grow room is in low 50's :(

[Canada]

Got a 11x 20 room in the basement and its cold .
I went out and bought insolation for the entire basement 50 x 30

My room is just studded up and polly'd on one side of the basement. I run 6k hps in the day 9am-9pm and it reached 80 and I run a 1500 w space heater at night .

Im on day 2 of flower and just checked the temp and it is at 51.8 (+10c) .

Am I going to run into problems at that temp ?

 

[Coconutz]

52F is going to piss the girls off. When the cells get that cold they need a long time to warm up to get back to cellular activity.
If its that cold and you have a high RH you will have problems.
Why run a heater? Thats wasted electricity... Spend the money on running more lights!
Flip rooms and use the heat from the lights! It should also dehumidify the room.
Or just use an AC/Dehuey in a sealed room. You shouldnt ever need a heater

 

[leaffan]

52 is going to give you grief. I would look at room design asap.

 

[growshopfrank]

hydro or soil?
if hydro other than DWC maybe a res heater
for soil keep the pots off the cold floor
big temp swings will cause moisture issues a dehumidifier will help

in early flower I would like to see around 60F as my night low
big temp swings also seem to promote more stretch in early flower small temp variance between night and day produces shorter bushier plants in my experience FWIW

 

[Canada]

All my nightmares confirmed ..
I agree with the heater being a waste . I have an 8k flowering room setup and don't have the funds to set one up beside it . So atm my best solution is the heater .

Maybe my best bet is to redesign the entire space and insolate the flowering room and not the basement . This sucks

Im was trying to convince myself that it would all be ok

The grow is being done in 7 gal soil

 

[oldergrower]

Canada, what type of electric heater?? I use one of the oil filled radiator looking type heaters in my room.
My room is smaller but use a fan to blow thru the radiator portion and will move a lot more heat around.
Worth a try, Gl OG Merry Christmas all

 

[Pro Headies]

Its in your basement right. You have heat/AC vents all through your house? If you do id cut a hole in the heat/ac feed and run a insulated vent hose into the room. Id also pull air from the return line which is fed by the upstairs air. This will only work if you have central heat/AC otherwise never mind...

 

[Canada]

my space heater has a built in fan . Im goging to add another one at the other end of the room hopefully tomorrow .

 

[Coconutz]

If you are going to buy another heater you should get the oil filled. They dont run nearly as much energy because the oil stays hot and it doesnt need to run full power for very long.
You will want an oscillating fan to help circulate the heat though

 

[med-man]

great advice

dehumidifiers will also increase heat and decrease moisture

med-man

 

[Buds Bundy]

that low temps = fuck all for yield, just ask me how I know.

 

[Buddha1]

You have 2 good options and I've used both of them myself.

First choice...It's the one I'm using at the present time and probably the simpler of the two.

I have my grow area out in the shop. It has AC in the summer, I've insulated it, but has no heat in the winter. I run a CO2 burner(heat) in the winter and a CO2 bottle system(no heat) in the summer, this helps with the heat issues. By running a burner in the winter months you generate the much needed heat. Just set the CO2 monitor on the constant setting, run it in the dark cycle and also in the light cycle(24/7). It cost a bit of extra cash for the propane gas, instead of $20 gas every 11-12 days, its $20 gas every 7-8 days. But it's cheaper than running an electric space heater of any kind and much more efficient. Running the CO2 burner constantly, will keep the temperature in the flower room at 65+ when lights are off. If you need more heat, adjust the PPM on the monitor to a higher PPM setting, this will get you more heat and a lower PPM for less heat.

I realize doing this is a waste of CO2 and the girls(plants) only need CO2 in the light cycle, but it won't ever hurt them and all we want is heat during lights off.

The second choice...Its the one I used before I started using CO2.

You are running 8-1k lamps in a 11X20 room. Split the room in half with some black and white poly, creating two 11X10 rooms, with only a poly wall between them as a light seal(IMPORTANT!...check for light leaks). The poly will allow heat to transfer to the cooler side. Once you have two separate and equal size rooms, install a 4 lamp flip system, put the flip on a 12/12 timer, this will run 4 lamps on in one room and 4 lamps off in the other, flipping ever 12 hours. This allows one side to heat the other side. If the area is still to cold, install a fan to exchange the air between the two rooms, this also keeps temps down in the lights on room, while heating the lights off room.

With the flip system you will only need 4 1k ballasts to supply the both rooms. This gives you 4 back up ballasts, which is nice or 4 ballasts for another area(Flower/Veg), which ever fits you best.

Good Luck...Hope this helps
Peace...B

 

[blastfrompast]

Here is my take on it

My basement dips really cold when we run the woodstove for more than a few days...its insulated..... but was just a big 1800ft space when I started...I also suck air in a mixer which goes straight into the basement.....so intake is COLD.

Last time I checked it was around 55 down there...60 when the heat kicks on (forced air electric)

I have 2 bud rooms rooms both just poly(5x8), and poly/plywood(8x12). The poly has 1 plant under 1k HPS....temp in there right now at 5am (light went off at midnight) is 54.....Plant is in a tray on concrete large pot..organic nutes...sunshine mix....No ill effects..getting chopped on the 12th of jan...plant is doing great...I'd be tempted to stick a soil temp probe in if I was bothered by it....but after 5 c99 dabs im not.

My poly/plywood room with 2k hps is sitting at 62...3 plants in there...getting chopped on the 4th of jan.....definitely no issues there (ill throw up a pic to re-assure yah)..

My well water is a tad on the alkaline side....haven't ph'd in a few years....I just use pure blend pro and a bit of karma in veg and early bloom..

I'd get your girls off the cold concrete if your really worried...and if you can run 6k HPS and your worried..add another oil radiator.....
no point losing sleep over the holidays over a 100 dollar heater...

 

[Canada]

Here is my take on it

My basement dips really cold when we run the woodstove for more than a few days...its insulated..... but was just a big 1800ft space when I started...I also suck air in a mixer which goes straight into the basement.....so intake is COLD.

Last time I checked it was around 55 down there...60 when the heat kicks on (forced air electric)

I have 2 bud rooms rooms both just poly(5x8), and poly/plywood(8x12). The poly has 1 plant under 1k HPS....temp in there right now at 5am (light went off at midnight) is 54.....Plant is in a tray on concrete large pot..organic nutes...sunshine mix....No ill effects..getting chopped on the 12th of jan...plant is doing great...I'd be tempted to stick a soil temp probe in if I was bothered by it....but after 5 c99 dabs im not.

My poly/plywood room with 2k hps is sitting at 62...3 plants in there...getting chopped on the 4th of jan.....definitely no issues there (ill throw up a pic to re-assure yah)..

My well water is a tad on the alkaline side....haven't ph'd in a few years....I just use pure blend pro and a bit of karma in veg and early bloom..

I'd get your girls off the cold concrete if your really worried...and if you can run 6k HPS and your worried..add another oil radiator.....
no point losing sleep over the holidays over a 100 dollar heater...

got another 1500 watt space heater in there right now and its still low 50's . It hit 47 yesterday so I am having 20 sheets of sheetrock delivered today along with 3 bails of fiberglass insolation . Hopefully this will keep temps up as the temp here is only -5 now and its going to be -17 in the next few days .

 

[blastfrompast]

I wish it was -5 here...
think -30

 

[AlterEgo860]

ok. fuck that shit man.. turn ur lights on from 9pm to 9 am.. keeping the temps warm at night.. and then heat it during the day If needed.. ur wasting a lot of energy doing it the way your doing it now.. and u can just leave them in the dark for 24 hours if needed to switch the cycle..

I had the same issues.. now I have my room running at 72-78 and this is without the glass in my hoods.. with glass I could get it down to 60 if I wanted..

and then during the day.. the temps stay around 62-68 without a heater.. Im bout to add a little heater just to bump it to a constant 70 at lights out.. I found a lot faster growth .. if I didn't dip below 66 at night time.

and llke the dude said.. just make sure your pots are off the ground. go make a plywood floor.. add poly to it. this will allow the plants to stay alright with colder temps.

 

[mowood3479]

Best option.. 2x6 frame out entire basement and insulate fully..
Cheaper easier option 2" foam board insulate the growroom..
If the insulation is right u wont need much heat

 

[Canada]

Best option.. 2x6 frame out entire basement and insulate fully..
Cheaper easier option 2" foam board insulate the growroom..
If the insulation is right u wont need much heat

That's my thinking get the r value up so my little heat I do have is not transferring right through the polly .

I am currently running my lights form 8pm to 8 am and running the space heaters in the day time .

The floor of my basement is dirt I have build a platform that is off the ground approx. 2ft gives me 8 ft ceilings .

 

[Sativa Dragon]

You have 2 good options and I've used both of them myself.

First choice...It's the one I'm using at the present time and probably the simpler of the two.

I have my grow area out in the shop. It has AC in the summer, I've insulated it, but has no heat in the winter. I run a CO2 burner(heat) in the winter and a CO2 bottle system(no heat) in the summer, this helps with the heat issues. By running a burner in the winter months you generate the much needed heat. Just set the CO2 monitor on the constant setting, run it in the dark cycle and also in the light cycle(24/7). It cost a bit of extra cash for the propane gas, instead of $20 gas every 11-12 days, its $20 gas every 7-8 days. But it's cheaper than running an electric space heater of any kind and much more efficient. Running the CO2 burner constantly, will keep the temperature in the flower room at 65+ when lights are off. If you need more heat, adjust the PPM on the monitor to a higher PPM setting, this will get you more heat and a lower PPM for less heat.

I realize doing this is a waste of CO2 and the girls(plants) only need CO2 in the light cycle, but it won't ever hurt them and all we want is heat during lights off.

The second choice...Its the one I used before I started using CO2.

You are running 8-1k lamps in a 11X20 room. Split the room in half with some black and white poly, creating two 11X10 rooms, with only a poly wall between them as a light seal(IMPORTANT!...check for light leaks). The poly will allow heat to transfer to the cooler side. Once you have two separate and equal size rooms, install a 4 lamp flip system, put the flip on a 12/12 timer, this will run 4 lamps on in one room and 4 lamps off in the other, flipping ever 12 hours. This allows one side to heat the other side. If the area is still to cold, install a fan to exchange the air between the two rooms, this also keeps temps down in the lights on room, while heating the lights off room.

With the flip system you will only need 4 1k ballasts to supply the both rooms. This gives you 4 back up ballasts, which is nice or 4 ballasts for another area(Flower/Veg), which ever fits you best.

Good Luck...Hope this helps
Peace...B

I think splitting your room and running a flip box and sharing the ventilation between rooms is a great idea.

Peace

 

[Canada]

I think splitting your room and running a flip box and sharing the ventilation between rooms is a great idea.

Peace

I agree and that was the plan but my funds didn't come through so buying a 16 light flip for 700 and 8 bulbs and shades another 1300 isn't going to happen atm . So I have to take the hit on the electric bill and material . Also the closest I am to a growshop is 150 kms and the stop don't stock much more then nuttes so im forced to order the gear .