Need Help with HEAT.

[Chabnoc]

Where i live is very hot during the summer. I mean really hot, like 120F. for a month hot. When it is this hot, my house is about 85F inside. Now I have a 5'X5' grow room, with a 400 wat HPS and 6 42 wat cfls, and a t-15 tube light, with good venting, but if I am pumping in air at 85F, how do I keep it below 85F with out killing my wallet? I saw a small swamp cooler at Lowes for $250. this would help also with the humidity, it goes at about 30%. Any ideas on a way to keep this room cool with out breaking my bank or my amount of time? These need to be equal.

Thanks for any input you guys and gals might have.:smokebong:

Chabnoc Reviewed by Chabnoc on 06-14-2007. Need Help with HEAT. Where i live is very hot during the summer. I mean really hot, like 120F. for a month hot. When it is this hot, my house is about 85F inside. Now I have a 5'X5' grow room, with a 400 wat HPS and 6 42 wat cfls, and a t-15 tube light, with good venting, but if I am pumping in air at 85F, how do I keep it below 85F with out killing my wallet? I saw a small swamp cooler at Lowes for $250. this would help also with the humidity, it goes at about 30%. Any ideas on a way to keep this room cool with Rating: 5

[xxxhazexxx]

get more intake fans flexi ducting so you can put the fresh air where the plants need it and anouther osilatating fan to blow between the tops of the plants and the light,or the best thing is to pay the money and buy that swamp cooler,(you only get out what you put in if you grow cheap you will get shit bud ) you have to do what you have to do.If it was one of your kids you would buy it,its the same,good luck:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[GratefulDawg]

I saw those swamp coolers too and thought about picking one up - anyone have any experience with whether they work well for our purpose or not? I mean that is an awful lot of heat coming off of those bulbs, but I guess if it is a confined area it would able to cool it off no problem............

[evlme2]

Swamp coolers wil add humidity to the air. If humidity isnt a concern then go for it. Also, a swamp cooler may not be powerful enough to bring the temps down to where you want.
I live in Florida so you can imagine how hot it gets in my grow rrom. I had to break down and put a window ac in there.
Can you tape into a central air duct (if you have central air)?

[Zandor]

Dam I feel your pain, hot air in means hot air out.

Monitor the Humidity if you use a swamp cooler but an A/C is what you need, sorry dude. No real quick and easy answer.

I do know of a few who use ICE just under the air inlet and that helps a little but for months at a time that will be a pain in the ass.

For example one medical grower I know has made an ice mold that fits inside his air in duct. He used a 6" inlet but where he put the ice is 10" and then reduced to the 6" to fit his fan. There is a 6" hole in the middle of the 10" x 5" block of ice as to not restrict the air flow but cool it. He only deals with extreme heat for about 2 weeks a year. Just an FYI.

[LOC NAR on probation]

Slowes has a small A/C for 99 or just a little more. 5 or 6000 btu. It's the only way to go. It took care of my 4x6 room easy with a 1000 watt hortilux. I threw in a dehumidifier just cause of my area. The little A/c's dont dehumidify like large ones. It worth it.

[Chabnoc]

COOL!!! Thanks LOC NAR. I just did not want to spend $250 on a swamp cooler. I do not think they work all that well. I would rather pay $300 for an A/C. I will go to lowes and see about this smal AC unit.

Thanks again everyone

PS I do not think I go cheap on my grows. Last grow id did Had 5 plants and costed me $600. This time will not be so bad, because I have most all the stuff I need now.

Thanks again everyone for all the help.

[Chabnoc]

What is up with the temp not supposed to get over 85f?? Some weed comes from tropical areas.. I do know that my grows before did better at lower heats.

[Al B. Fuct]

Most cannabis actually comes from temperate areas in Asia. The plant is built to cope with cold winters, thus its habit of 'annual' behaviour, where the plant produces seed then dies. The seeds carry the DNA forward through cold winters without the plant itself having to survive. Places with cold winters often don't get very high summer temps, usually for just a few weeks. True tropical plants, capable of 85F averages, come from places where there may only be 2 seasons (wet & dry) and have very different propagation habits, often being perennial or not dropping leaves in an autumnal season.

Cannabis plants start to display longer internodes at temps 80F and over (85F with CO2). This 'stretchy' habit will appear in buds as thin or spongy growth.

If you want tight, dense, solid buds, keep the temps down. 75-77, 80 on a bad day.

You're right, the setup of a grow op is the most expensive. Those who buy kits get socked the worst. If you are handy in the workshop, learn the operating theory behind what you'd like to use and DIY/build your own stuff wherever possible. I've seen $300-400 aeroponic kit systems duplicated for under $50, much less if there's junkbox or op-shop materials available to recycle. $50-60 spent at the local hardware and an hour spent in your workshop will make you a nice efficient batwing reflector that would set you back at least a couple hundred.

[LOC NAR on probation]

The heat on the plants is ok but it's your water you want cool. Water chillers are way too much for me. So I used the A/C to keep the room and rez water at 70 degrees. It's all about your water in hydro. Plant could take much more than 85. It must be over 100 when you got the 1000 watt hortilux bulb on. good ventilation for freshair and A/C keeps it under control. Cold falls to the bottom and kept my water cool. 66 to about 71 most of the time. You can tell when the roots start to rot. Not a good smell, you know it's about over then.

Al explains the buds and most climates well. If you really turn the cold on at the end most strains will start to turn purple in the cold of winter. Only thing is they are way past thier prime.

Hope we help with info and keep us posted. Zandor will bust our chops if I tell you something stupid. LOL