[Bona Fortuna]

Regarding runoff in your last post, do you have any drain pans setup or do you let everything evaporate?

[repuk]

no drain pans, I just leave it to evaporate.

[repuk]

Originally Posted by Bona Fortuna

I'm setting up a wooden frame shed. First indoor grow after a life of outdoor growing.
I've really been wracking my brain to figure out how you are dealing with insulation issues.
I can't wait to see some ace sativas in your area.
Go figure, I was planning on growing zamaldelica and destroyer in my first runs. Haha

Best of luck!

That's something I have thought afterwards, it would have been cheaper and customized for its duty but in the end I liked the "off the shelf" look.

Given the (high) temps here, I even considered building one using "sandwich panels", those are built using aluminum to sandwich an insulation hard foam, really similar to how ambulances, camper vans, etc are insulated.

I'm afraid once May comes I will need to resort to using just LEDs, lowering the HPS power, and possibly adding CO2 to compensate.

Problem is I don't have space to put any kind of insulation, thought on putting poliestyrene lining the shed walls, but I don't have space... I think given you're building it from scratch accomplishing a good insulation is at least possible, and easier.

If I were in your shoes, I would use either readily available construction insulation materials, or maybe do some searching on scrapyards for suitable panels for cheap.

I'm also willing for spring to come... just need to decide on which strains I'm gonna run outdoors, never grew with the great HPS! Thinking on going for a wild sativa as size won't be a problem, only preferable trait will be being as low in odour as possible!

[Bona Fortuna]

I like the idea of sandwich plating, but would that be enough? I feel like summer would turn the shed into a solar oven.
It doesn't sound like you plan to indoor during summer though.

I've ran an idea around a few buddies.
Hempcrete insulation (READILY available ingredients and decent insulation) and a dug out 10- 55 gallon water container acting as a bubbler and passive water chiller/purifier on intake side. Sketchy though, humidity would be troublesome.

Ace seems to be a very good answer to your outdoor situation, granted you have the environment for it.

[repuk]

I would like to keep growing on summer, but with 45C at shadows I am afraid it will be difficult unless the shed is insulated and some kind of active cooling (AC) is used no matter how well insulated is.

In your case another option could be creating the sandwich yourself by using double walls, leaving a good thickness of free space between them to spray insulation foam inside.

A good example of a well insulated space are ambulances, those are the preferred to salvage for campervan projects. If you can have a look at one on a scrapyard, you'll notice instantly temps inside are noticeably lower; the technique employed is really similar.

Regarding passive cooling, a water based one sounds nice, problem will be humidity as you pointed out as at some stage you need to let water to be in contact with air; using active cooling could simplify this considerably.

[Bona Fortuna]

Originally Posted by repuk

I would like to keep growing on summer, but with 45C at shadows I am afraid it will be difficult unless the shed is insulated and some kind of active cooling (AC) is used no matter how well insulated is.

In your case another option could be creating the sandwich yourself by using double walls, leaving a good thickness of free space between them to spray insulation foam inside.

A good example of a well insulated space are ambulances, those are the preferred to salvage for campervan projects. If you can have a look at one on a scrapyard, you'll notice instantly temps inside are noticeably lower; the technique employed is really similar.

Regarding passive cooling, a water based one sounds nice, problem will be humidity as you pointed out as at some stage you need to let water to be in contact with air; using active cooling could simplify this considerably.

45c?! That's pretty damn hot! I can see how summer growing would be difficult.

I remember having being in a camper when I was younger. It WAS rather comfortable ever with out ac.
I don't think I was ever in 45c kind of weather with it. Even in California.

The water bubbler idea came from looking at a bong for about 5 minutes. Similar concept. I was planning on using that as an energy free way of geothermal cooling during summer, possibly emptied in winter with an incandescent put inside as a air warmer.

That's still just a concept. I haven't tried this yet.

Hahahaa, you don't seem sold on the hempcrete.
The only down side is allowing to dry and any possible off gassing.
It really is much cheaper than normal insulation. Double wall is a must in mine.

Currently, I have frame, layer of osb, layer of siding.
Insulation is going to happen come late springtime.

How are your babies?
Do you have your LED setup in?

[repuk]

I'm sure some strains from Mandala Seeds or ACE will thrive in summer weather here

Water cooling seems interesting, key point being how to implement it without losing control of RH.

Is stealth important in your case?

Regarding hemcrete I just don't have direct experience with it; after some reading it looks to be a really good insulation material, so why not... only drawback as you say, may be deploying it. But with some thinking and specific measures to let it cure properly I think it will be a success.

Babies are going fine next week is going to be rather busy, but I'll post bud shots of each girl on next one. Cannot wait to have some smoke of my own!

I haven't deployed the LED bulbs, because some (Kalichakra and BB) don't look quite right to me, thought maybe someone will chime in regarding that. Taking into account I'm already at 58 watts per sq feet I wanted to see how this week develop (tuned nutes) before adding another variable to the mix.

In fact I considered lowering the HPS power to 275W and adding 66W worth of LED bulbs, I'm "feeling" them in the meanwhile to try to make an informed decision but didn't make up my mind yet...

[Bona Fortuna]

Perhaps the light is a tad close to some of the tops. Your hood looks like it may have a hot spot towards the middle.
I'd be interested in seeing your led setup, may be more effective at spreading the light around.

Stealth is, possibly, the least of my worries. Cooling is top priority, then comes adequate ducting and lighting.

[Bona Fortuna]

For your Cobs, can you canter the light bulbs slightly?
Could Decrease some of the headspace needed.

[repuk]

Originally Posted by Bona Fortuna

Perhaps the light is a tad close to some of the tops. Your hood looks like it may have a hot spot towards the middle.
I'd be interested in seeing your led setup, may be more effective at spreading the light around.

Which one? COBs or LED bulbs?

Originally Posted by Bona Fortuna

Stealth is, possibly, the least of my worries. Cooling is top priority, then comes adequate ducting and lighting.

I assume you don't want to use a regular AC unit, maybe a portable one?

Otherwise a possibility would be using something scavenged as a "radiator" to circulate the cooling water, and blow air using fans on it to cool the water. E.g. the cooling circuit grid of a fridge, or a car radiator comes to mind.

Regarding the LEDs, as they hang from wires they would be vertical.

I had the same main cola "problem" on my first grow ever (600W HPS), the colas were an inch or two from the hood (cooltube). Got a 1gpw harvest of superb material from the Kalichakras without problems...

I don't think I'll have the time to prop the LED bulbs next week, but will possibly try it on the following one.

This are the microcuts, which are gaining traction slowly. They were took at the second flowering week, which means they needed more time, but... monster cropping next run with everything dialed in! I'll also give some away.



They have been almost a week after repotting under 55W PLL, added a second one today as I felt they had already stablished (110W)