am I going to suffer this summer without AC? All air conditioning users welcome!

assrabbi

assrabbi

Well-Known Member
Evening gentry.

I'm in norcal, mainly cool and damp all year, in the summer some days can get pretty hot. Summer highs are usually mid to high 70s, but some days can get into the 80s, 90s, 100s, if only for a few days.

I have never committed to the idea of retaining an AC unit, but as I build things up it seems like more of a possibility. Possibly a necessity if I want to grow the solid buds I'm after.

I'm running a single 1000 watt light, I have one 6inch 400cfm blowing the heat off of it, there is an additional 400cfm exhausting the tent. Additionally I have a small 170cfm fan hooked up to an intake filter running forced intake. I run the fans at 70% but still I went a little beyond what I needed, the air exchanges quickly. Will the extra fan power be enough to keep my plants comfortable?

Do I need to start looking into an AC unit? Any good suggestions on brands or styles? I know mini splits are efficient but I'm not sure I can afford one of those. I have toyed with looking at small ACs but my mind gets lost. How much air conditioner will I need to cool my little 5x5 and maybe have a little extra to cool me in the room with it.

:joint::joint::joint:
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
Run at night. 1kW is one quarter ton when aircooled. I hardly see that as a problem if you have adequate ventilation and run at night when it's cooler.
 
A

arson420

Member
Well you can run it at night as previously suggested. I got a better one for you. You have 600 post so I am assuming you are not a noob...You probably have your growing dialed in pretty well. Use the money you would for a AC and buy a co2 setup. Running co2 will let you run the room hot I ran mine at 85 with no problems at all could even go higher I felt. All this with my light 6 inches away. IMO if you got a sealed room with good fans think about running co2 system. Even if you dont run a ac or co2 if you have really good ventilation and air movement you can still get pretty hot Id say 80 degrees before you start seeing major heat stress
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
Running the lights at night is a given ;-) The problem with warmer days, CAN make night time in the flower room tooo warm, if fresh air ventilation is being used. Not going to be a problem, if your pulling your intake through a buffered, controlled temp house rite. I mean if it's 80+ degrees outdoor, and thats your intake air, guess what, your night time temps(in flower room)are no less than 80+ degrees. = boo-boo.
One cure(just 1), for the night cycle, during the warmer days, is to slow down ventilation, and plug in the ac. Not super efficient, but you aren't cooling the heat from the light, but rather, the room and the slowed down, yet warm ventilation. Again, not super efficient, but can work.
Better yet, STOP ventilation during dark period(make sure backdraft dampers on intake/exhaust, + a scrubber, for smell)"plug in ac AND dehu, and bingo! There's only one thing worse than warm night cycle, and that's a too warm light cycle AND night cycle. If you can't control the temps, running the lights at night, ur fucked either way. As where i live in NorCal, thats why I run a Sealed growroom. Not needed during cooler months, but i can always switch over. You can run an ac with fresh air vented room, but thats super,super,super innifecient rite?
 
kinddiesel

kinddiesel

Well-Known Member
just keep venting the room. with a big fan . you will be fine but keep in mind if its 99 out side its 99 inside side. plants grow out side . so they will grow inside too . so in direct sunshine they prob feel like its 120f . so will they be ok for a little wile indoors in the 90s ? with a fan. shit yea.
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
God, how i miss growing in cooler climates year round. It's just sooooo much easier and cheaper!
 
Red1966

Red1966

Well-Known Member
arson420 said:
Well you can run it at night as previously suggested. I got a better one for you. You have 600 post so I am assuming you are not a noob...You probably have your growing dialed in pretty well. Use the money you would for a AC and buy a co2 setup. Running co2 will let you run the room hot I ran mine at 85 with no problems at all could even go higher I felt. All this with my light 6 inches away. IMO if you got a sealed room with good fans think about running co2 system. Even if you dont run a ac or co2 if you have really good ventilation and air movement you can still get pretty hot Id say 80 degrees before you start seeing major heat stress
Click to expand...
A sealed room and good ventilation are mutually exclusive.
 
ilyaas123

ilyaas123

Well-Known Member
Better of having the lights on during the night or when it is cooler, if not then try getting a 75w fan
 
assrabbi

assrabbi

Well-Known Member
Word to everyone's mother.

I will be running the lights at night, to avoid peak electricity charges, and to aid in temperature regulation.

A factor I forgot to mention. This grow will be indica leaning, northern skunk from peak seeds and probably some girl scout cookies. From what I understand warmer temperatures can lead to a wispier bud. I saw a video of a relatively well known bay area breeder talking about purple strains, and how some of them originate in high mountainous regions where nighttime temps can get down into the 50's in the fall. The buds will tighten up to protect themselves from the cold, the strain hardball purple comes to mind, exquisite. To get the density and color I want out of these strains I will more than likely need to manipulate temperatures at some point, which means an AC. Relying on the fact that I will mostly have cold nights, might not be enough. Especially If I'm going to be finishing in may or june. Welp, thankfully my room was in the 50's last night and I can keep running over it.

arson420 : from what I understand, with the volume of air I'm moving around the plants, supplemental c02 would be relatively pointless. Thank you for the reminder though, I forget about the possibilities with c02. Perhaps when I get my timing a bit more locked on I can do sativas when it's warmer, take advantage of sealing the room and the plants propensity for warmer climates. Then run indicas when it's cool and not have to get into the AC too much. Oh the possibilities.

This hobby is great, it's saved my life man.

aeroknow : the intake is coming in from a cool dark corner of the room the tent is in. From the looks of it I will be moving towards what you suggested. Venting the room during the cool night while the lights are on. Closing up the dampers during the day and set the AC. With a bit of luck I'll only rarely have to run the AC, which is vital. I know with the 1k, my fans, plus my usual (relatively low) home electrical use, the AC on regularly would put our bill over the top, tiered billing is a biatch. I may be assuming incorrectly, but do you use an AC aeroknow? Do you have a dedicated unit built into your home, or something more portable? How's it work for you?

Great comments, feel free to keep 'em comin
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
ohhhhhh, I know all about the top tier pricing hehehehhe
I grew the hardball for a couple years, got the cut from my buddy in Vallejo. You'll love it, if you like them purps!
I use Ac's all over brotha. From window units, to mini-splits. It's sorta: Whatever's clever :) Just stay the hell away from the portable AC's! Even the dual hose units are NOT that efficient. Plus they let out the stinky. I wouldn't think a very small window unit would use that much power, if used like we're talking about. But, you'll most likely need a dehu though also, while ventilation is closed down. The 2 of those are definitely going to run you some noticeably extra power costs though. Like I said earlier, I sure do miss growing in a more mild, year round climate. it's easier and cheaper!
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
If i understand correctly, your pulling the intake from the house, and exhausting somewhere else rite?
If thats true, you should be good without buying anything, or changing anything up. Turn the house ac up(if you got one). It's gonna cost you somehow, to drop
them summertime temps, no matter which way you look at it. Rite? Whateva's cleva! Lol

***edit
Ok, i just realized that is you, in that other thread going.
Why don't you just: Intake air from inside house, exhaust up into attic. Done. Then turn on the ac in your house, hopefully you have one, during summertime.
You can reverse this setup during the super cold winter months. Put intake/ exhaust on variable speed temp controllers, and use the heat from exhaust to help heat your house ;-)
 
assrabbi

assrabbi

Well-Known Member
Aeroknow said:
If i understand correctly, your pulling the intake from the house, and exhausting somewhere else rite?
If thats true, you should be good without buying anything, or changing anything up. Turn the house ac up(if you got one). It's gonna cost you somehow, to drop
them summertime temps, no matter which way you look at it. Rite? Whateva's cleva! Lol

***edit
Ok, i just realized that is you, in that other thread going.
Why don't you just: Intake air from inside house, exhaust up into attic. Done. Then turn on the ac in your house, hopefully you have one, during summertime.
You can reverse this setup during the super cold winter months. Put intake/ exhaust on variable speed temp controllers, and use the heat from exhaust to help heat your house ;-)
Click to expand...
I live in the bay area see, the weather is pretty weird here. You'll be wearing a jacket in the early evening most days of "summer", the afternoons can get sort of warm, doesn't ever get hot per-say until like august. This kind of climate plus a lot of older houses in the area makes built in AC a relative rarity around these parts, in houses at least. Which is fine, it's generally not useful. So I'll just be getting a portable unit. I saw your post about the energy cost of these, and from what I see online that is pretty true. We have bars on our windows with very little clearance for a window ac, on top of that the window slides horizontally which limits the selection even more. So it seems my only option is a portable for now. I don't need to cool alot though, so I'm not sweatin it.

I found a portable unit that pulls 580 watts, but I think I end up running it too much and it would defeat itself. Most of these portable AC units I'm seeing pull a little over 1000 watts, not ideal, but that's looking like what I'll have to do.

You know I was thinking we could do that, save on the heat just let the 1k exhaust out into the house, move the duct out of the door a bit or something.

I will be getting up there and opening up the ceiling to run my ducting, now that the AC is gonna be on the window.
 
Aeroknow

Aeroknow

Well-Known Member
Sweet! I wish i was in the bay area still(for growing indoor purposes only). I'm jealous! Lol. I'm from santa cruz mountains originally, and never needed an ac. When i had moved over the hill to almaden, ac def helped out in summertime. Salinas, not needed at all. Stockton a MUST! Up north where i'm at now, its needed. I completely know where your coming from. Peace
 
SnapsProvolone

SnapsProvolone

Well-Known Member
assrabbi said:
Word to everyone's mother.

I will be running the lights at night, to avoid peak electricity charges, and to aid in temperature regulation.

A factor I forgot to mention. This grow will be indica leaning, northern skunk from peak seeds and probably some girl scout cookies. From what I understand warmer temperatures can lead to a wispier bud. I saw a video of a relatively well known bay area breeder talking about purple strains, and how some of them originate in high mountainous regions where nighttime temps can get down into the 50's in the fall. The buds will tighten up to protect themselves from the cold, the strain hardball purple comes to mind, exquisite. To get the density and color I want out of these strains I will more than likely need to manipulate temperatures at some point, which means an AC. Relying on the fact that I will mostly have cold nights, might not be enough. Especially If I'm going to be finishing in may or june. Welp, thankfully my room was in the 50's last night and I can keep running over it.

arson420 : from what I understand, with the volume of air I'm moving around the plants, supplemental c02 would be relatively pointless. Thank you for the reminder though, I forget about the possibilities with c02. Perhaps when I get my timing a bit more locked on I can do sativas when it's warmer, take advantage of sealing the room and the plants propensity for warmer climates. Then run indicas when it's cool and not have to get into the AC too much. Oh the possibilities.

This hobby is great, it's saved my life man.

aeroknow : the intake is coming in from a cool dark corner of the room the tent is in. From the looks of it I will be moving towards what you suggested. Venting the room during the cool night while the lights are on. Closing up the dampers during the day and set the AC. With a bit of luck I'll only rarely have to run the AC, which is vital. I know with the 1k, my fans, plus my usual (relatively low) home electrical use, the AC on regularly would put our bill over the top, tiered billing is a biatch. I may be assuming incorrectly, but do you use an AC aeroknow? Do you have a dedicated unit built into your home, or something more portable? How's it work for you?

Great comments, feel free to keep 'em comin
Click to expand...
You not going to need much AC if any. You might get a portable unit that doubles as a dehumidifier. A small 5kbtu untit would work.
 
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