Ventilation Question

DuskrayTroubador · Jun 27, 2017

Hey all,

I'm going to set up a vertical grow up in the Northeast where it's pretty cold most of the year. I won't be growing indoors during the summer, only Fall/Winter/Spring.

I'm not going to be running too big of a show, likely either three 600w bulbs or two 1k bulbs.

The grow is going to be a stadium style grow in a room (as opposed to being inside a tent). My question is, given the cold climate and the fact that I won't be growing in the summer months, do I really need a full blown ventilation system or is good air circulation enough? I envision an upward facing fan underneath each light, as well as 3 or 4 other fans around the room.

I'm a renter, and so I really don't want to be cutting holes in walls and shit. I could set up an exhaust fan in a window, but the window isn't at the top of the room. It's a legal state, but I also don't like the idea of putting an exhaust fan in the window or side of the house, especially in a freezing cold place where everyone struggles to keep air in during the winter.

EDIT: I don't plan on using any hoods either. This is my first indoor grow so I'm going KISS all the way. Lights, fans, timers, ballasts, and dirt. For smell, without a complete ventilation system, I have a Vaportek which I've used while drying outdoor crops before and it's great.

OldPhart · Jun 27, 2017

Wanting to run 2k in a bedroom of a rental with no ventilation = recipe for disaster. Even if temp isn't an issue, what about the 2-3 gallon of water per day (probably more) being dumped into the air; that will be an issue. Either you need fresh air, or seal the room and get AC / dehuy involved. If not, all the doors/windows will be condensing water in the winter, not to mention the probable mold/moisture in the walls, floors, etc. Sorry for the bad news, but I have seen this situation before, and it wasn't good.

DuskrayTroubador · Jun 27, 2017

That's exactly the sort of response I was looking for to be honest.

Looks like an exhaust fan is going in the window, but then I'd have to cut a chunk out of the door or something to allow for intake. A door is easy to replace, but I still don't like the idea.

I'll get a dehumidifier anyway, just because it'd be good to have.

Speed of green · Jun 27, 2017

You could put a register box in the door, it'll wont look as bad as a hole. landlord might not notice.

When i grew in a rental i had exhaust and intake going through the same window with a little baffle box i made.

the pictures arent the greatest but hopefully you can grasp the concept.

Idk how big your window is but these are two 8" ducts side by side. cooled my 4k no problem.

DuskrayTroubador · Jun 29, 2017

That's a crazy contraption you've got there, Speed! It's a great idea functionally and it doesn't look too suspect as a house for an A/C in an otherwise non-ideal window slot where an A/C wouldn't really be possible. However, it'd look pretty suspect for me to have a wooden box sticking out of the window in the middle of winter.

Ya know, I think the easiest way is going to just involve buying a sacrifice door and cutting a big hole in the bottom for intake and a smaller hole in the top where the exhaust fan will go. I'll hang a carbon scrubber up there too, and then a fan or two in the corners my the door and a fan under each bulb.

May as well get a dehuey just because it's good to have anyway, especially at harvest.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

OldPhart · Jun 29, 2017

Just a thought, you might be able to use a portable AC as both dehuy and heat pump. This was years ago, and worked quite well in the winter. I took a portable AC, took it apart, and found the drain line that went from the evaporator to the condenser fan area. I cut the drain and redirected it to an external drain/reservoir. I would then put the portable AC in the grow area, and direct the exhaust to the rest of the house for heat. This kept the heat/humidity in check in the grow area, and provided enough heat to keep the rest of the house warm, too warm at times though

. With something like this, you could just lay the hose through the door, and leave the door open like 6 inches. The thing that makes this work is redirecting the condensation out of the portable AC, so it doesn't put it back into the exhaust air.

Bonus, you have a ready supply of awesome water. I have been known to redirect the AC condensate to keep a reservoir topped off while I was gone for a couple of weeks. It was like a rube goldberg setup, but it worked great, with the exception of the res overflowing before I got home, but it was in a basement near a floor drain, so it was all good.

PS, you do realize that a portable AC with the water drained off, is basically a dehuy; you just have more control of temps. In fact when I have been in the situation where I needed a dehuy, (to dry out a harvest) I just used a window AC with a hole drilled in the bottom near the evaporator drain, and then sit it on top of a rubbermaid tote.

Edit - With a little ingenuity, there are many different setups that will work for any given situation, some better than others. You just have to find something that will work for you and your situation.

DuskrayTroubador · Jul 3, 2017

I'm really kind of an idiot when it comes to technology, honestly. If I were to take an A/C apart, I wouldn't know what was what. An evaporator? Beats me. A condenser? I don't even know what is being condensed (although I assume the air's humidity into a pool of standing water).

I'm really fucking dumb when it comes to technology and indoor growing -- I'm really only looking into doing it out of sheer necessity because my outdoor season this year was more or less over from the start.

In your post, I'm not sure if you mean the exhaust from the room or the A/C exhaust, but I assume the room's exhaust fan. Is the idea that the cool air from the A/C will push the hot air up and then the exhaust fan sends it to the rest of the house? I plan on putting the exhaust fan at the top of the door leading to the rest of the house -- you mentioned leaving the door open 6 inches; can I do that instead of cutting into the door? Basically leave the door open a bit with the exhaust fan up top and a plastic liner running down leaving a big gap at the bottom for intake and the drain line from the dehuey (I'm really not worried about temps, and I'm far too big of an idiot to fiddle with cutting shit in an A/C, so I'm probably just gonna go with the dehuey). Will that work?

I really want to keep this as simple as possible. I'm just an outdoor grower who is distressed about a fucked up season and looking to get by on an indoor grow until next year without burning anything down.

Which reminds me: does a ceiling light/fan in the room that I don't plan on using serve as any sort of hazard to be mindful of?

gorilla ganja · Jul 4, 2017

Sorry to hear about your outdoor this year DuskrayTroubador.

You need to ventilate the room for the many good reasons the OldPhart mentioned as well as to supply fresh CO2. Even if you could control heat and humidity in a sealed room the plants would use up available CO2 and growth would slow to a crawl.

Unfortunately it can be hard to hide an outside vent. Even if you build a cleaver box like OldPhart. If temps outside get cold, warm moist air will condense and be visible. As well as forming icicles if it gets below freezing.

If possible tie into an existing vent line that runs up through the roof. A plumbing vent or bathroom exhaust line is good for this. But do not use furnace/ hot water vent unless you know what your doing because poisonous gases are involved.

Ceiling fan being in the room will not be a problem if you keep cords and lights away in case you turn it on by accident.

Hope you get it figured out and best of luck with your indoor garden.

Peace GG

Rageous8899 · Jul 5, 2017

Ive been trying to figure out my vent setup as well without cutting drywall and such.

Gry · Jul 5, 2017

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=112862

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ventilation 101

Some nice ideas. [/FONT]

DuskrayTroubador · Jul 6, 2017

I drew up a crude blueprint of the setup I have in mind. My goal is to keep it as simple as possible while still getting adequate ventilation and humidity control. Plants aren't included in the diagram, but I plan on running a stadium straddling the beam with the light(s).

Keep in mind this will only be up and running for 8 months or so. Will this work without doing duct work? My big concern is that the fan pulling the intake in won't be strong enough to prevent the exhaust from pulling the intake straight up without reaching the rest of the room. Is this a reasonable fear?

Do I need more fans/fans in different positions? If there is a vent already in the wall (for, say, heating the room in the winter), does that count as a sort of "bonus" intake in addition to the one in the door?

Thanks for all your input.

DuskrayTroubador · Jul 6, 2017

The A/C and/or dehuey will drain into a pool outside that I'll use to water the plants with.

I'm trying to limit my cutting/drilling/otherwise damaging the house to the door only if possible. That way I can simply switch out the door and it's like new (one of the reasons I'm going to construct a wooden frame to house the light(s)).

noreason · Jul 7, 2017

Just for 3x600W lamps you don't need so much things imho, because you have cold temperature on your side, that's a great thing.

First point: where you live? Or being specific, what kind of climate you live in? If it's cold and dry it's just perfect. If there is too much humidity then it's not perfect but it's ok...

Let's see...you don't need an intake from outdoor. Just let the air flow from the house in the growroom leaving open door or installing an extractor doing the job. Usually it contains more co2 (less o2) and it's not bad, but the most important you will avoid condensation. Any form of it, because the air is already warm. If too humid, than take in mind using a dehuey, even for a better living in the house.

Than, just place a good extractor fan of your choice blowing directly outdoor.
You can do something like this...pretty stupid but very effective. You just have to make it a little bigger.

If you can set it up this way, I think you will not have any problem with temperature, O2, CO2, condensation. But you will have issues with the smell exits outdoor, depending on the location.

DuskrayTroubador · Jul 10, 2017

I might be able to swing something like that. One concern, as gorilla pointed out, is that the hot air going outside is going to form icicles, which I'd like to avoid of possible (plus a window fan during winter in the cold northeast is pretty conspicuous).

Would I be alright having both intake and exhaust in the same door?

DuskrayTroubador · Aug 3, 2017

Would it be alright to leave the door open a bit and mount a an exhaust fan at the top? I'm worried about having an exhaust fan directly above the "intake hole" with no separation. My concern is that the air will effectively make a small loop without ever really reaching the rest of the room.

gorilla ganja · Aug 3, 2017

Run a flexible hose on the intake and put it where ever you want. On the floor opposite the exhaust is usually best. The exhaust should be at the top of room taking hot,humid air out.

Peace GG

DuskrayTroubador · Aug 4, 2017

gorilla ganja said:
Run a flexible hose on the intake and put it where ever you want. On the floor opposite the exhaust is usually best. The exhaust should be at the top of room taking hot,humid air out.

Peace GG

Apparently I gotta spread some rep around, but I really appreciate the advice.

I think I'm just going to mount the exhaust fan to the door since it's only about 5lbs and leave the door open enough to fit the hose through at the bottom. Then to "seal" it I'll just thumbtack some plastic to cover the gap when I'm not in there.

Spaventa · Aug 4, 2017

You could run a tent and have a big dehumidifier in the room next to the tent. As long as you set up an intake that draws from a well ventilated room (windows open), it would work. Oh and your carbon filter better be a good one if your venting into the room the tents in.

betshtick · Aug 28, 2017

If you end up venting out and doing fresh air exchange... I'd highly recommend a filter on the exhaust. You'll be dumping the air several times a minute so smell will be an issue otherwise.

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