Working Freezer Cab

[MJisBadMmkay]

Hello all-
New member, long time grower.
I recently moved from a cooler northern climate to a hotter southern climate. My cab that I keep outside, is getting too hot and I am looking to go in a different direction.
I've read lots of threads on people using an old refrigerator or freezer for a cabinet, but I haven't seen anyone using a working one. All you need is a cooling thermostat, like this:Discount Hydroponics - C.A.P. Cooling Thermostat , plug the freezer into the therm, and your in business for total climate control.

My feeling is, this is a great environment for a cabinet, because:
1. It's a sealed environment- none to very little pest problems
2. Climate controlled- no heat issues
3. Light tight
4. Usually already white on the inside.
5. Perfect for CO2 enrichment because of the seal.

I use T5 fluros, have for many years, and I think in a small cab like this, it's the best way to grow with little concern for heat. You could use a smaller 400 or so HPS, but personally, I like the T5 route. You can practically put the lights right above the plants with no burn, no stretch. A perfect way to do scrog or sog in my opinion. I do scrog. Not to mention the fluros use less energy, and the freezer will use less energy because of less on time (vs. using an HPS). If you remotely locate the ballast, practically no heat at all from a T5. Sorry, didn't mean to get on T5 tangent lol.

The only thing I see as a slight down fall (if you are on a budget) is the fact you will pretty much have to enrich with CO2 (which is a good thing lol), because of the sealed nature. I'm thinking if you don't want to go the full blown tank method, for smaller area like this, a home brew of CO2 would work in conjunction with a small fan.

Can anyone tell me of a down side to this, or why it won't work?

Thanks in advance.
Mmkay?

MJisBadMmkay Reviewed by MJisBadMmkay on 09-18-2010. Working Freezer Cab Hello all- New member, long time grower. I recently moved from a cooler northern climate to a hotter southern climate. My cab that I keep outside, is getting too hot and I am looking to go in a different direction. I've read lots of threads on people using an old refrigerator or freezer for a cabinet, but I haven't seen anyone using a working one. All you need is a cooling thermostat, like this:Discount Hydroponics - C.A.P. Cooling Thermostat , plug the freezer into the therm, and your in Rating: 5

[MJisBadMmkay]

57 views and no one has anything to say? Surely someone can offer some advise?

Thanks!

[stjr2k]

Your thread interests me because I have considered the same thing but not with a working unit. I don't know anything about refrigeration. Can you simply install a thermostat to keep temp levels in the higher ranges (compared to freezing) needed for plant growth?

[Rusty Trichome]

This is an old thread, but the following info is still valid:

My guess is that he'll burn-out the cooling unit (compressor motor) in no time. It was designed for operation for short periods to maintain cooler temps, not for full-time cooling on hotter days, let alone being outside... Speaking of hotter days, it's at the warmest part of the day that the unit would likely fail.
No ventilation, warm-n-moist air sitting there...not even close to optimal.

MJ...are you still around and did you give it a try?

[AR15]

My guess is that he'll burn-out the cooling unit (compressor motor) in no time. It was designed for operation for short periods to maintain cooler temps, not for full-time cooling on hotter days, let alone being outside... Speaking of hotter days, it's at the warmest part of the day that the unit would likely fail.
No ventilation, warm-n-moist air sitting there...not even close to optimal.

Well, with the cooling thermostat hes talking about, what happens is, you plug the freezer into the thermostat, and the thermostat gets plugged into the power source. Then you set the desired temperature (or range I'm assuming; I think they have an upper and lower bound), and place the thermometer in the freezer. As the heat will rise, the thermostat will give power out, and the freezer will kick on long enough to bring it back to what temperature you have set. When it's back to normal, the thermostat cuts the power to the freezer. People make DIY kegerators out of box freezers and these thermostats for the same purpose. Since keeping the beer at a certain temperature (35 deg. F I think) (and keeping it carbonated with a co2 tank as well), the beer will generally last about a month of being tapped without going bad.

I don't think he'll have the problem you're talking about, because although it will be hot, the freezer is not going to be working overtime since you won't be trying to keep it at temperature near freezing. You'd only be keeping it in the temperature range optimal for marijuana growth. However, he might have the problem you mention, in a sense, because a freezer is not made to keep temperatures that high. So, I don't know if that will affect it or not, but it could. However, I think it would work.