AC or chiller - DWC

[Albireo]

I plan on doing a medi grow in a room (approx 10'x10' room) in my garage. I am in the mountains and we have warm summer days in the mid 90's. The nights are cold in the high 40's and low 50's. My garage gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

I know i will need cooling during summer months.

Would I be better of with a chiller for my tubs or an AC system?

 

[*mistress*]

 

[bass ackwards]

When I grew DWC in a basement I was unable to get satisfactory results until I started using a chiller. In my situation I ran six 600w HPS lights which were not air cooled. I had a small a/c unit,18000BTU I believe. I ran a recirculating system with a 25gal. insulated reservoir which was outside the room. Water temperatures rose rapidly to the point that the plants simply shut down. Admittedly I did not have enough a/c capacity,but after adding a 1/4hp chiller The plants recovered and all was well.
In my estimation you can work around higher room temperatures easier than you can high nutrient temps. Keep in mind that your buckets will absorb radiant energy from your lights and pass this on to your nutrients.

Respect bass

 

[Mickymouse]

Chiller all the way.Leaves can take higher temps better than roots can.

 

[Carboy]

In my estimation you can work around higher room temperatures easier than you can high nutrient temps.

Amen, Brother, Amen
Between a chiller and an AC, take the chiller first every time.

CB

 

[Kindman69]

Chiller as well

 

[Albireo]

Chiller it is, at least to start. After a harvest or two I will also invest in an AC.

Any preferred brand of chiller?

 

[Kindman69]

Current works good for me

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I plan on doing a medi grow in a room (approx 10'x10' room) in my garage. I am in the mountains and we have warm summer days in the mid 90's.

Stay away from DWC then, those temps are going to give you issues.

Cheaper and less hassle to run E&F, no chiller needed. A/C will do wonders and the roots in hydroton get that swamp cooler effect that keeps them nice and cool. Amazing how much le$$ a good pump and A/C unit is than a res chiller. Gack! Leaves plenty left over to get some E&F fittings and build a table.

In addition to the heat tolerance hydroton sets up for the roots, E&F also allows you a lot more freedom of plant movement throughout the grow(when you use containers of hydroton on your tables). DWC you're pretty much stuck after the first few weeks and can't change plant position. This can suck if you're working in space with limited moving room.

 

[Albireo]

I am definitely running DWC. I have around 4 dozens grows under my belt, all 7+ years ago, but I am convinced DWC is the way to go. I used to grow in a the valley where temps were 100+ in the summer and kept things cool with ice bottles.

This time I am older with a much better job and $$$. So no more frozen 2 liter bottles.

No need to move plants around when I will be growing 1-2 plants per light, scrog style. This will be my first scrog, but I used to grow LST.

I will check out current chillers. Any other brands?

 

[Albireo]

I also only have to worry about heat 2-3 months out of the year, as we have short summers at elevation. I would take summers off, but summer is the time for demand as all the large outdoor grows have yet to be harvested and last years harvest is dried up.

 

[Haps]

Insulation is the best first answer, it is a one time cost. Then environment control, ac in this case. I see using a chiller as a bandaid instead of fixing the situation so it is correct.

 

[Albireo]

I am all ears. I am at least a month out. I was thinking the same as far as environmental control, but a chiller does seem good. I wonder what is less expensive and more efficient to run, a chiller or an AC?

Insulation sounds like a good idea. I have not that too much about that. I will be framing the walls and most likely rocking the room. I could easily insulate the room. Two walls will be exterior 2x6, facing North and East. I am pretty sure I will be running wood framed dwc tubs with pond liners. I can insulate that too. For the lid I will probably run an epoxied plywood top. I am sure that will be easy to insulate too. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

This should be required reading.

Against Bubblers

 

[Albireo]

that is an interesting read. I don't buy it. Of course I never really got the idea of rdwc or multiple dwc buckets. My last 12 or so grows consisted of 3 water/nute changes for the whole grow. Temps were an issue during the warm months, but with ac and chillers that is not a problem (we were drunk and stoned college kids and just used frozen bottles). I always yielded higher than my friends who tried many different methods.

I am not sure if that is the lucas from the lucas method, but 7 years ago the lucas method was just coming to age. I was an active member on OG and changing resiviors when you topped off with the same amount of fresh water was still new and untested (well we tested the shit outta of it). I grew and plan on growing with pure blend pro, moore bloom, fox farm using a excel spread sheet to hit target npk numbers. We let ph drift to allow for different nutrient uptakes.

As far as plant numbers, I used to grow 1 plant under a 430 sun-agro. I am expanding now to six, but we used to get over 1.5g per wat using the 430. I used to go strait from clone to 12/12.

I hope I still got a sticky green thumb and I hope I can learn a lot more. Being older and wiser is a good thing. Anyhow, i am drunk and will stop babbling about old times. Like I said, to each his own. I like dwc, you obivously like e&f. As long as we are working toward getting stoned, all is good. Here are some pics of one of my last grows years ago.

 

[Albireo]

here is a few more so you know I am not just some yahoo amature. Of course, I have most likely forgotten a lot in the last seven years, but again after 2 kids, a wonderful wife, building my own house I feel older and wiser.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I am not sure if that is the lucas from the lucas method, but 7 years ago the lucas method was just coming to age.

It is the same Lucas and 7 years ago he was pimping bubblers. Now he won't touch them.

The issue is not whether or not DWC works with chillers. The issue is that it's a whole lot less hassle to skip it and go E&F. You're older and wiser now and should be able to understand that. I've done plenty of things as a kid that I think twice about now and can see how much extra effort I could have skipped out on by being a little smarter.

DWC rocks, especially if you have a cool climate all year round. Super awesome for smaller grows as well. If you need a chiller, you should consider something else though.

 

[Philosophelon]

If you run your lights at night, and your intake air temp is like 50deg at night, you will be totally fine without A/C. Although if you want to use CO2, a sealed room with A/C is the only way to go, imho. I always used a chiller with DWC, it's cheaper than low dissolved O2, or worse root rot. I run coco DTW now (still grow BIG plants though, 10gal pots for flower ), and will never go back, but that's another story.

Also -- insulate your shed very well so that it doesn't get too hot during the day in the summer, or too cold during the winter.