I want cooler temps.

[pute]

Just read the average cost to run a portable AC unit is .19 per hour

Easy to figure. In Colorado the cost of a KW hr is 12cents. Which means simply put.....if your ac unit is burning 1000 w/hr it costs $4.46 a day to run it. I am running 2 600w for 12hrs a day which comes to $94/mo. In veg I am running 400w/hr 24 hrs/day which is $34/mo. So my lights cost me $128/month. With my fans I figure my electricity only is $150/mo. Then nutes, soil and misc costs and additional $100/month. So, my operating expenses is approximately $250 a month or $3,000/yr.

My labor is free....if I had to pay labor I would be out of business.......so ask yourself, is this worth it.....ha ha,

 

[Ganjier]

Thinking once I get up and running I may need one of these....

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Max-...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Whew, I don’t want to add up my operating expense. That’s why I know I won’t bring up a portable AC unit to mr Subbie even tho a cooler tent would be nice. Sometimes you just gotta use what you have…

 

[oldfogey8]

I have my lights on at 6pm to 6 am, so I can run the ac on and off when I want or put it on a timer.... but I understand what you mean with the 10-degree change in temps from lights on and off....
If I have the ac on during lights on and say it's 75 degrees, when the lights go out, and I turn the ac off my tent will only go to 72 degrees, (the house temp). Not much of a change from day to night temps. Then again, I am not sure how the power consumption will be either, say I run the ac with lights on and off. I really don't want to run the ac 24/7 if the the electric bill is going to be crazy.
Damn, usually I know what I am getting into before I do things....here I do not, LOL.
What do you think?

I have one of those portable AC’s(too bad I am not in FLA or you could have mine-we have three AC units from before we got central air). Mine has a digital display to set the temperature. It turns on when the temp gets higher than the set temp then shuts off when at the desired setting. So if I were doing this I would just set the unit to 70 or so and then zero out the hi/low button on my in tent thermometer and see what the high temp gets to then adjust the AC setting from there. There is going to be ‘hysteresis’ as far as the temperature goes as the heat dissipates after lights go off and then builds back up once lights come on. Sorry if I am telling you what you already know. Part of the systems I used to work on was tight environmental control where the temperature was controlled to +/- 0.01 deg C and I have spent hours on end watching temp fluctuations while waiting for stabilization. I am just trying to explain my hairbrained take on it.

 

[Ganjier]

Easy to figure. In Colorado the cost of a KW hr is 12cents. Which means simply put.....if your ac unit is burning 1000 w/hr it costs $4.46 a day to run it. I am running 2 600w for 12hrs a day which comes to $94/mo. In veg I am running 400w/hr 24 hrs/day which is $34/mo. So my lights cost me $128/month. With my fans I figure my electricity only is $150/mo. Then nutes, soil and misc costs and additional $100/month. So, my operating expenses is approximately $250 a month or $3,000/yr.

My labor is free....if I had to pay labor I would be out of business.......so ask yourself, is this worth it.....ha ha,

The unit is 1270 watt and our kw/hour is $.12/kwh. I tried doing the math, and my head is fried from work and I am coming up with moronic numbers. LOLOLOL

 

[oldfogey8]

Thinking once I get up and running I may need one of these....

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Max-...lja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

I would check to see if the AC unit has temperature control before buying that. You may not need it. I think mine needs to have the power button pushed to turn it on if it is unplugged which I think that controller from Amazon would do.

 

[Ganjier]

Whew, I don’t want to add up my operating expense. That’s why I know I won’t bring up a portable AC unit to mr Subbie even tho a cooler tent would be nice. Sometimes you just gotta use what you have…

I agree. Does it add up to where it is worth it in the long run? I am not sure yet. All I know is there are people out there growing better grass than me, (I have yet to complain about my quality), but, will not put up with that!, LOL.
I need that dense, sticky, stank, rank cannabis that knocks me off my feet. The stuff you would rather put in a picture frame instead of setting it on fire! LOL. I want to know that I am growing better quality cannabis than I get get off the street, from a friend or any dispensary by a long shot, and I will not stop until I can get perfection.

 

[oldfogey8]

The unit is 1270 watt and our kw/hour is $.12/kwh. I tried doing the math, and my head is fried from work and I am coming up with moronic numbers. LOLOLOL

My electric is up to 0.20/kWh up 30% since the summer…

 

[Ganjier]

I would check to see if the AC unit has temperature control before buying that. You may not need it. I think mine needs to have the power button pushed to turn it on if it is unplugged which I think that controller from Amazon would do.

I am sure it does, but I will be running it outside of my grow tent to cool the "lung" surrounding air that will go into my intake for the tent. Hmmmm, I will have to play around with it for sure before I get it dialed in correctly.
If I have to spend an extra $140 bucks per cycle, (2 months worth of electric during flower only), to get a far more superior product than I will. I mean cmon, I spent good money on great genetics, the best led light I could buy, quality nutrients, the best exhaust and controller.....why stop there?

 

[Ganjier]

My electric is up to 0.20/kWh up 30% since the summer…

Where abouts? Says we are raked 22nd in the country.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

I agree. Does it add up to where it is worth it in the long run? I am not sure yet. All I know is there are people out there growing better grass than me, (I have yet to complain about my quality), but, will not put up with that!, LOL.
I need that dense, sticky, stank, rank cannabis that knocks me off my feet. The stuff you would rather put in a picture frame instead of setting it on fire! LOL. I want to know that I am growing better quality cannabis than I get get off the street, from a friend or any dispensary by a long shot, and I will not stop until I can get perfection.

I can say I can grow stuff better than most street stuff I get from “my guy”. My friends that I’ve shared with can back that up. Some harvests were better than others for sure and I’m with you on trying to improve each grow

 

[Ganjier]

I can say I can grow stuff better than most street stuff I get from “my guy”. My friends that I’ve shared with can back that up. Some harvests were better than others for sure and I’m with you on trying to improve each grow

You got to. And yeah, I just had a good friend of mine who is a MAJOR cannabis smoker from Colorado come down to visit. I gave her a bud of the Sundae Punch I grew last harvest and she texted me yesterday with the exact words, "Bro! 2 hits of your ****. I'm rocked!!!! Well done. A++." I forgot I even gave her some, lol.
And that's great, I can pat myself on the back, but I knew that smoke was fire without her telling me. I just feel like I still have room for improvement. I feel the only aspect I am noticeably lacking in is with getting my temps lower during flower and drying. If i have to spend a few more bucks a month to make it happen, let's freeking go! Anything anyone does they should look to improve on. No matter how good the girls from Colorado says it is.

 

[pute]

The unit is 1270 watt and our kw/hour is $.12/kwh. I tried doing the math, and my head is fried from work and I am coming up with moronic numbers. LOLOLOL

Rounding it off to $3.60/day or $108/mo.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

I figured it would be about 100.00 extra per month to run an AC unit. Too rich for my blood

 

[Ganjier]

I am also going to be adding these maximizers.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

You got to. And yeah, I just had a good friend of mine who is a MAJOR cannabis smoker from Colorado come down to visit. I gave her a bud of the Sundae Punch I grew last harvest and she texted me yesterday with the exact words, "Bro! 2 hits of your ****. I'm rocked!!!! Well done. A++." I forgot I even gave her some, lol.
And that's great, I can pat myself on the back, but I knew that smoke was fire without her telling me. I just feel like I still have room for improvement. I feel the only aspect I am noticeably lacking in is with getting my temps lower during flower and drying. If i have to spend a few more bucks a month to make it happen, let's freeking go! Anything anyone does they should look to improve on. No matter how good the girls from Colorado says it is.

There will always be room for improvement...

 

[Ganjier]

Rounding it off to $3.60/day or $108/mo.

Is that 24/7 or 12 hours per day? I should be able to figure it out, but my mind is fried today. And it's not getting better. LOL

 

[pute]

My bad. I forgot you are in flower....half that....sorry.

 

[Ganjier]

My bad. I forgot you are in flower....half that....sorry.

Even $100 per month, with 3 cycles per year...at 2 months, thats 6 months a year of ac running.
Would it be best to run the ac lights off also to keep the temp swing 10 degrees or so, or would a couple degree difference be fine?

 

[pute]

@ $53/mo x 6 mo or $318 annually for a/c ac alone. I would obviously run lights on. Now figure what the lights, fans and other expenses are and you know your break even less labor.