Single 400w mh/hps grow, Phresh carbon filter, 500 cfm S&P inline fan. 2-4 plants max. I am debating on going out the back of my house with a dryer vent. Up my furnace flue right into my attic. Or go up into my attic and tie into one of my vents or bathroom fan vents. Question is steam, I worry during the winter there will be a very noticeable amount of steam out of my vent. I do not think there will be any smell with a few ONA gels and that nice of a carbon filter. But I can not have steam constantly pouring out of my eves, back of my house, etc. I live where temps can get close to zero, we are looking at a fairly dry winter though, not much snow. Thanks!!
I have oddly enough, almost the exact set up. I run a dryer vent outside as well. I also live in a snow climate so the exhaust steam worried me as well. In the winter I just redirect into my house to use some of the heat from the lights to keep the basement a bit warmer. I also have a small ozone generator on a timer in the basement, that goes off for 5-7 min every 2 hours. So there pretty much is no smell that might get past my scrubber in the last few weeks of flower.
The only thing I worry about running the exhaust right into the basement, is that it will eventually warm the basement too much and then the passive air charge will be warm as well. I think with 2 or 3 plants I can control the smell enough that anyone that comes over won't be able to smell it on my main floor from the basement. Did you ever try venting into the cold to see what it did? I am going to start in October and the season will drastically change in the grow, I don't want to be caught with my pants down mid-grow.
It made steam. Just like a dryer...I often wonder if those who wander by were thinking " those people sure dry alot of clothes" The difference is, I live on three acre's and those that do wander by my house, although they do not know, most likely grow themselves! The passive air situation is something to think about, but for me, the basement is so cold in the winter my room doesnt get over 80 degrees ever.
My basement is cold in the winter. I am down there a lot working out and after about October/November a long sleeve short is typically on the whole time. I have the lights, the fan and the filter. It may be time to set everything up and just do a dry run. See where I am at with temp and humidity. I am not planning on doing anything until the first of October. At the rate I have been learning, if a temp problem suddenly arrises, I know options to handle it, and am handy enough I can likely modify anything quickly. I guess it is time to get the room framed in and go from there. Thanks for the help!!