High everyone! I'm in DIRE need of ventilation help/suggestions. I'm a college student and on a budget(I have like $120 MAX for ventilation). I understand HOW to grow, but even after reading a bunch, I'm still somewhat lost on ventilation. Here is some info - ANY suggestions welcome. Backstory/Details. --I recently acquired a growing setup(a 400 watt HPS ballast, PH UP/Down, Digital PH Meter, oscillating fan, hydroponic grow buckets, and nutes) free from a friend due to him moving and owing me money. --The grow building will be a 10x12 room in a 20x40 mobile home that is on my property and previously owned by grandparents. Everyone moved off and I'm free to do with it as I please. The grow room has a good sized window. -- I plan to grow no more than 2-3 plants. --I'm not the least concerned about smell as I have no neighbors within 1/2 mile. My question is this: Couldn't I just open a window/crack door to vent? My temps are fine without windows/door open, as I've done a test run with the 400w HPS ballast hooked up and my temps average around 80 Fahrenheit. Opening a window would allow for fresh air + circulation from oscillating fan. What would you do in this situation? Again, ANY suggestions welcome. I'm planning on running a test with bagseed once I figure out how to go about ventilation, and will hopefully have a grow journal started soon. Many thanks.
Are you in a area where it gets cold during the winter? Also plants are photo reactive you can't just leave the windows uncovered unless you set the timer to go off during the night and come back on at sunrise
Thanks for the reply! The winters are usually hit and miss here; however, they are cold more often than not, and sometimes it does get below zero. I am aware of the plants being photo reactive and the importance of not exposing them to outside light. That said, I am positive I can open the window and prevent light from seeping in using panda film, blackout curtains, and a few other things. Or possibly do as you said and open it during the night and close it by sunrise.
Is your grow area heated at all? Because I grow in an attic and where I'm from it gets to -20 and with a 1000 watts of hps it's gets to the mid 70's in my room. Is the room you have to grow in sectioned off at all?
It isn't heated currently, but I do have a couple sources of heat available(kerosene, natrual gas, and if need be, I could use electric. As far as the room itself, it is a bedroom and has a door, but not sectioned off inside, though it could easily be sectioned inside the room if needed. Also, -20 sounds brutal lol. I think the lowest it has ever got here since I've been alive is like -8 and its only done that no more than a handful of times. Average temp for winter here I would say is usually around 10-15 above zero.
If it's sectioned off it will be much easier to control the environment. Especially if you don't want to spend that much money heating it lol but as for your original question about ventilation I assume you could probably get away with buying a fan that oscillates as long as fresh air is still getting in somewhere in your grow area. I use a tent so I have to use inline fans to cool my lights and ventilate my room but I assume with with as much room as you have to grow in heat build up will most likely not be an issue for you
I may section it off with panda film or something else tomorrow and see how it goes for temp. As far as overheating, I don't think that will be an issue at all due to how big of an area I have. From what I've read, ventilation is really just for getting fresh air/CO2 to the plants, controlling temp, and keeping odor down, none of which should be an issue with a window allowing fresh air, or I wouldn't think anyways. I'm planning to use bagseed to test and get my feet wet, so I wouldn't really be losing anything, though would like to be able to get a couple grows in before investing in a quality vent system. I just have to get some capital before doing that, which will likely be mid-next year. Ughh it sucks being broke as a joke lol. Thanks for the input!
I feel it on that and I use some bag seeds as well a very nice way to start and get your toes in the water so to speak. Also I only say to section it off because it will be a lot easier to control the environment. Your plants will not appreciate fluctuating temps very well. So proper heating and ventilation are crucial
Here is what I did. I took osb and measured the inside frame of my window and cut the osb to fit. I then cut my 6" vent hole in the osb board. Once my board was ready, I covered the outside of it with the white side of some poly sheeting. I then took a second piece of poly and made a vent flap. The flap both covers the hole and helps keep light from filtering back in. I mounted that on the inside and opened the outside of my window. On the inside I mounted a take off collar to hook to my ducting which then run to my fan and hood. Not the best pic but here is what it looks like from the inside And here is all you see from the outside If the house has central air ducts then running it this way you can leave the bedroom door closed and the air duct will act as an intake for the room. If you are not heating the trailer at all then once winter hits you are going to have more problems keeping it warm than cool. 400w doesnt run hot at all and once temps start getting near freezing it wont keep the room warm. Regardless of temp though, you still need to cycle the air in the room to replenish co2.
http://www.amazon.com/Active-Air-400-Inline-6-Inch... 83 bucks. 20 bucks worth of ducting and 5 bucks worth of duct tape and you can cycle your air. That's what i'd do but i'm a noob.