Need help with ventilation

Discussion in 'Grow Room Design/Setup' started by lennyjr358, Dec 14, 2016.

  1. I can't believe it's finally happening. In less than 24 hours, it will be legal to grow in my state! I just have a question or 2 regarding ventilation.

    A little about my setup:
    1mx1m grow tent
    315w cmh (not air cooled)
    6in inline fan w/ carbon filter
    soil

    Against everything I've read and been told, I am venting my tent in to the room it is in. As my light puts out much less heat than some of the big lights, I thought I'd give it a go for the hell of it. I've let my tent run 18/6 for the past couple days trying to get temperature dialed in. So far, it's been great. 77 consistently when light is on 78 was my max over last 24 hours. Biggest problem is that it drops to 60 during lights out, which is a simple fix.

    My question is in regards to the room my tent is in. I obviously want some air exchange in the room to refresh ambient co2 levels and help with humidity build up. I'd rather not put holes in the walls, as they are plaster and messy to deal with. Also don't want to vent out the window because I'd rather reclaim as much warm air as possible, and hate the thought of burning oil to heat a room that then is exhausted directly outside. It's like paying to heat your house but leaving your front door open all winter. The conservationist in me is coming out haha. The door of the room, however, is one of those types with rows of 3 glass windows. I could pop out a pane of glass and rig a small fan to either push air in or pull it out (obviously stealth isn't an issue for me). My question is which should I do, Exhaust air at top row of windows or pull fresh air in at the bottom? or both? Also been thinking about just venting the tent directly through one of the top windows, directly in to the living space, just seems like the ducting will eventually tear as I open and close the door.

    If anyone made it through all of my rambling, any input would be highly appreciated.
     
  2. Honestly, whatever method is more efficient on your end of things. The goal is simply to keep good air movement low around your plants all the time as it strengthens them and disperses heat, and to keep your overall temps within a reasonable range. I used a CO2 bottle for a while in the beginning, but stopped using it for awhile and couldn't tell any difference. We pull air in from outside and vent back out the same window. I know this isn't the preferred method, but it was what would work in our situation, so you use what you've got available, right? LOL We use a whole room as well and live in the sticks, so don't worry much about discovery. But humidity becomes an issue in the winter at times. But over the years, we've figured out ways to deal with whatever problems that pop up along the way. Luckily, I'm married to a master electrician and birthed one who is in his 4th year of a 5 yr program. They're also the kind of guys who can dream up and build anything I throw at them...thank you Jesus! LOL Our plan at the moment is to move everything into one of those shipping containers we've buried beside our house. The grandkids are getting older now and I refuse to let them in on what Mimi and Pop are doing on the side until they are mature enough to handle it. I can double my veg space and triple the flower space and have the whole thing incognito and on solar power...which will be SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice regarding my power bill. LOL But we've had our grow going now for several years with great success. It took me about a year to resolve everything in my poor scattered brain and get a real good understanding of the whole process. One of the biggest parts of the process is learning how to tend the plant and take care of it to keep it happy and growing the best it can. Your yields are totally dependent on the quality and strength of lighting you have during flower. The light you're using is going to be good for only a single plant and is going to lack a bit for that, but is a finer starter. I would've most definitely gone with an air-cooled hood because you're going to want to increase your light very soon. LOL Light is everything to these plants and if you want to grow one and get any kind of a yield off it, you've got to supply it with the absolute best quality lighting and wattage possible during the flower cycle. Also, I would recommend taking the time to veg the plant and let it get some size on it. Lots of folks will veg a plant 2 weeks and toss it into flower mode. Let it get some size on it before you flower it. You'll be glad in the end. We run a rotation. I don't keep mothers, but take tops off my plants that are growing to resupply the flower rooms The mothers just take up too much room and space is at a premium with an indoor grow But good luck with your venture. We had wanted to try it for years but never was brave enough. But once the boys were grown, married and had their own families, "I" jumped in with all 4 feet and most of our savings (without telling hubs...which was a major risk), but made his investment back within 18 months and more. So if you smoke much at all or if you plan on trying to make a little side money, you definitely can make your investment back in a hurry. Grow big! TWW
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Being winter your options are limited venting out is really your only option.
    I would bring in a good size Dehumidifier not only to the remove moisture but you temps will be more stable .
    it may heat up the air some also so will help at night.
    as far as the light cycle you could switch it up so it doesn't have time to cool down like 18 hours on and 2 hours off this changes it to a 20 hour day or you could keep on 24/7 its veg it can handle it .

    Most times past 18 hours can be a waste of power however for you to keep temps it will cost far more running a heater so be way cheaper just to run the lights 24/7.
     
  4. Thanks for the advice! Honestly I don't plan to make any money. This is just a personal grow for me and my family, and I plan to follow the law in my state, and not go over 12 plants (6 for me and 6 for my wife) and only give away bud to family and close friends, as that is what I am allowed to do. I specifically picked the 315 cmh for it's low wattage, as I've heard great things about them, including that they can go toe to toe with a single ended 600w hps because of the increased spectrum and PAR, but I have no experience to say that this is in fact the case. I'm trying to stay as eco friendly as possible while still producing decent buds. My plan was to put 4 5gal pots in and lst for an even canopy. you think this is too many for a 10sq.ft. space?
     
  5. Thanks for the response. Humidity is my biggest concern, but right now (without plants) it is low, like 30%. My temps are decent. Do you think its ok to vent in to the living area to save on heat loss in the winter if it's being filtered? I can put a dehumidifier in to take care of any problems. Or is it completely necessary to vent to outside?
     
  6. Is it ok to vent outside that room? YES in fact it should work real well light energy makes really great heaters .
    Moisture is your main concern

    Yes should be fine if long term I would add a UV to the inside of the ducting to kill any mold or bugs.
     
  7. I really appreciate all the help! I finally decided to bite the bullet and put some holes in the plaster walls to properly vent the room in to another space. Didn't come out perfect, but it will get the job done. The girls should have a steady supply of fresh air now! Now I'm just playing the waiting game until the seeds decide to come out and greet the world, haha. Not too much info yet, but I have started a journal if anyone wants to check it out. link is in my sig. Again, thanks for all the help!
     

Share This Page