# grow box real heating issues



## alshuray1 (May 21, 2009)

i have some major heat and humidity problems
i started with three plants and now im down to 
one resilient plant 
im running the 400 watt ballast hps in 4 foot x 30 x 18
space 
with 6 fans 
and the stanley blower blowing out through the cool tube
and intake sucking out of the grow box and veg box 
only problem was i i was venting out into the storage closet  
with no ventilation out of the room only if i open the door
i used a fan to circulate the air  and still it became hot even when i left the door open. Grow box temp over 90 degrees with growbox door closed
and 80 min if left open . ( i begged my wife to let me put the box in the bed room she agreed.) so now im going to insert six inch duct pipe from cool tube and vent out window (or should i pull in air")tried this also and it felt hotter since i was sucking hot air temps reached nearly 100 degrees
i need help 
ill get some picks up 
i think i need to get a dehumidifier 
already have humidifier going to no avail


----------



## D3 (May 21, 2009)

Vent the storage closet to the attic.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 21, 2009)

cant live in an apt


----------



## pcduck (May 21, 2009)

You need to exhaust the hot air to the outside and if possible have an intake that is also outside the immediate room. Or a portable air conditioner.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 21, 2009)

ya i vented out to out side 
i have installed 4 exhaust fans  blowing out
but think i need more 
i have the intake sucking out air out the main and veg bax
with stanley blower then blow through cool tube and out window
this dropped temp a little bit (its steady at 80 degrees with box closed)
think i need a dehumidifier 
and a squirrel cage fan with at least 130 cfm 
that should cost me 90 bucks


----------



## StoneyBud (May 21, 2009)

80 degrees is fine.

As long as it gets no hotter than 85.

My grow rooms are at a constant 80 whenever the lights are on.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 22, 2009)

but i'm trying to get cooler 
any suggestions on a exhaust fan 
will a bathroom room exhaust fan work 
should i install 3 fans the other direction for exhaust
and get a mini dehumidifier
put a fan on other end of cool tube to help suck hot air
mini fan fits in 6 inch hole (cool tube)

any suggestions


----------



## NYC_Diesel x Jack_Herer (May 22, 2009)

check out my exhaust design.  If you have a box in a closet, and you are pulling air from in the closet, into the box, and back out STILL IN THE CLOSET, then there is no point in even having a ventilation system because you are just recirculating the same air.  Your plants would literally suffocate without fresh air coming into the closet and going out another way.  It is very difficult to grow in an area where you can't get air to pass through it.  My closet happened to back up to another room so I was able to vent through the wall.

One more consideration that might help in that small a space is to locate your ballast outside the closet.  I find the ballast generates as much if not more heat than my lights, this way I always try to find a way to vent the ballast heat in a grow.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 23, 2009)

you know what im mistaken its set at a steady 90 degrees 
and i cant seem to get it down. 
400 watt hps even with a cool tube and stanley blower 
i have five fans blowing out of the box and a (stanley blower)
intake sucking out air of the box through stanley blower then blows through cool tube
i also have four fans blowing in box


----------



## StoneyBud (May 23, 2009)

alshuray1 said:
			
		

> you know what im mistaken its set at a steady 90 degrees and i cant seem to get it down.


90 degrees is pushing the envelope of heat allowance. You might consider using an air conditioner in your grow area. That's how I beat the same problem.

Good luck to you!


----------



## crozar (May 23, 2009)

the cooltube has 2 sides 1 for intake 1 for outtake , ducting to the outside of the box and take in cold air and outtake the exhaust the hot air on aanother room.
samem thing for the box you need another ducting to push cold air in from under and fans forming X ways to spread the coolness around the plant
you will get around 71


----------



## Exarmy (May 23, 2009)

Hey Bro
 I wont post them here But, I was growing with a 400w in a 20inx 24in x 48in box. If you check out my pictures It show how i did it. and I could keep my temps 5-7 degrees above ambient.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 23, 2009)

Reddy Kilowatt said:
			
		

> A smaller light would reduce the amount of heat being generated for a small closet grow.



i know but i got this one for right now so 
im trying to work with it


----------



## alshuray1 (May 23, 2009)

squirrel cage fan will be in order
100 dollars
pulling in cold air


----------



## Exarmy (May 23, 2009)

What cfm?
Dont forget about intake air.

My setup had 4in passive intake, and a six inch (from my hood) necked down to the 4in can fan/small charcoal filter combo......if I had to do it again I go with a 6in can fan and charcoal filter.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 23, 2009)

k guys digital thermometer says 90 degrees in grow box 
and 95 in mini veg box 
man im going to tear this down  and rebuild 
i dont think the intake is enough in the stanley blower 
need to get a squirrel cage fan to use as an exhaust 
any way 
bottom line i need to vent and intake out the window
for grow box


----------



## Exarmy (May 23, 2009)

Dude I like what I see. with a couple changes mabe.

what would happen if you didnt have the u shaped tubing on the right. and just let that side of the cool tube draw out your air. 

im not sure which way those axial fan air faceing me I would have them blowing air into the cabnet.

as far as the cage fan goes have you bought it yet? was it from an online company? If so see if they can get see they will give you a 4 or 6 in can fan. If so get you a carbon scrubber and even though people dont like too it still works push you air out if the box and into the carbon scrubber that you can sit next to the cabnet. but good work so far!

Is that a fire alrm in there? If so great thinking!


----------



## alshuray1 (May 25, 2009)

so i tore it down planning to have the in take sucking air from the out side 
and blowing into  mini veg box and cool tube 
then have a squirrel cage fan sucking out hot air out of the main box and out 
window 
i just need to exhaust mini veg box 
i have 2 fans on each wall in main grow space so thats 4 fans (for circulation) thinking of putting 2 on the back wall so sucking in the air 
from room into box 
also i ballast adds lots of heat in room cant put in next room 
so i dont now how to deal with that issue 
cant but it in my grow box THATS A FIRE HAZARD FOR SURE !
what should i do 
i have a 250 watt mh raw ballast and light 
i got from some one but the wiring is all messed 
don't now how to wire
if i did id probably switch


----------



## alshuray1 (May 25, 2009)

so i tore it down planning to have the in take sucking air from the out side 
and blowing into  mini veg box and cool tube 
then have a squirrel cage fan sucking out hot air out of the main box and out 
window 
i just need to exhaust mini veg box 
i have 2 fans on each wall in main grow space so thats 4 fans (for circulation) thinking of putting 2 on the back wall so sucking in the air 
from room into box 
also i ballast adds lots of heat in room cant put in next room 
so i dont now how to deal with that issue 
cant but it in my grow box THATS A FIRE HAZARD FOR SURE !
what should i do 
i have a 250 watt mh raw ballast and light 
i got from some one but the wiring is all messed 
don't now how to wire
if i did id probably switch


----------



## Exarmy (May 25, 2009)

Ive never used a squirell cagfe mabe someone can chime in for that.

Like I said before My setup to cool a 400 in a place thats smaller that yours.

I had

3 2inch passive intakes holes in the lower part of the box.
my 6 in reflector with a 6-4 inch reducer
that was connected to a small peice about 2ft long that connected the reducer on the hood to a 4 inch vortex can fan. That is pushed into a 4 inch charcoal filter sitting on the floor....if you have to vent out a window great what ever. But you can use passive intake from your A/C cooled room.
250w should be nothing to cool.

Look at my picture gallary.


----------



## alshuray1 (May 25, 2009)

i managed to get the temp to 77 degrees in min veg box
just had to have a fan sucking room air in
even with all lights on 
2 23 watt and a 40 watt


----------



## Exarmy (May 25, 2009)

Keep working with it and youll find the right combo for your setup. This is very much a trial and error type of thing


----------



## alshuray1 (May 26, 2009)

alshuray1 said:
			
		

> i managed to get the temp to 77 degrees in min veg box
> just had to have a fan sucking room air in
> even with all lights on
> 2 23 watt and a 40 watt



is this overkill for seedlings
 2 23 watt and 40 watt


----------



## alshuray1 (May 26, 2009)

k guys i just got my hands on a piece of tempered glass
that fits right in my cabinet i could put it right under cool tube 
making that a section for it self already have exhaust so it would be 
for cooling that space.just thought of this idea since glass eats heat.
it may be over kill (may drop temps alot )or may be redundant either way trial and error


----------



## umbra (May 26, 2009)

when I built my box, i sealed the lamp with a piece of tempered glass and vented it separately from the box itself. use 100 cfm box fan to vent, with a passive intake. works quite well.


----------

