Super Stealth DVD/CD Case Desk Cab Design (google sketchup) - NEED HELP!!

[hello89]

okay, so ive been eyeing my desk latley, and i think this is what im going to do. the dvd/cd case will be removable (if you have a key) and then that will open up to a door on hinges. (not pictured). to the cab.

specs.

acual cab space is 22 inches deep, 28 inches tall, and 18inches deep.

i sectioned off a a 6in wide place to house a bonsai mother with a single light bulb.

im going to have 6 CFL bulbs, thats what the tubes represent. i havnt figured out what wattage yet. probably some 26 watters.

anyway, my biggest issue is the ventilation. i need to have the final exhaust fan on the left side. i have passive intake on the right with a hightened board with three 2" holes cut in them in the flowering room.

i guess my biggest problem is going to be where to place a fan in the flowering room where it would work the best. i was going to have a scrubber on the inside of the flower room but now im thinking that isnt such a good idea. my main concern is smell, i cannot have any traces of smell what so ever!

so. do you guys think that if i put a single 120mm fan blowing the air out of the flower room into the mother room with a carbon filter attached, then with the lowered roof of the mother room, add an 80mm fan on the ceiling blowing into the utility/cure room. and then a 120mm exaust blowing out of the back left corner with a filter on that as well?

where should i put the exaust fan in the flower room?

ALSO!
the outlets in the flower room. are those going to be a problem when the flowers start growing? will it like, short circuit my stuff and start a fire or what?

what do you doods think?

 

[fatigues]

Your design is functional and it will work - to a point.

The point it all breaks down on, however, is the scrubber.

If you are going to use a scrubber (and I appreciate your reasonable concerns about this) then you are going to have to face up to the fact that you will not be able to use a PC fan - or PC fans for that matter - to drive one. Axial PC fans do not perform well enough when pulling (let alone pushing) through the static pressure generated by a decent scrubber. Not going to happen.

All is not lost. Consider employing a Panasonic 50CFM or 80CFM Whisper fan in your design. They are pricier, to be sure, but worth it. They have the kahunas to pull through a DIY scrubber, they do not need a separate fan controller by reason of their inherent design, and they are damn near magically SILENT. The thread on the Panasonic whisper fan and carbon DIY scrubber for same is here

Size wise, I think you would need to add the whisper fan and carbon scrubber box to the outside of your cabinet, underneath your desk, attaching to the top and side of your cab, with the hole more or less adjoining near where your mother room's single bulb is now. (You would need to shift the mother chamber from the left to the right side of your design).

You could have the fan exhaust oriented so it is blowing out the back of your desk - but make sure it has clearance for that purpose. You would have to remove the entire fan and scrubber unit (which would be on its side) to change the carbon, but that's not such a big deal.

You could cover the fan/scrubber unit with a partial box of melamine/wood to reasonably color match the rest of your desk, leaving it open on one or two sides (top and back perhaps). Easily visible if you crawl down there and have a look, but it will totally pass any inspection from someone who is not down there on their knees and looking for it.

Noise levels will be low enough that they will blend in with any desktop computer you have on the desk. CFM is high enough you can go with a T5HO lighting unit (or two) instead of your proposed bulbs - which will give you significantly more yield in that small a growspace. Your lumens will be higher and you will be able to raise and lower the unit, should you choose, to greatly increase light intensity during veg and early flower.

 

[hello89]

thanks so much for the feedback.
im not really in the financial situation for that fancy fan. (boy does it look awesome tho)

i might be using the term "scrubber" incorrectly.. im new to this.
i ment a filter that is filled with carbon. as seen in this thread: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=48949 from what everyone is saying, they work great with no odor within the room.


i have seen many people use pc fans with micro scrubbers, in pc cases and other small grows, my brow is only a little bigger than a PC grow so im thinking this might work.. my idea was to use multiple smaller scrubbers, on the 120mm fan out of the flower room, and then on the other 120mm fan on the outside of the box. that way, i dont have pc fans trying to pull air through a 4 x 12 pro scrubber.

unfortunately, my desk backs up directly to the wall, so exhausting out the back is not an option.

i will however, be looking into different kind of lights. i like CFL because they are cheap and readily available at most stores, but i shall leave no stone unturned.

im thinking the temps and air flow will be fine. but its just the smell that im afraid of! i will be using other smell neutralizers and maskers as well, like incense and that Ona oder stuff just in case.

thanks for your input.

anyone out there think this could work how i got it set up now?

 

[fatigues]

thanks so much for the feedback.
im not really in the financial situation for that fancy fan. (boy does it look awesome tho)

Not sure on your financial situation, and if it's really that tight then I understand *nods*. Not sure if you saw the real price of one of those fans though. You can get one for $96.95 here, which in terms of a grow cab component as expensive and important as ventilation, is pretty cheap for an ultra-stealth fan.

I might be using the term "scrubber" incorrectly.. im new to this.

No. You are using it correctly. The problem is, the Pc grows you are reading about are not putting out much odor - and I really doubt that the scrubbers they claim to be using are working all that well with a PC fan(s). It's just asking too much from a fan that just is not designed to do what you want it to do. You've got about - what - 3 cubic feet of grow area there in your design? That's a fair bit more than a PC grow

Whereas the above fan with a DIY carbon scrubber will definitely work, and work well.

Unfortunately, my desk backs up directly to the wall, so exhausting out the back is not an option.

No problem. Vent the air downwards then.

i will however, be looking into different kind of lights. i like CFL because they are cheap and readily available at most stores, but i shall leave no stone unturned.

They are, though the T5HO flourescent is not that much more by the time you factor in extra wires, sockets and the costs of multiple CFL bulbs. It gets quite different when it comes to strength and grow capability. Then you'll notice it where it matters - in the density and quantity of your bud. If you have checked out Aerohead's awesome PC Aero grow - that T5HO unit I pointed you to is what he used in his case (albeit with custom installation).

im thinking the temps and air flow will be fine. but its just the smell that im afraid of! i will be using other smell neutralizers and maskers as well, like incense and that Ona oder stuff just in case.

Agreed, with most flourescent lights heat is unlikely to be a significant issue. Odor, otoh, is a very real and reasonable concern and I understand your worry bro - believe me. That's why I'm suggesting that using a quality fan that will be sure to control that smell, and don't try to do something half-assed that is going to have your eyes flying wide in alarm in a "oh shit" moment around week five-seven of flowering :jawdrop:

 

[ScrubNinja]

Fatigues, I used to have the same attitude as you about pc fans. I'd invite you to read around, man. There are over 2000 threads in the micro forum alone and I assure you, a lot of the larger ones use computer fans and scrubbers. Not to say that the whisper fan isn't a great choice! Just that you are misinformed about pc fans.

I am using one PC fan right now, pushing through carbon, probably over an inch, and there is a minor reduction in flow. My pc fan has 7.78mm h2o pressure rating. The Panasonic whisperceiling fan featured in that thread you linked has 6.35mm h2o. My fan is by no means the best either, there are ones that far outstrip it's pressure rating. Granted, they're a lot louder than the Whisper, but that's not the topic.

Dealing with pressure is a common problem in cooling computers these days with radiators and the like. Computers are a big market and so are the fans, and a lot of research goes into it. By the same token, that just makes it easier for people to get confused and buy the wrong pc fan, and end up with a negative attitude on them.

Hello (hello!). If I understand right, you want the lower left compartment to be the mother room yes? If so put a fan in the roof of the mother room. Have another fan at the top left of the flower room, right at the top between the lights. Both these push into the top left utility room where there is a scrubber (I would look into a less restrictive filter design, personally) and then finally a fan on the very top left wall exhausting. I think that's pretty much what you said but just checkin'. I would make all the fans the exact same model and size, and does it even need to be said it should be a good model with high pressure rating? Hope that helps.

 

[Strangely]

This is very similar to my half baked plans so I'll be keeping a track of this. Not that yours are half baked of course 'Hello'! ; )

I'm with ScrubNinja on the fans. After a bit of research (OK, SN pointing me in the right direction! ; ) I like the look of these badboys...
http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/noctuafans/nf-s12b-flx

Not quite the pressure of it's sister fan (nf-s12b) that you like SN, but adjustable noob friendly, like one of your suggestions to me, and very quiet. My plan is a bit smaller than Hello's so I'm thinking it'll be fine pulling through a scrubber.

Best of luck mate!

 

[ScrubNinja]

Hey you're welcome Strangely. I don't actually use the Noctuas, lol. I've seen people have good results with them though, so good luck. All Noctuas seem to have silence as their strong point.

One thing that irks me about their marketing is, they make out like the nf-s12b is some crazy high pressure fan. It's not even close. It's very much on the weak end of the scale, and that's their "high pressure" model?! (ok rant over) but yeah, good choice I'd say, if stealth is the main priority.

Edit: Sorry it's the NF-P12 they market as the strong one.

 

[Strangely]

That's not exactly a 'glowing endorsement'!!

I'm trying to scale-down my plan a bit as I laid out some taped together paper to give me an idea of the size in reality, and I think I'm still a bit on the large side (in relation to the popular equation known as 'Wife'). So hopefully it'll have the balls to keep it cool.

I'll drop a question in your rather excellent PC fan thread when I do the math. I really appreciate the feedback!