# major Growroom temp issues!



## lacassius (Jun 26, 2009)

this is my 1st post in this forum but I have a few problems.

Im going to start a growroom in the attic of my apartment. only problem is in the summer its about 100-105 degrees F on a hot afternoon up there.

 theres no a/c up there but there is all the duct work for the central a/c(keep that in mind).

I have a 3.5'x4'x5' grow box that i want to use. I plan on using a 90cfm blower for intake and another one for exhaust. i will be exhausting to outside the apt and Im pretty sure I can hook up some duct work to hook into the central A/C ducts and draw my air from the a/c. 

problem is If i pump a/c air into a small box like that wont the temp drop to low. and i can sit there n turn the air on n off all day depending on how hot it is in the box. and drawing 100 degree air from outside on a hot summer day wont help.

so thats the problem. Any suggestions? any helps appreciated


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

I guess being a member of so many different forums for different topics I should have known to use the search function before asking a question seeing as heat issues are very common.

so ive read and think i found a solution.

what if I bought the smallest portable a.c unit i could find and made a box with a whole that would perfectly fit it, connected the a.c to a thermostat and when the temp in the box was to high it would turn the a.c on. once desired levels were achieved it would cut it off?

problem I ran into was the only thermostats I could find the plug was actually connected to the thermostat so that would mean i'd have to have the thermostat plugged in inside of the box and i dont have any outlets in the box where the thermostat would be located. how could i solve this?

I feel like im making progress. any input?


----------



## hanfhead (Jun 27, 2009)

I use one of these http://www.luxproducts.com/thermostats/win100.htm with my heater, but it also works for cooling.  You need to use it on your portable a/c because you can not have your a/c in your room I assume? If you have no outlet in your room maybe put an extension cord on it.  Make sure to use a short ,heavy gauge cord.  And don't overload your circuit with the a/c, mine is close to 1000 watts.  I ran a 20amp breaker to a single outlet for my a/c.


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

I suppose I could run an extension cord from the attic (where the grow box is) into the actual box. but do you think that is safe to have an extension cord running in the box?

I need the thermostat to measure the temp in the actual box not the attic. the box is in the attic but i only care about the temp in the box not out. i dont  care if its 200 degrees and super humid outside the box as long as its perfect conditions inside


----------



## Oregon Bob (Jun 27, 2009)

the extension cord will work, just go heavy gauge. agree w hfh all the way around esp if outside of the room, but you were talkin inside...no?

maybe i'm missing something, but doesn't the portable a/c have a built-in thermostat???  if you are putting it in the room proper (be it a window cut-out or wheeled portable), then it's thermostat will turn it on/off based upon the room temps, which is what you're primarily concerned with... no?  Maybe i'm missing the obvious here, dunno...?


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

yea i see what your saying oregon bob. Ive found some small a/c units that dont have a built in thermostat. 

i cant post a link because i dont have enough posts yet but its called a "symphony Hi cool swamp cooler"

I want to try to get something like that and hook an 8" duct up to the blower and have the duct running straight into the box. have the a/c unit plugged into a thermostat that is in the box.

so it'll still be like 100 degrees outside the box but it should be good inside if my logic is correct.


----------



## hanfhead (Jun 27, 2009)

From what I hear those swamp coolers raise your humidity and make it like a meat locker.


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

I read the same thing. what i was planning to do was get a thermostat/humidity controler. it has 2 plugs. 1 im going to plug the swamp cooler into and the other im going to plug a dehumidifier. so if it gets to humid the dehumidifier will kick in. I was hoping that would handle that.

what do u think?


----------



## Oregon Bob (Jun 27, 2009)

hfh is right on about the swamp/evaporative coolers.  they don't remove any heat at all, btw... they work through a process of thermal convection.  Have a wicking material/screen in the unit that must be saturated with water (you actually add water to the unit).  A fan blows air through this wick which hydrates the air.  The breeze combined with hydrated air assists in moving heat away from the body, hence it feels cooler.  Again, no heat is actually removed from the room, only moisture is added.  Please, please do not use this.

The humidifiers you can purchase at the stores operate the exact same way/method... i promise, no **.  Your dehumidifier won't keep up & it too only adds heat to the room.  The spiraling effect will be out of control brother.  Please don't go this route, for your girls benefit!


----------



## framingman001 (Jun 27, 2009)

Why not just pick up a small window unit. Cut a hole in the grow box for the a/c unit and  pipe the drain of the a/c to one of the pvc plumbing vents that should go through the attic and out the roof. they have built in stats.  just try to get the a/c on a dif circuit.


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

very good info fellas!!. i appreciate it a lot

I think what i might try then is to connect a Y-Duct onto 2 of the central ac vents so 1 of the ducts in the split is still connected and pushing air into the house but the other split will just be blowing a/c air into the attic. I think if i do that to 2 of them i can get the attic cool enough. 3 if i have to. I could even connect the intake hose for the box straight to one of the vents blowing a/c air but then i'd be afraid it'd get to cold in the box.

next real hot day im going to let the attic get to full temp and then hook up the ducts how i explained and see how much of a temp drop I can get. If I can keep it in the 80's(on a real hot day) then i should be o.k. 

Whats the optimal temp range im looking for?(Inside the box and out)

Now if i get this squared away last problem will be getting electricity into the attic. Im thinkin of phishing an extension cord up the wall or something like that. I have light bulbs up there that work so there is electricity. maybe i can just get a socket put in or something.


----------



## hanfhead (Jun 27, 2009)

If you are afraid of it getting too cold there are thermostats to close the register.  I just googled and found this one for 99 bucks. http://www.thermostatgenius.com/Thermostat_Genius_Room_Thermostat_with_Vent_p/tgwrt-01.htm


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

hanfhead u might have just made my day.

So i can hook that thermostat vent into the box and have ducts hooked from the ac vent into the box and once it gets to a certain point the vent will close and the cold a/c air wont get in?

that would be perfect and so much easier if it would work


----------



## lacassius (Jun 27, 2009)

what is the ranges of temps for plants?

Like how low/high can the temp be(without CO2 supplementation), and whats optimal?


----------



## HippyInEngland (Jun 27, 2009)

lacassius said:
			
		

> Whats the optimal temp range im looking for?(Inside the box and out)


 
MJ will grow quite happily between 60f and 85f 

eace:


----------



## hanfhead (Jun 27, 2009)

HippyInEngland said:
			
		

> MJ will grow quite happily between 60f and 85f
> 
> eace:



QFT


I keep my a/c on 78 F and my heater on 70 F


----------



## lacassius (Jun 29, 2009)

different question but Would it be O.K to put the intake fan on the bottom of the box blowing up? (Intake bottom left, exhaust top right) or would that not be optimal. 

My box is raised by legs about 6" of the ground so i was thinkin put the intake fan on the bottom to keep it more stealth then on the side.


----------



## hanfhead (Jun 29, 2009)

lacassius said:
			
		

> different question but Would it be O.K to put the intake fan on the bottom of the box blowing up? (Intake bottom left, exhaust top right) or would that not be optimal.
> 
> My box is raised by legs about 6" of the ground so i was thinkin put the intake fan on the bottom to keep it more stealth then on the side.



That would work fine.  My mother closet is basically the same idea.  I intake from the bottom and exhaust from the top.  The hot air rises so it naturally helps cool your room by expelling the hot air.


----------



## lacassius (Jun 29, 2009)

ok kool..i was thinking it would be unnatural for the plants for the wind to be coming from underneath of it. obviously this is my first grow...


----------

