Dakyne
Active Member
In this first thread I will explain some very easy and basic ways of converting your grow room from manual to semi-auto, at a very low cost. No need to purchase expesive data loggers or grow room controllers. Once discussions are closed a proper thread will be opened with adjusted information. I would like this thread to be a useful tool for the inexperienced grower.
Lights & CO2:
Digital Timer that can take 2 electrical devices and switch between them.
You add both your lights and CO2 to this timer. Once the lights go off the CO2 will go on. CO2 levels are then controlled with the CO2 regulator.
Fans:
Your best option will be to have fan on a automatic speed controller based on temperatures.
If your on a tight budget, you can install a manual fan speed controller, with a digital timer connected to it. You only need the digital timer if you run CO2, other wise leave them on 24/7.
The manual way depends largely on your climatic conditions. I have managed to use a manual controller and still be “semi-auto” since I didn’t need to adjust it that often.
Temperature/Humidity:
Humidity: Use a programmable auto de/humidifier. Sometimes you don’t even need one [Where I live I don’t need it]
Temperature: With a manual fan control installed, you can easily raise the temperatures by letting the fans run slower [Removes less heat, temp raises], but what about when the lights are turned off? This is where a heater comes into handy [Auto heater like oil fin heaters. I like the oil heater as it switches off at certain temp, but still releases heat.] Just wait till your grow room goes below the desired temp and set the temp so the heater turns on at that point, some oil fin heaters you can choose between how warm it goes. Mine has 2 settings and I choose the setting that switched off the heater at the desired temp and not cause the grow to over heat . Yes, this will cause flactuations in your temps, between the desired ranges of eg. 20 – 30 degrees celcius. This has not had any undesireable effects on my plants.
Do the same with the aircon, set it at the desired temp where it should switch on.
Some of you might ask now… But what about the fans staying on the whole time? In my case it did not make a difference. The heater still raised the temps and the aircon still dropped it, only difference is they need to work a bit harder since air is removed from the grow the whole time. This is why you will experience flactuations. When the aircon or heater turns off, the fans will remove the air until the heater or aircon switches on again.
Now you can control your temp by just turning a simple knob every once in a while.
Water:
Both hydroponic and soil can be made semi-auto very easily!!
All you need is a reservoire with your nutrients premixed for the week/month/feeding/etc. Airstones can keep the water fresh and a pump on a simple timer can be used to refill the hydro tank, or water the plants if your in soil. A timer on a valve can drain your hydro tank as well.
This leaves only nutrients to be mixed and ph to be checked.
I hope this has helped. Feel free to ask me any questions or make suggestions related to this thread in here.
