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Can I control my growroom with central air?

*Sorry about the fuzzy pics.*

So I want to run the cord the reads the temperature on my thermostat for central air, into my growroom. Can it be done?

 

PharmaCan

Active member
Veteran
It can be done. If that's a heating and cooling thermostat then you need to buy some "two pair" (4 wire) cable the same size as the existing and run it to the room you want the thermo in.

After you get the thermostat moved, you'll probably want to go out and get a second job because you're probably going to need it to pay your electric bill. Using your central air to cool your grow room will most likely cost an arm and a leg. When I first started growing I tried keeping the whole house cool to accommodate the grow room, kinda similar to what you want to do, and that was a big mistake, money wise.

PC
 

Hydropimp

Active member
Veteran
It can be done get low voltage wire from home depot and move the thermo to the room.

Now this is the ? how many people live in the house and are they ok if you go in the attic and cut the a/c ducting up this is what I'll be doing in a couple of days I have to go get 10in ducting but the rest of the house will be hot. Get a y or t connection get to the attic and find where the air handler is and cut all the ducting off the box that has ducting coming out of it and change the ducting size to a bigger one like 10-12in.

But like pharmaCan said if you just move the thermo to the room you will be broke. Because the air will speard out the other vents that is why you have to go up to the attic and chop the ducting up.

I have to do this cuz my 3 ton mini is not working right but it's just me in the house so I don't care that whole house will be hot but my room and the grow room will be cold.

Is that a new programmable thremo?
 
Is that a new programmable thremo?

No, it's not the original the came with the house, but it's not new.

And other people do live in the house, but you all are making it sound like I'm running 4 1000's, which I guess I never stated the setup, so it's just about a 20cu.ft. space and light by a 4' 8bulb T5, but I will be adding another T5 of the same size in about a month, before flowering.

With no air circulation the heat builds and reaches about 90-95F. What I did was get a 4" inline fan about 140CFM and connected it to one of the walls on the oustide of my room blowing in and ran a 4" insulated duct hose up into the attic and connected it right to the a/c box. I connected it with a tee and I'm also pulling fresh air from another room in the house via the air vent. I installed a back draft damper so when the a/c is on it goes into my growroom and not out the other air vent. I've decided to run the system at night when the a/c is programed to run cooler than in the day. Now my temps fluctuate when the the lights are on between 78-85F., and when they're off between 60-70F. The problem is when the a/c goes off and the lig hts are on the temp can reach 90F. I do have another 4" inline fan hooked up for my exhaust but I some how need to cordinate it with my intake fan and the a/c. Any opinions on that?



So now I might not need to do it. But now that it's been talked about I might do it as kind of a tutorial for others, then just undo it.

I went out and got 100' roll of solid 18 guage copper wire, some solder and soldering iron. Do I just simply clip the wires, run them and reconnect the "thermo"? Basically I'm just extending the wires? and is the 18 guage thin enough or should I go smaller.

 

PharmaCan

Active member
Veteran
Dude, you're insane - and I mean that in a nice way. I thought you wanted to move the whole control, but you just want to move the temperature sensor. Who knows if that will work. You may be the first one to try this.

Good luck!!!!

PC
 
i wonder if you could manipulate the ductwork or maybe pull with a fan so that the room "hogged" the ac. i have been wondering the same thing lately and i will let you know how i solve the problem as it unfolds.

-McChris-
 

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