think I'll build one based on this one in the future:
http://boards.cannabis.com/indoor-gr...round-2-a.html
Ours does a pretty good job. It may not do as well as one with actual activated carbon. When we had all the other plants in there and it was really stinky, we also tossed a Bounce dryer sheet on the filter and just replaced the sheet with a new one every 24 hours.
The pic is from an earlier set up. It is now attatched vertically and directly to the exhaust fan. The fan is outside, on top of the Homebox.
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
"Don't try this at home!" At least that's what the Mrs. said. Remember the ducting we finished putting up last night connecting the Homebox exhaust to the bathroom exhaust fan? Well ........ we heard this crash..........
Yup. Seems that 14 pounds of duct tape just wasn't up to the task. The whole thing came crashing down.
Back to the drawing board.
Still looking at better fans. I'm kinda leaning toward a 6 inch Vortex fan. It seems to me that there just isn't that big of a price difference between the cheaper versions and the Vortex which I've found as low as $149.
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
Maaaaaan :jointsmile:
Quote:
Originally Posted by McToker
Seems that 14 pounds of duct tape just wasn't up to the task. The whole thing came crashing down.
Yeah... that's usually not the best way to secure things in the grow room, but ya gotta do what you gotta do, right? lol
I've even found that multiple strips of that Gorilla tape isn't even good to hold back light cords... and that stuff is TOUGH. At least in my small space, the glue seems to stay too warm to hold its adhesive properties.
Oh, and word of advice... even if I don't practice what I preach :stoned:... DON'T go cheap on the fan. If you can afford it, a good fan will absolutely improve your conditions. Great ventilation will help out much more than just your temperatures. Have fun :hippy:
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
Hey Mctoker, Thought I would throw my two cents in. I don't have a grow going right now , but plan on starting one again very soon. I've grown 2 years outside and had a nice grow going inside but had to quit because I had to move. I got to cloning and had a really nice mother plant but didn't get to flower I was lucky enough to have a whole room dedicated to it and the wife didn't mind.(even when I stole her cookware for my projects) I liked using computer fans for venting, but didn't get around to making an inline setup with them. But I do plan on trying soon. They seem to have a pretty good CFM rating. And are a heck of a lot cheaper than the setups that you can buy and very quiet. About $10 for a fan rated for 250cfm I believe. Maybe even put two together with some 6"pvc tube. I do believe you should have a certain amount of strait run before and after your fans for best air flow but don't remember how much. Probably has to do with the size of your pipe. Also you mentioned the 2 90 degree angles in your vent line. If you could change them to flex pipe and make a radius you would get better air flow. With ducting the straighter and shorter the run the better the airflow. But anyway, looks great and the best of luck. :thumbsup:
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
CAP Valueline 6" Inline Exhaust Fan Vortex Style - HPS - eBay (item 280261651693 end time Sep-06-08 08:01:04 PDT)
Hydro Wholesale offers Wholesale Hydroponics, HPS and MH Grow Lights, HydroWholesale hydroponic Supp: 4? Can Filter/TD Series Fan COMBO (i used this now)
Hydro Wholesale offers Wholesale Hydroponics, HPS and MH Grow Lights, HydroWholesale hydroponic Supp: 6? Odor Sok/TD Series Fan COMBO
You need to move your carbon filter over to the other hole. so your not doing to 90 degree turns. or do what i have done since i have started HPS. Take the filter out of the grow tent (more space) and have just a bit of the duct work sticking in the tent and then attach the fan above your ceiling like your doing and stick the carbon filter right after that, so your no longer sucking air into it, but more blowing air. might solve your problem, but to do that you may have to get something that i listed.
Your idea for making the new grow room, is probably your best bet. MCtoker, you need to buy a fan that will fit your carbon filter, or buy a new one, the thing is you need to attach your fan as soon as it comes out of the homebox, if your having trouble with airflow....Yes, you need that carbon filter, dont risk it without it. You have no idea, how much weed smells after you have been living in the smell. I have my grow tent in my sleeping quarters aswell. However i will go see my girlfriend and she will say my jeans smell like weed. well this is before i got my carbon filter. now when she comes over, she says she can barely smell anything. Always use a carbon filter, because you can really stink up a house with a fan but no filter. Good luck!!!! Take clones. seeds are annoying. unless you dont have room for a clone box (rubber made containers).
McToker's 1st Grow with CFL
TheMetal1 ~ Yup. A lesson learned.
misslilly ~ I think I'm done trying alternative fans. I'll just bite the bullit and get one designed for my purpose. But, I do appreciate your two cents. Thanks.
Thanks for the links anbesol. I hadn't stumbled across that vendor.
I've done the math and, on paper, a good 4 inch fan flowing roughly 178 CFM would be more than adequate for my 36 cubic foot space even allowing for more CFM to "scrub" as well as exhaust.
I just don't want to plunk down $$$ for a 4 inch fan only to find out I should have ordered a 6 inch fan.
I had planned to run the fan connected directly to the filter with no ducting or bends in between by just setting the fan on top of the tent with the filter attatched but directly below the fan, inside the tent,for now.
That said, we will most likely upgrade to an air cooled 400 watt HPS for our next grow. I want whatever fan I get to be able to handle the light, as well. With the addition of a light, I'll need to go to the fan sucking through the light and blowing through the filter due to space.
