Heat Issues in Small Space

Hello gentlemen,
Allow me to start with the specifics of my operation. I am growing in a closet, not stealth, but just a modest operation. The closet is 36" wide x 24" deep x 96" tall. I am currently vegging 8 plants with a TEK-55 10,000 lumen light from HTG Garden Supply, with the rest of my lights off till flowering.


For the first couple of weeks I had not installed my air handler yet, the closet was of course getting warm. Usually topping at 78-80, I had to keep my door open to keep heat from being over the top. But I decided to go ahead and install my air handler before the flowering season, just to be sure it would work satisfactorily. The air handler is in the top of the closet (dad says heat rises lol) and for the first day it seemed like it was working very well. It can draw cold air from the bottom of the door to the air handler, pulling cool air across the plants and venting via an 8 foot flexi duct to the basement. Thought it was a good idea, well........


I have started my recent operation and I am still running into a heat issue. I imagine it is because of the ambient air in my room being warm. My room is 76, but currently the closet, EVEN WITH THE DOOR OPEN and air handler running, its 81. I suppose I am stuck using an AC unit to cool the air? I am only running one light, and it's a fluorescent too.


I dont want my children suffering from heat issues but as of yet, at night with my window open it stays cool, but during the day overheats. I cant draw colder air from anywhere because there is no air thats any colder than what Im already using. I want to avoid using an AC unit, but at this point, I see no other alternative, especially in the summer. :-(


Any ideas? Thanks.


Albyint.

 

I am uploading four pictures of my op from different angles. The plants are different sizes because I recieved them at different times. I am not going to flower all at once, so do not worry LOL.

You can see that the air handler's orientation needs to be changed a little, but it should be venting easily enough to cool a closet with a single t5 fixture running. The grey t8 fixture on the wall is coming down in the next week because its busted (i fell on it installing the duct work ) when i move the air handler more to the center of the closet.

You can see the duct work going behind everything and being vented into the basement. When in the basement there is A LOT of airflow through the tubes, so I dont know why the heat builds up so much. It seems to not be bad at night as it is during the day, I might be forced to have my lights on at night when I begin flowering to avoid so much heat.

Anyone see any other major flaws besides the air handlers orientation? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Yes I know the smaller plants look unhealthy. They look at a lot better since I got them 12 days ago from my clone guy. He uses no nutes in his cloner, so I wont be getting any more clones from him, but I could not say no to free, even if they were sick :-(

 

Well, My door is not sealed at all, so when i close the door there is an inch of clearance at the bottom of my door. So the fan is pulling cold air from the bottom of the door/floor.

I seriously dont know why it heats up so bad sometimes. Its been cool all day, and it ran with the door closed all night last night and it never went over 77. It helps if I open my window so it has air it can pull in. But in summer, all it will be doing is drawing hot air into the grow room from outside. (My window is RIGHT NEXT to the grow closet, literally 3 feet.)

I went downstairs, to check out the heating vent. All there is is an AC line that comes to my room. There is no heat vent line around the closet. I dont know if this has any effect, but the floor area around my closet had no insulation at all. I mean none. So i put some up to see what that would do. I think it would just make the closet warmer to do so, but maybe because there was no insulation it was a heat leak for the WHOLE house? :-( Wish I knew.

It seems to be okay as of right now, but I fear if i turn on my CFLs to begin flowering in a week it will heat up again. I hope an AC unit isnt in order, but knowing my luck it will be. I swear, if I have to put an AC unit in this closet it might cost more to grow it than I want it to.

 

Very perceptive loizer, it is in fact southern facing, actually directly south.

Insulate the entire closet with a layer of foamboard or just the southern wall? I googled what you said and it is true that southern sides of the houses are warmer. Makes me feel dumb for missing something so obvious.

But still, thats a big heat impact for it just being the southern side. :-/ Guess little things make huge differences :-(

 

Well, It hit 82.5 in the closet today. I ran out and bought an AC unit for my window. I gave in, I cant beat the sun I suppose. If I had known it would be this bad I would have built a small room in the basement out of insulation and 2x4s. This is rediculous.

I suppose I will have to foil up my windows and block the light from the outside completely, then lightproof my closet tomorrow so i can keep my lights on at night and none on during the day. Seems the only option I have.