The Super Simple Stacker XL - 500w cfl rubbermaid

[jdmramon]

hey colonelcrackers, I saw your question and I had just looked over this post earlier for calculation passive intakes. hope it helps

---------------------------Calculating the passive intake.-------------------------

The Home Ventilating Institute recommends one square foot of open air inlet per 300 CFM of ventilation fan capacity.

If you were going to use 256 CFM, you’d want 256/300 square feet of intake area, which is 122.88 square inches.

Here are some options for the intake area for a 256 CFM ventilation fan:

1 hole - 12.5 inches in diameter.
2 holes – 8.84 inches in diameter.
3 holes – 7.22 inches in diameter.
4 holes – 6.25 inches in diameter.
5 holes – 5.59 inches in diameter.
6 holes – 5.11 inches in diameter.


Here is how to calculate the hole sizes:

1. Take the total area in square inches needed, in this case 122.88 square inches, and divide by the number of holes you want.
2. Then divide by Pi (3.14).
3. Take the square root of that value.
4. Then multiply by 2.

The answer is the diameter that each hole would need to be to make up the total area needed for intake.

A large number of small holes will create more backpressure than one large hole of equivalent area. This would be negligible unless you’re using a huge number of holes or you’re using ducting to supply the air to each intake hole. If you’re just cutting them in a wall you should be fine using 8 or less holes without having to take into account the extra backpressure.

 

[colonelcrackers]

jdmramon, thant some good info. The problem is, unlike larger fans, the Tru-air filter I am using does not give any types of reatings for the fan size/speed/pressure/etc, and unfortunately, the way it is set up, I'm not quite sure what size I should use for my measurements, because the face of the filter holds the carbon pad, then there is a small fan behind that, probably 2-1/2 or 3" in diameter, and the exhaust comes out of the side of the filter, and the exhaust port is rectangular shape. So, I'm kinda at a loss.

When I was hooking it all up last night, I did a quick test to compare it with my current Rubbermaid setup (vbery similar to maryjohn's super stackerxl, made from 2x 31gal rubbermaids) My RM runs about 5-6deg over ambient, and the clone box was running 8-9 degrees above ambient. I also noticed there is not alot of negative pressure, the intake was really only able to hold up a small recepit, not a full sized sheet of computer paper. I'm guessing I'm gonna have to enlarge the intake a little bit, I'm just unsure how much, and I only have one of these particular containers, so I really can't fuck it up. I'll be pissed. =)

 

[ScrubNinja]

CC, there is a dummies rule to intake size that you make them 2 times the size of the exhaust hole. I always try for at least 3 times of the exhaust hole or more, but there is a danger point where your smell can leak out. So me personally, I'd recommend 3 x 3" holes, or a square hole 4.6"x4.6", or about 21 sq inches.

 

[colonelcrackers]

CC, there is a dummies rule to intake size that you make them 2 times the size of the exhaust hole. I always try for at least 3 times of the exhaust hole or more, but there is a danger point where your smell can leak out. So me personally, I'd recommend 3 x 3" holes, or a square hole 4.6"x4.6", or about 21 sq inches.

Thanks for the input ScrubNinja. What are you basing the estimate on...looking at the Tru-air filter as a 3" fan and doubling the 3" exhaust?

 

[ScrubNinja]

Yeah by exhaust hole I actually meant the fan size. What size is your exhaust port?

 

[basspirate]

Killer design. I like the idea of cutting the bottom of the mid cab out, looks more discreet than stacking one upside down.

 

[colonelcrackers]

It's tough, because I cut a hole that would accomodate the whole filter, while keeping the exhaust port on the outside of the tub. I'm going to measure it up and let you know exactly...The exhuast port is 1-1/2" x 3-1/2", the internal fan is similar to the clear-cased aqua-bladed fan on page one in your PC fan thread.

So I'm guessing if I wanted to go 3x the exhaust I would go @ 16" sq. on the intake which is just a bit bigger than the hole that is in there now. With 2x 26w bulbs, I'm running 9* over ambient, and with 4x 26w I'm running 13* over ambient. That's with a 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" intake hole right now

 

[maryjohn]

thanks for the kind words, basspirate.

I'm at work installing the fans now, and I just gave it a final lightproofing coat with some lights on inside as a guide today.

I gotta say, i'm a little reticent about posting the final look. is there a way to limit viewers?

 

[colonelcrackers]

I guess you could just put the pics in your album, and people who wanted to see them could look in your albums, that would mean they would have to be members and logged in in order to view them. Regular lurkers perusing the boards would not be able to see them. I would say that as long as you don't show anything identifyable you should be alright.

 

[ScrubNinja]

CC, do you have enough CFMs on the fan? My blowers are really low cfm (20 or so). I'm unfamiliar with this truair thing so I'll shut up but your numbers seem good to me. Incredible buds on your thread! Your other sig link no worky.

MJ, your stealth runs deep. I hope we get to see it.

 

[maryjohn]

Oh boy, she's almost done! I've done some initial testing and it seems my delta's will do very well indeed, assuming they pull through the carbon - and it looks like they will. The adorama louvers are totally light tight, and there is enough air flowing to hold a sheet of paper. With about two thirds of the wattage installed, the temps are just above ambient even above the lights with the fans running 5 v. I should be well within my goal of 10 degrees or less.

I does appear as if I will not be able to have 12 42 watters at once. I will have to settle for 11.

now I've got to veg some more plants, but eventually I want this to be my flowering cab (3 pots), and the super simple stacker (2 pots) can be my veg cab. I plan on having some sativa going, so it should work out well with few open spots in cabs. I'm playing with mazar, blue burmese, skunk x haze, menage a trois, and pacific mix from fritillary.

 

[Dr 4 four]

Nice setup! Can't wait to see your maid in action.

When you were deciding on your lighting, how did you come about using x # of cfl's instead of some of the other lighting choices out there?

 

[maryjohn]

I didn't really put that much thought into it. I started out wanting LED's but that sounded too complicated and iffy, and HID was going to require a proper cab. I looked at the cfl/scrog combo and decided to give it a go. Someday I will probably use something else, but for now I am seeing where cfl's and rubbermaids can take me.

 

[maryjohn]

i'm germing some skunk x haze, have an unsexed menage veging, a mazar-i-sharif freebie in early flower, and a reveged blue burmese cutting that gives stubborn cuttings.

I've reconfigured my canopy plans, switching to two containers instead of three. I mistakenly put my louvers at either end, thinking it would be easier to avoid blocking them. but they take too much room, and I can't get the third container in.

So... I will have a bigger scrog net on my sativa, and the regular size on the indica. They will have more room to flower either way, and it is still plenty of soil. They are quite constrained by comparison in the original stacker.

 

[ScrubNinja]

Looks very tidy mj, well done.

 

[maryjohn]

well, this is mazar-i-sharif in the stacker L, at 3 weeks flower. It has been fed nothing but water from the start (ok, a couple doses of fish hydrolysate). I am not ready to fill the xL yet. Got some blue burmese rooting, a menage a trois plant started and veging from seed, and I am having trouble getting some skunk x haze going. very wimpy seedlings.

 

[#1cheesebuds]

very very nice looken. also that sounds like some killer strains u have there.
cant wate to see em full of buds.

 

[maryjohn]

the mazar gets mixed reviews for being not strong enough, but that is actually appealing to me. The blue burmese is actually an f2 I think or possibly a selfed plant, from bagseed. I grew a bunch out in the summer, and there was this one female that refused to hermie despite light leaks. I gave a clone to my neighbors and they flowered it on the windowsill no problem. tasty tasty buds, not too soporific. So I took a cutting and reveged, and now I have a mother.

 

[Stoned Crow]

Your plants look great MJ, and this is a very cool thread. You problem solve better than the average bear!! Keep updating, inquiring minds want to know

 

[guest 77721]

Lookin'g superb!!! Do you have a link to your delta fans. I'd like to see the spec's on them. I'm running a 65CFM 120VAC radio shack fan for my scrubber and am planning on rebuilding it with the stacked sterlite boxes again.