1st timer Attic Heat ?

Long time reader first time poster.
I am about to start my first grow in my attic. The attic is very poorly insulated and heat build up during the day is bad. For example, today I was sweating alot while preping my new room. I do not want to install or vent AC. What are my options? Is it possible with a 600w HPS in a 6x5 rm 6 ft high? I was planning on putting in 1-2 fans and a good exhaust system. The room will be completley sealed. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

I would love to have some help in this area too. the lights and exhaust already crank up the electric bill so a/c is a bit of a stretch since there isnt any insulation in the attic what good would it do. so hopefully we can get some input

I think there is lots of info on here regarding heat buildup in attic grows. However, most of what I have read is anecdotal or what growers believe will work based on experience growing ing basements or closets.
Diesel do you want to trade info regarding grow setup? This may help us with construction. I am lining my grow with black heavy plastic sheeting and then putting a layer of refectix on the inside of the grow room. I dont know for sure about the venting system yet but I know it will have to be robust.

right now my setup is in the rethinking phase but cant rebuild until the two i have flowering are done. But my guess is that we will never be able to control the temp just using exhaust, especially if the air were circulating is just more hot air from the attic.
Ive read some where about a cooler full of ice or even dry ice with an inline duct fan spliced to the lid, kinda like an air conditioner. Ive had the opposite problem lately however temps have been below 0 some nights but that's when the lights are on so it works out. But the weathers a changing and I will soon have a heat issue so i may try the cooler idea.or just grow outside in the summer. lol.

i have a friend with an attic grow,


here is the key


1) only have your flowering lights come on at night

2) you must have nice cool air coming from inside the house through maybe a passive or even a faned intake

3) then you want a very good powered exhast

then you can manage the heat during the day cuz the lights are off

and at night it gets a little cooler so when your lights come on you will still prolly be able to keep it cool enough

just add more cool intake from the house and expand the power of your exhast until you have the temps you want

see by making the intake come from your house, you are using the already a/c cooled air from in there

good luck.


also if it was me i would also duct the exhast back into the house so you dont waste as much of your treated air in the house. but prolly wanna put a carbon scrubber where it goes back in your house so it wont smell.

also maybe if you hadnt got as far as reflectives you may if its cheaper paint with flat white instead, I have no proof to back it up and im sure it will be disputed, but I worry sometimes about reflectives concentrating light and burning leaves if its not flat. Plus white reflects all colors of the spectrum and im not sure but the mirrored type linings absorb some of the essential photons. The difference is probably small but its just a suggestion since ive done with reflectives such as mylar and some reflective insulation but I gotta say that id rather paint for an hour than have a hell of a time hanging all that lining.

deiseldawg said:

also maybe if you hadnt got as far as reflectives you may if its cheaper paint with flat white instead, I have no proof to back it up and im sure it will be disputed, but I worry sometimes about reflectives concentrating light and burning leaves if its not flat. Plus white reflects all colors of the spectrum and im not sure but the mirrored type linings absorb some of the essential photons. The difference is probably small but its just a suggestion since ive done with reflectives such as mylar and some reflective insulation but I gotta say that id rather paint for an hour than have a hell of a time hanging all that lining.

Click to expand...

ya i think flat white paint is even better than mylar,

plus mylar makes your grow room look way too sofisticated like your building a satilite at NASA or somthing. which could lead to more legal trouble if the unthinkable ever happens. cuz you wont look like some average schmuck

I'm doing the same thing you guys are. Im just about done. Just putting up foam panals for the wall, should have it done this weekend.

The heat issue has been on mind since I started this. I tapped in to my home AC unit. Just for supply, not the return. I also plan on bringing in fresh air from my office that is under the grown room. But I pretty much know I'm going to need a portable ac unit. Check out my thread, it might give you some ideas. Good luck guys.

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/151523-my-attic-grow-room-construction.html

I don't know if this would work for your setup as your attic is probably constructed differently. But mine has little 2.5" ventilation holes with screens spaced every foot or so along its entire perimeter. Is there any reason I couldn't run a few intakes from these holes to pull in the cooler outside air and then exhaust back out through one (assuming I have a carbon scrubber so I'm not pumpin a bunch of weed smelling air out of my attic haha). Would this work fine to keep the temps down in my attic cab?

My setup is difficult because my attic is peaked, completley uninsulated and unvented. I have made a 6x5x6ish ft high grow room. I first lined it with black plastic and then the inside with refelctix. I am hoping this will do 2 things: 1-protect grow from attic heat buildup and bugs and of course magnify light. 2-protect me from the police. and i rent.
my plan is to run 1 600 watt Air cooled bulb. as well as exhaust heat from the room directly into the attic. I have yet to figure out how to vent the lights or get cool air into the space. My house is very old and run down. there is no central air. there are 2 window in the attic which are very poorly sealed and broken in spots. my only idea is to remove a ceiling panel in my room and hope for some passive cooling as the grow rm is directly above. I know fan there would help but there is no outlet or power.
Alsoo i am a little confused about filters. If i have an exhaust fan and a lamp cooling fan do i also need a filter fan??? this seems like alot of fans. plus of course the regular old house fan in the rm. plz help some more.

Diesel keep me posetd on your rebuild.