OK, so here's the run down i have 2 400 watt switchable ballasts i got from craigslist brand new one with a hydrofarm air cooled hood and the other with a hydrofarm brand cool tube for $175!! i couldn't turn it down... so i plan on running them in unison in my 3'*5'*8' closet, built a aero bucket with a 250 gal pump in a 45 gallon container, im going to add a floating fogger disc thing and an air stone, anyways gonna run lucas form. was thinkin with cal mag, im gonna pick up some 35% peroxide to keep the algae and stuff in check. going to be picking up a bubble bucket from a buddy that quit growing and add that in, and he is also giving me a 150 watt hps light, was thinking of running it from underneath the plants?? Ordered DP blueberry fem, and getting super lemon skunk from dna with em, also have seeds for seedsman WW fem, green house the church fem and some dna skunk*kushberry and skunk*kandykush. one main question, i plan on venting the lights into my attic into the ridge vent on my roof, what size fan and suggested cfm should i get? and i dont wanna put a hole bigger than 4" in my ceiling if possible so if i go larger than 4" can i run 4" ducting with reducers and expect decent air movement still? im also aware that i need reduces for then end of my cool tube and air cooled hood. any and all suggestions welcomed...
hmm ok. you got a hell of a good deal. and the 150 watt hps...just an idea, if its got a reflector that detaches, you might wanna take that off and drop it in there (if its a horizontal output) strait up and down as supplimental lighting. some will tell you it wont help, but it really does wonders. im running a similar set up but with 1-400watt hps, 2-150 watt hps, and 10-70 watt hps (these are used exactly like i said as supplimental). noe for the lights. im guessing that most likely the venting on your lights are 6'' ducting compatable. the one thats not the cool tube might be 4'', but it looks to be 6''. if it is 4'' then connect ducting. if you go to htgsupply.com they have a high velocity inline 4'' fan with the 4'' carbon filter combo for $120-$164. im not positive on the number. if youre running it straight to your in home system its wise to have the carbon filter so you dont get that notorious smell. as for the 6'' cooltube, you can get the 6'' inline fan and the 6'' ducting (get a small length of the ducting) and go to a hardware store and get "sealant expanding foam", with this you can take the rest of your 4'' ducting and connect the 6'' duct to the 4'' duct. and when you get them up to where youre going to connect them to your in home exhaust, take both and cut them at eual (very steep angle) so you can connect them together and use the foam to join them. at this point youll have your ducting looking like a spear tip. once it dries, measure the tip and cut it so that the 2 joined ducts have one mutual 4'' opening. (the tip of your "spear" ducting will be cut off). then you have 2 lights with 2 fans coming to your exhaust at 1 4'' duct. if youre having trouble understanding that (i sure as hell would), PM me and ill try to get you a picture from a DIY ducting video on you tube. idk why this pic wont upload about the supplimental lighting, but check out my grow journal in my signature and look at the very last 3 pics. thats what i mean by supplimental hps lighting. theyre hanging and at the bases of the plants.
i appreciate the suggestion, my plan was to run them together with one fan with the air cooled hood on the end as an intake for the cool tube, the air cooled is a 6" and so is the tube, i was planning on connection them with reducers and 4" ducting, a carbon filter isnt a concern to me because im planing on venting at the top of my roof into a ridge vent so i think the stench should be fine when it comes to the ground level. i need a quiet fan, plan on running a speed controller of course, what kinda cfm rating do i need?
yeah that would probably work too. the best way to make it quiet is to get a duct muffler. and on the smell issue, dont under estimate it. unless youre a lone way from your neighbors, are in a gated neighborhood with private streets, the potential problem is if someone or even a cop just happens to drive by and smells even the faintest smell (unless youre legal to grow)...thats probable cause to come to your door and search the house and even get a search warrant. believe me, its reallll easy for them to do that. they did it at my old apartment when i was out of town. it happened a couple times. once about thinking they saw him with a gun. but the first time he was smoking inside and someone opened the front door letting some smoke out. they searched the house. luckily i was almost always at my girls house.