Help - First Grow, Stealth fridge CFL

Hi guy's

please help!!!

after getting very carried away with cooking and vapping and currently paying £220-£300 for an oz of bang weed, Shitty UK laws and view of the world

I have decided that growing my own is the way forward !!

The Plan

needs to be stealth, girl friend not a fan and I have family ect round all the fucking time

at the same time im a big consumer so I will need at least an oz an a half + per month to self sustain myself which is the plan moving forward! avoid the dealer, cleaner, better ..... you know the speech

after research I have just brought a larder style fridge that is 130 cm tall and 60cm wide and deep

I have ordered 2 x 200w dual spec CFL 2700/6500 and might also run some small white light Cfl's up the sides of the fridge

I have got a 4" can lite carbon filter on the way, planed to use an 100m inline fan for air out take run through the carbon filter and 1 or 2 PC fans for intake. then also have a little fan for internal circulation on the plants

im planning to grow using soil although still need to do alot more research on what to use ect any help would be much appreciated !!

I have a friend who can provide me small cheese cuttings ready to grow for £5 or larger 2 foot plants for £20 - Im thinking that's a good staring point,

please feel free to comment on anythink any help appreciated

but main questions

r the lights im going to use ok?
should i run smaller CFL's down the side of the fridge ?
how many plants 2-4?
do i fit carbon filter in or outside the unit? is there a difference?

the fridge is coming tomorrow so I will take some pic's

I will photo my build if people help out and post my progress as I go

thanks

whoop whoop delivered today picture of fridge im using

Hello. I think your grow is gonna be kinda cool since its basically a large mini fridge lol. The general rule on lighting is 100w for the first plant and then 50w for every plant after, but the more light the better and the lights you are using are fine, I too am a CFL grower. Idk how many lights your gonna want to run on the sides because it is so small width and depth wise. If you run auto flowers I could see your running 2 to 3 plants, but regular seeds I could see maybe 1, possibly 2 at most (trust me they get big, something like 3 inches every 24 hours). The filter... It doesn't really matter, just take note that if the filter is on the outside it is less stealthy, and dust blowing into the carbon usually wears it out a little bit faster.

I think your next project is to gut that bitch out and write up some blue prints ( where you want lights, where the intake is going to be, filter on inside or outside, everything) good look and I will try to help as much as possible

Hello. I think your grow is gonna be kinda cool since its basically a large mini fridge lol. The general rule on lighting is 100w for the first plant and then 50w for every plant after, but the more light the better and the lights you are using are fine, I too am a CFL grower. Idk how many lights your gonna want to run on the sides because it is so small width and depth wise. If you run auto flowers I could see your running 2 to 3 plants, but regular seeds I could see maybe 1, possibly 2 at most (trust me they get big, something like 3 inches every 24 hours). The filter... It doesn't really matter, just take note that if the filter is on the outside it is less stealthy, and dust blowing into the carbon usually wears it out a little bit faster.

I think your next project is to gut that bitch out and write up some blue prints ( where you want lights, where the intake is going to be, filter on inside or outside, everything) good look and I will try to help as much as possible

Hi

thanks for coming back to me and thanks for the help!!

its funny you say that as it did start life as a mini fridge / PC grow, but once the GF had agreed with the operation and by the time I had finished googling, I had that bad boy arriving at my door delivered for the bargain price of £20 and the guy dropped it off !!

It was going to cost £100 for a nice mini fridge and I can vape half an oz in a week so I thought it just made scene to man up and scale up
I have man room / office in my house so the blag is its a wine fridge

I have drawn/ sketched (if you can call it that) a few design ideas, i will try to scan and upload,
1 with carbon filter inside
1 with it outside
1 with it under the unit at the back

let me know, thanks again

This is me, but I feel you will probably have better luck with the drawing with the filter on the outside. Less items inside for more grow room. and I noticed with more stuff in the grow area it tends to absorb heat and keep it inside the room longer.

ok - so your thinking, have the carbon filter inside at the top in-between/just above the lights and not bother with any more lights down the side?

This is me, but I feel you will probably have better luck with the drawing with the filter on the outside. Less items inside for more grow room. and I noticed with more stuff in the grow area it tends to absorb heat and keep it inside the room longer.

also, i have the option to take small cutting from friend, plants about 3-4 inch for £5 or plant about 2 foot for £20

i was thinking take 2-3 for £20 just to give me a head start?

also, i have the option to take small cutting from friend, plants about 3-4 inch for £5 or plant about 2 foot for £20

i was thinking take 2-3 for £20 just to give me a head start?

If that plant that you get cuttings from are female then those cuttings usual also tend to be female:smoke:

In sure he guarantees they are fem, can that be done?

Yeah its called cloning. If you do clippings be sure he starts their root systems for ya. If not you could buy clippings and have them not make it. That would be shitty

Yeah its called cloning. If you do clippings be sure he starts their root systems for ya. If not you could buy clippings and have them not make it. That would be shitty

He is a friends friend, who said he would replace any lost and said they should all be fem, my friend had taken 10 3 times now and not lost 1 yet so they should be good ? Fingers crossed

Yeah, and since your are rooting starting the clippings, you are going to want to pick up some cloning gel from a Hydroponics store (for flowers of course), which will better your chances of successful rooting. You are also probably going to want to do some searching on grass city and maybe make something for the clones to grow in until they root.

I would say 1-2 plants would be max in a grow space of just under 2’ wide/deep. Even most autoflowers will reach 1.5-2’ wide if grown to the mid-upper range of their potential. With 2 plants you will most likely see half the branches pressed up against the sides of the fridge.

The height of the fridge will be fine. Most autoflowers have an upper range of 2’ tall max, although that is changing with some of the newer strains coming to market. Be sure to check height prior to purchase.

CFLs work well but have poor penetration and need to be kept rather close to the plants. If you do add some side-lighting, I would go with flowering spectrum.

The filter will fit inside the unit if suspended from the top of the fridge. You can attach the inline fan to the end of your ducting, outside the fridge. Make sure your CFMs match the square footage of the fridge so it maintains negative air pressure. Also, make sure that your air intake ports are adequate. Use this calculator: Size Selector - Phresh Filters

Speaking of space, you may want to see about removing those door shelves. They are eating up valuable space at the grow-level.

In order of setup I would see it like this:

Top of fridge
Filter + 4” duct leading outside, with the inline fan at the end. (If you cannot fit it inside the fridge.)
Lights suspended on a yo-yo system. IE: SunRise Reflector Hanging System
Optional side-lighting.
Grow space + air intake ports.
Bottom of fridge.

A note about the intake ports: if this fridge is not being kept in a room that is dark at night, make sure the ports have some type of bent ducting to eliminate light exposure during dark periods. Light disturbance during these periods will stress the plants and can lead to issues, such as hermaphrodites.

Check out some of the grow journals here at GC for more inspiration; especially the small scale stealth grows.

Peace.

I would say 1-2 plants would be max in a grow space of just under 2’ wide/deep. Even most autoflowers will reach 1.5-2’ wide if grown to the mid-upper range of their potential. With 2 plants you will most likely see half the branches pressed up against the sides of the fridge.

The height of the fridge will be fine. Most autoflowers have an upper range of 2’ tall max, although that is changing with some of the newer strains coming to market. Be sure to check height prior to purchase.

CFLs work well but have poor penetration and need to be kept rather close to the plants. If you do add some side-lighting, I would go with flowering spectrum.

The filter will fit inside the unit if suspended from the top of the fridge. You can attach the inline fan to the end of your ducting, outside the fridge. Make sure your CFMs match the square footage of the fridge so it maintains negative air pressure. Also, make sure that your air intake ports are adequate. Use this calculator: Size Selector - Phresh Filters

Speaking of space, you may want to see about removing those door shelves. They are eating up valuable space at the grow-level.

In order of setup I would see it like this:

Top of fridge
Filter + 4” duct leading outside, with the inline fan at the end. (If you cannot fit it inside the fridge.)
Lights suspended on a yo-yo system. IE: SunRise Reflector Hanging System
Optional side-lighting.
Grow space + air intake ports.
Bottom of fridge.

A note about the intake ports: if this fridge is not being kept in a room that is dark at night, make sure the ports have some type of bent ducting to eliminate light exposure during dark periods. Light disturbance during these periods will stress the plants and can lead to issues, such as hermaphrodites.

Check out some of the grow journals here at GC for more inspiration; especially the small scale stealth grows.

Peace.

Thanks man this is wicked info, all you guys are a great help

bit of an update- the carbon filter turned up today along with my other light, so I could hold them in place and get a bit more of a feel for the layout / size

lucky the location im building the fridge has a eclectic wholesale shop next door so wanted to pick a fan after working out how i would mount it and the location of the carbon filter,

after a good hour of messing around i came up with the following,

I brought a 4" wall duck fan that has a grill and pipe to fit within a wall, I will drill a 100m hole in the back of the fridge then this means that the fan will take up no space in the fridge and very little on the outside, im going attached ducking and the have to have the carbon filter mounted to the outside of the fridge on the back.

not as stealth but with the fridge in the corner of the room should be fine / will just change filter every grow

just didn't want to loose the grow room, also all shelfs and box/ door bits will be stripped

going to use 2 x 12cm PC fans at the bottom for air intake with light box to stop light leaks,

with the lights im not sure what to do??

do i fix the lights at the top of the fridge and make the roof one big light shade as such pointing the light down, then use the slots and shelves in the fridge to raise the plant to the light and lower as it grows bigger

or

do i try to make my own light shade on hangers / yoyo as you and other have suggested, and the lower the light to the plant??

im also not to sure what to do with the bottom of the fridge there is a step as with most, if you look in the drawings i was going to mount 2 intake fans in the step, but now im not sure if the plant would sit above on a shelf (might not get any air flow through shelf)or bellow in the smaller space - hard to explain i will take a pic and come back to you

build is happening next weekend- cant wait


thanks guys / cheers for the help

I brought a 4" wall duck fan that has a grill and pipe to fit within a wall, I will drill a 100m hole in the back of the fridge then this means that the fan will take up no space in the fridge and very little on the outside, im going attached ducking and the have to have the carbon filter mounted to the outside of the fridge on the back.

not as stealth but with the fridge in the corner of the room should be fine / will just change filter every grow

That sounds like it will do the trick. The only reason I suggested an internal filter method was because it will extend the life of the filter, in addition to being a little more stealthy. As you noted, an external filter with outward airflow will decrease the filters lifespan.

Just remember that heat rises, so you want that filter-duct towards the top of the fridge, otherwise you may find the temperatures spiking.

do i fix the lights at the top of the fridge and make the roof one big light shade as such pointing the light down, then use the slots and shelves in the fridge to raise the plant to the light and lower as it grows bigger

or

do i try to make my own light shade on hangers / yoyo as you and other have suggested, and the lower the light to the plant??

Either would work. I prefer being able to raise/lower the lights, but if your shelving is solid you can do a drop-down build. Go with what is easier, providing the top of the fridge does not get too warm. That can be bad for seedlings.

If you wanted to build an inexpensive yo-yo style light raiser, you could use a simple power-bar with a couple plug-in sockets. Attach the power-bar to the yo-yo hangers and presto, you have a DYI light setup.

Always make sure your power cords are suspended from above never on the ground. Safety first!

im also not to sure what to do with the bottom of the fridge there is a step as with most, if you look in the drawings i was going to mount 2 intake fans in the step, but now im not sure if the plant would sit above on a shelf (might not get any air flow through shelf)or bellow in the smaller space - hard to explain i will take a pic and come back to you

I think I see what you mean. As long as the step does not extend over half of the floor space, it should be fine. You want to position your pot(s) in the center of the space anyway, and odds are they will be taller than the step you are worried about. Some airflow would be good at the bottom so it is sucked up through the plant branches. This is one of the reasons people use small fans at the base of their plants, even in large tents.

Speaking of pots, you should check out a couple 2 or 3 gallon square rose pots. I think they will fit your fridge better than traditional squat/round pots. The rose pots are taller and thinner, which is good for cannabis due to the long root structure.

Peace.

Subbd for this. I'm excited to see how it all works out.

Either would work. I prefer being able to raise/lower the lights, but if your shelving is solid you can do a drop-down build. Go with what is easier, providing the top of the fridge does not get too warm. That can be bad for seedlings.

If you wanted to build an inexpensive yo-yo style light raiser, you could use a simple power-bar with a couple plug-in sockets. Attach the power-bar to the yo-yo hangers and presto, you have a DYI light setup.

Always make sure your power cords are suspended from above never on the ground. Safety first!



I think I see what you mean. As long as the step does not extend over half of the floor space, it should be fine. You want to position your pot(s) in the center of the space anyway, and odds are they will be taller than the step you are worried about. Some airflow would be good at the bottom so it is sucked up through the plant branches. This is one of the reasons people use small fans at the base of their plants, even in large tents.

Speaking of pots, you should check out a couple 2 or 3 gallon square rose pots. I think they will fit your fridge better than traditional squat/round pots. The rose pots are taller and thinner, which is good for cannabis due to the long root structure.

Peace.

thanks -

that a very good point you mentioned with the heat if I raise the plants rather than lower the light, I didn't think of that, I have brought 4 x yoyo hangers just in case, so when i come to the build next weekend I think I will try building my own shade using the yoyo's and some of the Mylar I ordered to line the fridge, maybe with a coat hanger / washing up bowel set,

I will upload a pic of light fittings below, I cant really use it with a power block, I'm thinking I could bend a metal L shape and just mount fitting and hood to that ??- in the UK was not easy getting the E40 light fittings, these where my only option (see pic)

it makes sense if i want to try a hydro grow at a later date and also If i want to upgrade 2 a HPS cooled light in the future, results pending

cant today but I will take a picture of the step in the bottom, not sure if I would have enough room for the routes/pots ect might have to raise above the step, if that makes sense

thanks again guys

Subbd for this. I'm excited to see how it all works out.

Dont worry I will keep you guys posted,

I will take a load of pic as I build might even do a how to vid if its a success

Will do the same with the first batch, will need the feed back from you guys

Cheers

Dont worry I will keep you guys posted,

I will take a load of pic as I build might even do a how to vid if its a success

Will do the same with the first batch, will need the feed back from you guys

Cheers

It's all looking good mate. I'm also in the uk and have done a lot of DIY. My light holder is just a spotlight with splitters attached and screwed to a piece of mdf wrapped in Mylar. I have been looking for a big piece of solid air con duct to cut in half but not succeeded so far. I have seen people use turky roast tins as light reflectors tho that look good and are light.

It's all looking good mate. I'm also in the uk and have done a lot of DIY. My light holder is just a spotlight with splitters attached and screwed to a piece of mdf wrapped in Mylar. I have been looking for a big piece of solid air con duct to cut in half but not succeeded so far. I have seen people use turky roast tins as light reflectors tho that look good and are light.

How funny, I got the app the other day and was standing in Sainsbury's playing with the roasting tins when i got your post, my other half thought i was a nutter when I started bending them, did think i might use a roasting tin for shape and cover in mylar

(Sainsbury is a supermarket 2 any 1 not in the UK)

solid air con duct is a good idea

im going to be using 2 x 200w CFL next to each other, should they have there own reflector?

would that be better ?