paintball inspired C02 system

[Raelum]

i havent started growing yet but ive been reading heavily into it and comparing systems, cost, effectiveness etc... i originally was going to go with a 16 plant ebb and flow system, but have deeply considering NFT as well (worried about clogs in the lines while at work)

well anyways, i believe i came up with a relatively cheap way to add c02 without buying those really expensive computer controlled propane systems...

using a paintball gun front block + regulator + macroline and tank ASA
then some PVC pipe and fittings

you can look at the attached images for the "idea"

the only thing im not sure about is how much co2 i would use or to know how much i have on the room

this was just an idea since i have all these things and can get c02 fills for free (normally $2-3 per tank, tank size doesnt matter) and the paintball parts i can get easily, and if you look around im sure you could too

let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions on this setup

Raelum Reviewed by Raelum on 07-07-2007. paintball inspired C02 system i havent started growing yet but ive been reading heavily into it and comparing systems, cost, effectiveness etc... i originally was going to go with a 16 plant ebb and flow system, but have deeply considering NFT as well (worried about clogs in the lines while at work) well anyways, i believe i came up with a relatively cheap way to add c02 without buying those really expensive computer controlled propane systems... using a paintball gun front block + regulator + macroline and tank ASA Rating: 5

[davejohnwright]

It will work to add some CO2 to your garden, but I have no idea how effective it will be.

[rhizome]

Sure it'll work- all you need is some way to turn on/off the flow- so a solenoid valve and a timer. Toughest part is going to be matching the fittings, if paintball stuff is on a differant standard than the industrial stuff that most of the valves are made for. But I don't know the first thing about paintball gear, so I couldn't say.

Is the regulator calibrated in CFM or PSI? If it's PSI, you'll probabley wanna stick a flowmeter in line - it'll make the math to figure out dosing a lot easier.

How much co2 do those little tanks hold, anyway?

[Raelum]

20oz tanks, but i could rig up a bunch in series, and i can get them refilled for free at work so its not much added cost...

also an electronic solenoid would be a good idea, i think i can get my hands on one for a paintball gun for free, my good paintball gun uses an electronic solinoid, but im not about to scrap that

and yes, the gauge is in PSI

the HARDEST thing seems to be calculating how much co2 is in the room, the sensors are SOOOO expensive... wonder if i can buy a carbon monoxide detector and switch the sensor with a co2 sensor (would cost around 70 bucks to do) but not sure it would work.... if it does, i could rig the alarm to trigger the solenoid to turn off

[Raelum]

only flaw in the converting of a co monitor to co2 is that co monitor normally go off at about 50ppm.... and i would want my co2 monitor to go off at more like 1000 ppm...

[the image reaper]

there is an old saying, that "adding CO2, is beneficial, ONLY if everything else is 'just right' " ... dunno if that's true, but I add 'hillbilly' CO2, and can't honestly say that I've seen a bit of difference ... but, I just do the sugar/yeast thing, costs only pennies, and does SEEM to add CO2 in the cabinet, no way of measuring the output ... :smokin:

[Raelum]

there is an old saying, that "adding CO2, is beneficial, ONLY if everything else is 'just right' " ... dunno if that's true, but I add 'hillbilly' CO2, and can't honestly say that I've seen a bit of difference ... but, I just do the sugar/yeast thing, costs only pennies, and does SEEM to add CO2 in the cabinet, no way of measuring the output ... :smokin:

Studies have shown optimal growth and yields at 90-95°F, 1,500 ppm CO2, 45-50% relative humidity, 7,500-10,000 lumens/square foot of light, and vigorous air movement both above and below the canopy.

So, basically if i do that i should be good i found a formula to calculate how many lbs of co2 is needed to bring a certain area to 1500ppm's sooo... now that i no that i need to figure out the average consumption of co2 per plant... or by a really expensive co2 monitor

here's the formula if anyone is interested

To calculate the amount of Carbon Dioxide needed to enrich a room to 1500 ppm, first calculate the volume of the growing space. For instance, an 8x8 foot room with an 8 foot ceiling would contain 512 cubic feet of space. Determine the CO2 needed to enrich to 1500 ppm by multiplying the volume of space by .0015.

512 x .0015 = 0.768

Thus, 0.768 cubic feet (or rounded up to 0.8 cu ft ) of carbon dioxide will be needed to enrich this room at 1500 ppm. 1 lb of CO2 is equal to about 8.5 cubic feet at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure.

by the way i found that information here https://www.hempcultivation.com/420/...ent-guide.html

[rhizome]

20oz tanks, ....

Hmm- yer gonna go thru a lot of 20 oz tanks

also an electronic solenoid would be a good idea...

Don't see how you're going to get around having one. I'd just buy one w/ a 110 coil, as you're also going to need a timer- 110 timers are cheap. You'll also need barb to thread hose fittings to fit your hose and valve body.

and yes, the gauge is in PSI

the HARDEST thing seems to be calculating how much co2 is in the room, the sensors are SOOOO expensive...

Umm, once you know your flow rate, dosage is pretty straight forward- you take the cubic footage of your room , divide by a million, and multiply by 1200-1500 ( depending on the level you're looking for). Then take that # and divide by the flow rate to determine how long your valve needs to be open.

But you'll need a flowmeter calibrated in CFM .

Remember, gas released while your ventilation system is running is wasted- just blows outta the space.

[oldsanclem]

Co2 works as above , BUT on thing that must be done regulation with a controler. They are well worth the money. I use both types tanks and gas gen's , tanks in the summer and gas gen in the winter . The room is regulated to 1500 ppm with a span of 50.
You must remember that co2 gas falls like a rock and must be moved upward in the room with a temp regulated at 95.
The main reason for regulation is death, yes death 350 people die each year from co2. If your growing in a ceilar it will be come a trap and displace the o2 in the room .
Note in a house with people and pot on the same level the co2 goes up to 500 without a problem. So just using lots of air flow does the trick.
Always remember to have a intake and exust filter to prevent the mighty damn might out.
Go with 20 pound tanks its much cheaper and easer to refill the mig welding tanks (hint )
You can get 20 pound tanks with a welding regulator and solonide from welding supply.
Grow safe Be safe and be alive

[rhizome]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the controller is mandatory- but it sure does make things easier. More efficient too- doing the vent/dose/vent/dose cycle ends up tossing a bunch of gas right out the exhaust. Even the best cycle timer out there is still pretty half-assed

Thanks for bringing up the safety issue, SanClem. The best reason to use manufactured purpose-designed equipment for c02 enrichment is SAFETY. You really can kill yourself, your pets, your downstairs neighbors with this stuff.
Besides the suffocation issue, there's also the "gas under pressure" issue, or the " flame going on and off in the grow" issue- not sure which one's worse.

The flame issue is pretty self evident. A home-made burner rig could easily be a fire hazard. There's a reason why gasfitters have to be licensed.

Co2 cylinders are considered low-pressure, but a full 20 lb tank is still @ 800 PSI- nuff to pack a wallop if a fitting blows. Also enough to blow a lot of fittings which were designed for use with water, at maybe 50 PSI- You know, the stuff off the shelf at Home Depot. You should really use gas fittings spec'ed higher than the maximum pressure that your system could ever reach.

Home-made co2 systems are absolutely possible- I've made a couple. The costs are OK compared to the store-bought stuff, but not great by the time you do it right. A large chunk of the costs on the store stuff is component cost- there's not all that much assembly cost.

I assume that there's a pretty good range of fittings for paintball stuff? Never even held one- always used welding supply gas. ( It was kinda funny- you'd go down on Saturday a.m. and there'd be 6-10 guys in line to get c02, but nobody buying argon...) If their available, I'd use em.

Anyway, I'm glad that SanClem brought up the safety issues. Thanks, guy.
There shouldn't ever be a discussion of home-made c02 without mention.