Temperature Issues in new cab..

[DiscoBiscuit]

i have two 6" holes cut in the bottom and 1 6" exhaust... should i double up?

IMO, your main intake is sufficient. IMO the tube and or interior chamber vents are smaller than the 2x main, i.e. bottleneck. You might have to open up larger interior vents. Worst case scenario you might have to consider ditching the tube. The bare bulb with a stiff pc fan blowing on it might work.

I noticed my cab runs much cooler with a full canopy than an empty box. You'll be surprised at the difference. HV is right, block air flow and temps will climb.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

actually, theres a slight adjustment to the veg cab, the lights in both cabs actually hang at the same height, holes at the same level. Temps in Veg cab are stable at 78, warmer than i'd like, but more than acceptable.

The difference is.. there are two 6" holes for intake in a 2x4x2 area, as opposed to flower where there are only two for a 2x4x4 area. I'm going to pick up an oscillating fan, and open up some more intakes and see what happens tomorrow.

I like the twin intakes, IMO more effective than shotgun airflow. I have a similar dilemma and air tuning is tricky. My flower exhaust goes through the cool tube and into the exhaust chamber. I considered cutting a couple of holes, one on either side of the tube. You might get a bit less airflow through the tube but the whole box would be exhausted faster resulting in more complete air exchanges per minute.

 

[qscftffboy]

My 2 cents

My 2 cents

Hey G! been watchin this develop over the day and wanted the throw in that, From what I have learned micro boxes are more affected by ambient temp's in the room more so then the tornado going through the box! so is there any chance that the room around box's temps are high? 73 deg +? (dunno if that made any sense) I'd try doing a heat test in colder room if so and see if that helps ya. best of luck on solving the prob

 

[GP73LPC]

IMO, your main intake is sufficient. IMO the tube and or interior chamber vents are smaller than the 2x main, i.e. bottleneck. You might have to open up larger interior vents. Worst case scenario you might have to consider ditching the tube. The bare bulb with a stiff pc fan blowing on it might work.

I noticed my cab runs much cooler with a full canopy than an empty box. You'll be surprised at the difference. HV is right, block air flow and temps will climb.

when i started my fishtank cab. my lights were separated in glassed hoods with passive intake and exhaust ports...

by the time i finished tweaking the cab i had bar bulbs and cooler temps

 

[DTFuqua]

from the picture, I don't see the outlet for the air from inside the chambers. You need to exhaust the air that you are pulling through the scrubber to outside the cabinet. The exhaust needs to be elevated above the level of the intakes to avoid recirculating the same air over and over.

This could be a big problem. I believe you want to PULL air through the scrubber. It greatly effects things.

edit:

Looking at this picture:

 

[Larc]

Don't forget that your temps will drop 5-10* when it's packed with foliage

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

DTF, check out the darkroom louver above the veg area. Positive pressure pushes heat through the darkroom vent.

gnaut, you might want to make sure the cracks and crevices are air tight, otherwise positive pressure may cycle into the negative pressure flower area. This heat-cycling could cause temps to climb. Also, your exhaust should be oriented so it's not feeding the intake with warm exhaust. Even if the exhaust port is high and intake low, the room wall could deflect heat downward. Heat only has to get close to the intake to be sucked in. Some sort of baffle might help deflect heated air away from the intake vents.

 

[GP73LPC]

from the picture, I don't see the outlet for the air from inside the chambers. You need to exhaust the air that you are pulling through the scrubber to outside the cabinet. The exhaust needs to be elevated above the level of the intakes to avoid recirculating the same air over and over.


Looking at this picture:

the pic really doesn't show an exhaust after the scrubber. but you are correct, if the exhaust is coming out of the cabinet right under the scrubber, it is likely pulling that hot air right back in...

some type of ducting or directing of exhaust through means of wood, hose, etc... away from the intakes might be the answer...

 

[gnaut]

DiscoBiscuit - thanks, I'm going to pick up the already planned oscillating fan today, to mount that into the cab to see what happens with temperatures other than that.

DTF - the Exhaust for the scrubber is directly behind the scrubber in the picture, all exhaust is pushed out of the back of the cab.. and i guess i need to say again, the air being exhausted over the cooltube is 80* The heat issue is in the flower cab area itself.

I appreciate the brainstorming, I'm going to make shift a baffle to push the hot air up and away from the wall, hoping it doesn't go downward, and see what happens. As well as the oscillating fan, and dropping my ambient temperatures in the room a few degrees.. as it is 74-75 on average. If all else fails, I'm going to avoid redesigning the cab and adding a chiller into the process.

many thanks

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

... I appreciate the brainstorming, I'm going to make shift a baffle to push the hot air up and away from the wall, hoping it doesn't go downward, and see what happens. As well as the oscillating fan, and dropping my ambient temperatures in the room a few degrees.. as it is 74-75 on average. If all else fails, I'm going to avoid redesigning the cab and adding a chiller into the process.

many thanks

In my setup and up to ~72*f ambient, I can flower at 80*f inside the cab. Once I hit ~73, cab temp may increase to ~85. Once ambient reaches ~75*f, I'm looking at peaks of 90.

Your room will generate convection. The coolest air is down low with the intake. A 600 generates a lot of heat. If you circulate the room air, it might actually raise cab temps. If you have central air with floor and or lower-wall supplies, you could air-condition the cab by locating it next to, in front of or over the register.

I didn't get a chance to read the whole thread. In case you haven't already, might want to consider intake filters so your giant vacuum cleaner doesn't get dirty on the inside. Used dryer sheet are great for filtering particles. Not as good as hepa but they're free and you can't beat the price.

 

[gnaut]

In my setup and up to ~72*f ambient, I can flower at 80*f inside the cab. Once I hit ~73, cab temp may increase to ~85. Once ambient reaches ~75*f, I'm looking at peaks of 90.

Your room will generate convection. The coolest air is down low with the intake. A 600 generates a lot of heat. If you circulate the room air, it might actually raise cab temps. If you have central air with floor and or lower-wall supplies, you could air-condition the cab by locating it next to, in front of or over the register.

I didn't get a chance to read the whole thread. In case you haven't already, might want to consider intake filters so your giant vacuum cleaner doesn't get dirty on the inside. Used dryer sheet are great for filtering particles. Not as good as hepa but they're free and you can't beat the price.

Duly noted, I'm going to drop my temps down in the apartment to see what happens inside the cab today and so forth, and that is an oversight on my part, i probably definitely want to filter that air coming in.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

That's a real nice construction job, could park the Gran Torino on it.

 

[oneshot]

@gnaut gl with everything. I have a feeling once you get that dialed in, it's going to be a monster

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Yeah, I like mega micros.

 

[gnaut]

what do you know.. dropping the temps 5* in the apt and the tank is steady mobbin at 82*.. I'll take it...


and adding an oscillating fan once i move my lazy ass to walmart, and, if is true; why would my temps drop with a full canopy?

 

[MrStonerMan]

Nice..

 

[qscftffboy]

woot woot!

woot woot!

Called it! Glad its was that easy!

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

what do you know.. dropping the temps 5* in the apt and the tank is steady mobbin at 82*.. I'll take it...


and adding an oscillating fan once i move my lazy ass to walmart, and, if is true; why would my temps drop with a full canopy?

I'm not scientifically inclined to offer the explanation but I suspect it has something to do with transpiration. That said, I have to remove plants to water and notice the temp climb as much as several degrees. I only have a 150 so your results may vary.

Sounds like you're closer to operating temps than first suspected. Good luck with the project.

 

[GP73LPC]

it could simply be reflection vs. absorption too... with a cab full of green plants you don't have 2/3rd's of the cab reflecting back at ya..., causing more heat... simply colors...

i'm just guessing, , but it sounds logical...

 

[gloryoskie]

Throw some houseplants in the box and watch the temps lower to equilibrium, you'll be surprised.

Moist soil mass and plant matter all factor in the temp/humidity balance.

My opinion.