Kush Farmer
Member
Here's hoping that works for you. I don't think you'll have too much of an issue. They'll still produce stellar pot.
Isn't it nice knowing your strains?
You'll notice a difference once they're running.
Sealed 6000w, Multi-flow, Daystar ac, Powerhouse, CO2
- Thread starter MrWeekend
- Start date
Here's hoping that works for you. I don't think you'll have too much of an issue. They'll still produce stellar pot.
Isn't it nice knowing your strains?
You'll notice a difference once they're running.
superultramega
Member
I did this. It works great. Cracked open a window unit and built a plenum around the evaporator coil. All sealed, hooked up to a fan running off the same control from the thermostat as the a/c. The only tricky part is dealing with the condensate. As has been discussed there will be a lot of it and you need to give it some place to go. I made a little L out of some 2" pvc with a cap on one end and an elbow with a threaded bushing in the other. I sliced it in half on the table saw (very dangerous, be sure you know what you are doing! I think the OP can handle it). I set the coil in the sliced pipe and sent the water plumbed to a drain. Works awesome.
Those window units are not sealed well at all. Most of them (even the big ones) have styrofoam ducting inside split into two halves. They are not sealed well between them. You can get a LOT of smell moving through one of those if you just try to stick it in the wall without negative pressure on the room. Even then I'd take a couple hours and make a sealed unit. (I guess you need to buy an additional fan too).
OP- I use the same duct mastic. Three thin layers last for years and years.
MrWeekend
Member
do you have pics of what you did, or a link to the thread you read to figure out what you were doing?
komrade komura
Active member
Mr Weekend....how you liking the CoolTubes? Curse 'em or Love 'em?
Are you able to take advantage of one of their main selling points: getting the lights closer.
Are you able to take advantage of one of their main selling points: getting the lights closer.
MrWeekend
Member
well you can get them closer but the light spread SUCKS!....I just use them in my veg room now.....maybe a light diffuser would work.....but they work for me fine in my veg room....keeps the heat out.
superultramega
Member
No but I need to build another one soon. I'll take pics of that.
Duckmang
Member
I just noticed the "bat signal" that was put up, and can offer a bit of advice. I did indeed make a split system from a window unit. A buddy of mine had an older 220V window shaker that was of pretty good size. I don't recall seeing the rated BTUs on it.
I started by soldering on ports to the high and low side of the unit. The style of port I used has a self piercing valve assembly so once the port is soldered on you screw in the valve and it pierces the line at the same time. This let me recover the refrigerant before opening the system up. With the system empty I cut the lines for the evaporator and removed it from the rest of the assembly. A plenum was fashioned on the evap. with a 465 cfm fan and that was hung in the ceiling of my room. The compressor, condensor left in the a/c frame was set on a shelf just outside the room. I soldered in two extension lines and ran them through the wall to the evap. The unit uses a small orifice instead of a true expansion valve so I had to keep that near the evap inlet. I also made that line so that it pointed down towards the evap so that the condensate from the line flows down the line to the evaporator and drains with the evaporator condensate. In my room I've got some electrical controls beneath where that line comes through the wall so I wasn't keen on water dripping at that point. I made a boot from thin sheet rubber and stapled it around where the evap. mounts in the ceiling to catch the condensate which drains into small tubing that drips outside the room.
From there I pulled a vacuum on the system and charged it. I use a household thermostat to control the system. A 24V double pole relay switches the 220V to the compressor and a single pole 24v relay turns on the evap. fan.
FWIW I recently turned this room into a completely sealed room with CO2. My space is 15X9 with vaulted ceiling. Humidity is a concern. My first attempt at remedy is to cycle off my fan that vents the lights. I have a similar dedicated light venting and was running the fan continious when the lights are on. By cycling off my light venting it warms the room and cycles on the a/c more often which is pulling moisture out of the room. I havn't been doing this long enough through enough ambient conditions to know how effective it's working but it is definately helping. I've got a hygrometer on the way and will know more soon. It will be one of the parameters that I will have to tweak with the seasons. Given the level of automation I've achieved, I won't gripe about that.
Another concern I have that you may also experience.... The ducting that is feeding my lights with cool air condenses moisture in a big way when the outside temps are cool. So much that it's keeping my cement floor quite damp and that in turn is also contributing to the humidity problem along with the plants. I'm using uninsulated 6" flex ducting and I seem to recall you're using insulated. If you don't end up having problems I may have to switch.
One last thought. I recently switched my cycle to have lights on at night. I'm not high in the mountains and temperatures are a concern. I can cool the room on a 100 degree day but don't really want to pay for it. Running everything at night when the ambient is cooler is definately gonna save me money on my x-cel bill.
I started by soldering on ports to the high and low side of the unit. The style of port I used has a self piercing valve assembly so once the port is soldered on you screw in the valve and it pierces the line at the same time. This let me recover the refrigerant before opening the system up. With the system empty I cut the lines for the evaporator and removed it from the rest of the assembly. A plenum was fashioned on the evap. with a 465 cfm fan and that was hung in the ceiling of my room. The compressor, condensor left in the a/c frame was set on a shelf just outside the room. I soldered in two extension lines and ran them through the wall to the evap. The unit uses a small orifice instead of a true expansion valve so I had to keep that near the evap inlet. I also made that line so that it pointed down towards the evap so that the condensate from the line flows down the line to the evaporator and drains with the evaporator condensate. In my room I've got some electrical controls beneath where that line comes through the wall so I wasn't keen on water dripping at that point. I made a boot from thin sheet rubber and stapled it around where the evap. mounts in the ceiling to catch the condensate which drains into small tubing that drips outside the room.
From there I pulled a vacuum on the system and charged it. I use a household thermostat to control the system. A 24V double pole relay switches the 220V to the compressor and a single pole 24v relay turns on the evap. fan.
FWIW I recently turned this room into a completely sealed room with CO2. My space is 15X9 with vaulted ceiling. Humidity is a concern. My first attempt at remedy is to cycle off my fan that vents the lights. I have a similar dedicated light venting and was running the fan continious when the lights are on. By cycling off my light venting it warms the room and cycles on the a/c more often which is pulling moisture out of the room. I havn't been doing this long enough through enough ambient conditions to know how effective it's working but it is definately helping. I've got a hygrometer on the way and will know more soon. It will be one of the parameters that I will have to tweak with the seasons. Given the level of automation I've achieved, I won't gripe about that.
Another concern I have that you may also experience.... The ducting that is feeding my lights with cool air condenses moisture in a big way when the outside temps are cool. So much that it's keeping my cement floor quite damp and that in turn is also contributing to the humidity problem along with the plants. I'm using uninsulated 6" flex ducting and I seem to recall you're using insulated. If you don't end up having problems I may have to switch.
One last thought. I recently switched my cycle to have lights on at night. I'm not high in the mountains and temperatures are a concern. I can cool the room on a 100 degree day but don't really want to pay for it. Running everything at night when the ambient is cooler is definately gonna save me money on my x-cel bill.
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superultramega
Member
That's pretty much what I did as far as control and air handler. But, I left the refrigerant lines intact and put ducting through the wall instead of the refrigerant lines. Most people (including myself) don't have a vacuum pump or gauges, or the knowledge to use either. I basically converted a window unit to a stand alone that you can run sealed ducts to outside the room. You can buy these units but the sealed ones cost thousands (for anything over 10,000 BTU).
So now I have a unit I can attach an intake and supply duct to anywhere completely sealed. Someone should be making these for hydro applications.
So now I have a unit I can attach an intake and supply duct to anywhere completely sealed. Someone should be making these for hydro applications.
Kush Farmer
Member
Check out a mechanical suppply house like Grainger or Ferguson. They have all sorts of sweet air handlers and cooling coils. With a little knowledge (or research) you can build to suit a sweet cooling system.
M
MacGyver420
killer room; not much more to say
superultramega
Member
I've done that and can assemble and charge a system with the right equipment. Or I can go to Home Depot and buy a $400 unit and some sheet metal and make a portable sealed unit I can put in a box on a shelf, pull it out and have it up and running in minutes.
I built my current unit on a frame so you can movie it around easily, and an integrated sound dampening system. That uses parts from grainger.
Kush Farmer
Member
That sounds pretty gnarly!! Would love to see pics!
I agree that Grainger can get pricey. You do get what you pay for with them though. If you have the flow it's worth it IMO. I wish I could swing the hermetically sealed units they have for hospitals. 15,000 BTU water cooled Bad Mother Fucker!!
MrWeekend
Member
DAY 16.........had to disconnect the co2 & run an intake/exhaust....couldnt deal with the humidity/heat of a sealed room... Also I really dont like no negative pressure. I can see how co2 growers are more likely to get busted.
also scrapped the powerhouse ballast....THEY SUCK! to loud & they get so freakin hot you cant even touch them....switched up to lumatek, use them in my other room & love them.
These pics are of the best in the room so far. & if you see any white spots thats drywall dust from cutting intake/exhaust holes, not powdery mildew
LAPD
SUBLIME
BLOWFISH
BLUE DIESEL
HAZE HYBRID
also scrapped the powerhouse ballast....THEY SUCK! to loud & they get so freakin hot you cant even touch them....switched up to lumatek, use them in my other room & love them.
These pics are of the best in the room so far. & if you see any white spots thats drywall dust from cutting intake/exhaust holes, not powdery mildew
LAPD
SUBLIME
BLOWFISH
BLUE DIESEL
HAZE HYBRID
Kush Farmer
Member
Everything looks good bro!! What was the major environmental problem? I run nothing but CGE. I just run scrubbers with max fans to eliminate smell. Plus the max fans move so much air i cut down on wall mount fans. Props on the Lumatek upgrade! I love the ones I have. Have you seen the killer dual 600W one?
MrWeekend
Member
the humidity & heat.......plus it gave my house that kinda musty/greenhouse smell........I couldnt really smell "weed" but Im only on day 16, & I know my haze hybrid STINKS later in flower........I will try it again next round, with a dehuy & AC....but Im almost temped to just add another 2kw lights instead of the the 2kw AC/Dehuy.
superultramega
Member
get a bigger a/c AND 2kW more lights!
But seriously you need a/c. I appreciate your experiment as it adds more evidence to this. I'd LOVE to run without a/c. It's by far the biggest noise generator and also sucks a decent amount of electricity (minor). But those lights turn a lot of electricity into heat.
But seriously you need a/c. I appreciate your experiment as it adds more evidence to this. I'd LOVE to run without a/c. It's by far the biggest noise generator and also sucks a decent amount of electricity (minor). But those lights turn a lot of electricity into heat.
MrWeekend
Member
heat wasnt the main issue....it was humidity.....temps were right around 85 with all 6kw going.....but the humidity was RIDICULOUS! water drippin off everything, & the plants were going through 10-20 gallons a day!.....the AC & Dehuy I ordered are just taking to long to get here & I didnt want to risk any problems with PM, so I cut the duct work in.
attila76
Member
Mr Weekend,
was looking at picts of your roots. I had something similar before, but the algae was only one component of the problem. Nearly microscopic root aphids were the source of the brown algae. Pull out a 30x scope and do some rooting around in the infected roots.
Best of luck to you. Those things are hell and will destroy all of your hard work shortly are are impossible to control.
was looking at picts of your roots. I had something similar before, but the algae was only one component of the problem. Nearly microscopic root aphids were the source of the brown algae. Pull out a 30x scope and do some rooting around in the infected roots.
Best of luck to you. Those things are hell and will destroy all of your hard work shortly are are impossible to control.
T
Teeg420
damn really the powerhouse ballast are loud and hot? I am not a hydrofarm fan I am loyal to sunlight supply, but I like how the power house had 4" flange kits so you could duct the heat out with a inline fan.
Glad to hear your rh is in check, that's what I couldn't understand with green mopho i believe he said he was running a sealed room and claims he had low humidity. Anyways glad to hear everything is in check. What is LAPD los angeles purple diesel? a LA CON cross? definitely curious.
Glad to hear your rh is in check, that's what I couldn't understand with green mopho i believe he said he was running a sealed room and claims he had low humidity. Anyways glad to hear everything is in check. What is LAPD los angeles purple diesel? a LA CON cross? definitely curious.
MrWeekend
Member
I havent used a mag ballast in probably 10 years, so when setting up this room I figured, buy the best mag ballast there is. Save a few bucks from the digitals, & it should be quieter than the cheap mags...WRONG.....on start up the things sound like a freaking bass harmonica band in my basement.....and my room is VERY WELL insulated. and the heat was just unbearable!...I would say the lumateks put out a 1/4 of the heat. & are completely silent.
they do have the flange kits, but my space is kinda tight so having the 4 in duct, exhausting it outside & worrying about smell was just to much of a hassle for me.....I would ony use these guys in a warehouse or house with lots of space/ not needing to worry about stealth.
LAPD is a a mix of LA con X the hog X ja kush.......I think it is lacon X (hogXjakush), unsure on which is the mother/father
