Hopefully im posting in the right forum.Co2 seems like it should be in the advanced forum instead of indoor growroom setup but here it goes. I recently upgraded and built a growroom in the size of 17x6x7. It's framed, sheet rocked, all legit, you name it. Right now its powered by 2 1000w lights, 1 240w Led, and a few CFL to light some of my top colas that already passed up my lights. Im using a 440cfm fan thats pulling through my carbon filter on the other side of my growroom and running through my lights to cool them at the same time. I also have a constant 220 cfm 6 inch intake venting fresh air into the grow room at all times. I was thinking of adding Co2 but from what I know and research I think I might be wasting my money. I already have a Co2 tank full with a regulator. My question is should I scrap the intake and make my room more sealed and run Co2? And if so should I run my exhaust on a timer so Im not exhausting all that expensive Co2. Or run with exactly what I have and not change it? Or just keep it the same and add Co2? I don't have any experience with a room this size since I've just been growing indoor in tents up to this point. When I used the Co2 in my tent it seemed to help quite a bit. I do plan on adding another light or 2 since it seems to be lacking in this large space and maybe another fan. Also I have a 9k btu ac unit running right now for a few hrs a day since its still hot where I live. My temps. are about 73-83 and climb up to about 86 if I don't run the ac at all Thanks
Co2 is the last upgrade one should install. That said, you sound like you know what youre doing, so heres my experience. It will increase your yields 30% average. The increase in yield is worth it. Yes, you will have to completely seal your room, and run your lights through a cooltube ducting system, inlet with outdoor air . If your max temp is 86degrees, you can get away with not running the AC at all and just supplementing co2. 90 degrees is the maximum you should allow your plants to endure while co2 is used. Some people take it to 95, i stick at 78-85. Im sure youre aware through research that you need higher temps for co2. Exhausting growroom air when using co2 is a waste and counter productive. You dont need fresh air whatsoever. Still, if you like, or if it gets too humid or stuffy, you can bring in fresh air when lights are off. The other thing to keep in mind is, you plants will be on steroids. Theyll grow faster and will require more of everything, more frequently. Goodluck
Not sure I understand you. closed loop carbon filter? don't even need an intake? can you draw me a picture on the back of a napkin please.
For as long as possible during daylight hours. Co2 should be turned off at night time. But that doesnt mean you exhaust the air. Theres plenty of o2 in the air as a bi-product of photosynthesis to last through the night. You place the carbon filter and fan somewhere in your room where it keeps deodorizing the air inside the grow room. I.e the inlet and outlet are both inside the room, no venting growroom air outside.
So your saying run my lights off 1 fan sealed with intake and exhaust to cool them and run my carbon filter off another fan and just vent it inside, basically recycling air? If temps get too high can I turn the ac on?
You got it. Sure use the AC. Set it to desired and temp and leave on auto mode. That depends on the length of your ducting. For 2000w you should have an 8inch duct all the way through. 440 should be good. I have a 1000w on a dimmed 600cfm fan. As for your carbon filter calculate your rooms volume. Buy an appropriate fan and filter which will circulate the air within 2-4mins. Thats a nice sized room uve upgraded to. How do you grow? Seed to finish or clones?
Only thing is all my hoods are 6 inch. My ducting is about 15 ft. Room is 714 ft cubed. I grow both seeds and clones like seeds better. Check out my journal if you'd like like
So I sealed the room and ran the fan/filter. in closed loop. Didn't liike the temps though. They climbed up to 90 without the ac on Not enough ventilation?? When I had an intake fan bringing in air constantly, I didn't even need the ac except to suck some of the humidity out of the air.
Be aware that most of the small portable A.C.s that have a single exhaust hose will draw air from your grow space and expell it outside. This will not play well with your CO2. Make sure you have an A.C. that uses outside air to cool the condenser such as a window air or a two hose portable.