# homebox,cooltube,ballast and ventilation questions



## asparagas (Jan 21, 2009)

hello my friends.
i have bought my cooltube (490mm X 125mm) and 600 watt HPS.
i will buy homebox XL this week.
i will use 2 fans,one is for exhaust ,and other one is for cooltube.
i will use 418 CFM ELICENT fan for exhaust(it is vortex style fan )
and i will use 136 CFM ELICENT fan for cooltube.
QUESTIONS:
1)is my choice  correct  about capacity of fans ?
2)where should i put the cooltube's fan ?should it blow fresh cool air into cooltube,or it suck hot air from inside of cooltube ?

In other words,should air flow be:

outside of box> fan>cooltube>outside of box ?

OR

outside of the box>cooltube>fan>outside of the box,








3)i have a magnetic ballast.how can i connect ballast and my hps lamp with each other ?i am confused


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## WeedHopper (Jan 21, 2009)

Im saying #2.


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## yumyumbubblegum (Jan 21, 2009)

*Mine is set up like #2 take a look at my journal I have a HomeBox XL with a 1000w in a air cooled hood, I had to control my odor so I have a carbon filter in the tent at the end of the line and a Vorteax 4" pulling the air thru my light. My fan is rated @172 cfm and it sucks the side of the tent in a little - I can take a hit in the tent and blow it in and watch it pull thru the filter - my filter is reted @359 cfm and I was told that running it at 1/2 is plenty.... JMHO *

*Goodluck with your setup *


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## willowgrow (Jan 22, 2009)

im currently finishing up my grow room and will be installing my cooltube within the next couple of days.  my setup will be like #1, with a 6" 250cfm inline mounted at the top of my box pulling air into the room, through the 6" duct, through the 600w hps cooltube and into the room.  i use this along with the HVAC as my intake; and i have a inline mounted at the very top of the room exhausting the air outside.  im not sure if there are any significant differences between the two setups (id love to know!), imo its whatever fits for you


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## INTHEDES (Jan 22, 2009)

My tent is4'x9'x7',with 2 600 cooltubes set up similar 2 the top diagram.I say top 4 sure.


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## Tater (Jan 22, 2009)

Hello there asparagas nice to meet you.  

Couple questions, how big is your grow box and what are you using to control odor?  

Here's what I would do.

Carbon scrubber ---> Light ---> Fan

Use the big fan on your light and save the little one for another project.  Cut a 6 inch hole or so at the bottom of your grow box, this will be your passive air intake.  Mount your carbon scrubber at the top of your box as this is where heat will pool.  Go and purchase a solid state attic fan controller (about 13 bucks at any hardware store) DO NOT BUY A DIMMER SWITCH!!  Wire that to your fan, this will allow you to control the speed of it and lower the noise it produces.  As far as wiring your ballast to your lamp you need a socket (mogul) then it just gets wired white to silver, black to gold, green can be grounded to the  mounting screw on the mogul or you can ground it to your hood.  Some people don't use the ground but thats just foolish.  The extra 5 minutes it will take will prevent you from dying of electrical shock.  Have fun, if you got any more questions ask away I'll check back later tonight.


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## yumyumbubblegum (Jan 22, 2009)

*:yeahthat: is the way I have mine set up, Carbon Filter ====> Light ====> Fan  it is personal choice if you want to pull the air through OR push the air through, if you pull the air through you could pull smell out of the tent through the leaks in your light, HOWEVER I run mine like this and have no problems at all, I can only smell the plants when I open the tent..*


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 22, 2009)

I would go with #2.  If you have a cool tube, you do not need a carbon filter on this line if you are pulling your fresh air from outside the box.

I don't understand what you are asking in question#3.


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## Tater (Jan 22, 2009)

Very good point yumyumbubblegum and also something to watch for.  He should be ok using a cool tube though as there is very little on them that would allow a leak.  Good thing to keep in mind though.


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## Tater (Jan 22, 2009)

Hemp:  He will however need a carbon filter if he plans on venting the box which happens to be the case.  If he were doing a sealed room with CO2 supplementation then perhaps.  With what I have outlined above he can run the entire system on a single fan.


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## yumyumbubblegum (Jan 22, 2009)

Tater said:
			
		

> He should be ok using a cool tube though as there is very little on them that would allow a leak.  Good thing to keep in mind though.



*
I figured there is not much on a cooltube to leak (I have never held and inspected 1) I have rivets and things on my hood, there is only a couple and they are small, BUT I guess in theory you could pull unfiltered air thru...

When the ladies start hard flowering is where I will get the test...*


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## yumyumbubblegum (Jan 22, 2009)

asparagas said:
			
		

> 3)i have a magnetic ballast.how can i connect ballast and my hps lamp with each other ?i am confused


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## asparagas (Jan 23, 2009)

hello again my friends.
i think i am in a big trouble.
homebox has only 1 duct hole.and its diameter is not 20 cm.
but i have to use a extractor that has 20 cm diameter.other ones(the extractors that have smaller diamaters ) is not powerful for me.(in my country, there is not many variety extarctors or growing things ).i have to use min 700m3 extractor with fan contoller and its diameter is 20cm.
problem:my cooltube's diameter is 12,5cm  cm.therefore i have to choose carbon filter and ducts that have 12,5 cm diameter ,but the diameter of the extractor is 20cm.
help me.i have no other options -probably -






i think it is my only chance.is it big trouble ?help me guys.


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## Tater (Jan 23, 2009)

You are on the right track the set up you have listed will work fine as long as you create a place for air to come into your grow box.  I have no idea what a homebox is.  Is it made of wood, metal, plastic?  Don't worry about your fan openings being to big, use a reducer to swedge it down to the proper size.  I have an 8inch fan swedged down to run 6 inch ducting and it works great.  Then I put a speed controller on it and because my fan is twice what I need I can run it at almost half speed and it is much much quieter.


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## asparagas (Jan 25, 2009)

http://www.homebox.net/dhtml/product_family_homebox_xl_silver.php

the recommended fan size is 420 m3.but i will use 1000m3 fan.with a fan controller,of course.
and i will use this fan at  half speed.

i hope reducer works well.

thank you for your reply


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## andy52 (Jan 25, 2009)

i have 2 homebox tents.the largest one is my flower tent.i have been using a 400 watt hps with a can filter.i have a 440 cfm blower drawing air thru the filter,then thru the reflector and out the top,into the basement.it works great.i also have a 440 cfm blower outside the tent,blowing cool air from outside,into the ten from the bottom.using the cold air now,i can keep my temps in the 60's.


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## BuddyLuv (Jan 26, 2009)

In theory you want to cool your light with air from outside the tent and the back out.


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## Tater (Jan 27, 2009)

BuddyLuv: Only if you are trying to achieve a sealed grow room would that be necessary.  He is not.


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## 7thG (Feb 4, 2009)

If u use co2 u dont need fresh air?jw


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## fellowsped (Feb 9, 2009)

CO2 isn't really neccasarry if your have a good vental setup.  Also if you have no airflow you would tend to have heat pockets so i wouldn't recommend no fresh air.  If i was going to use CO2 i would have it all on timers so my fans would turn off for a half hour and i would give them a good dose of it..


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## Tater (Feb 9, 2009)

If I were going to run CO2 I would have a totally sealed grow environment.  No air in, no air out.  The only time my room would vent would be at lights out to bring the CO2 ppm back down to 800.  Other than that the PPM would be kept at 1500 with lights on at all times with no fresh air.  As far as hot air pockets, just because you don't have an intake and exhast doesn't mean that there are no fans in the room moving air.

And your right CO2 isn't necessary with good ventilation, but neither are high quality 3 part nutrients, metering equipment, etc.  Its not about necessary, more about optimal.


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