contraptionated
New Member
OK, so I'm assuming you didn't drink the tainted Kool Aid (read: Co2 enrichment/AirConditioning) and you want to extract heat and provide fresh air through constant exhaust . I'm about to give you something more valuable to your grow than anything you ever learned before. I've mentioned this before in other people's threads and I think it's time that I made mention of it in a thread of my own (this will be my first and only thread) so here goes. Anybody checked out Heaths Flooded Tube Vertical? If not go ahead and Google it then come back later. If you already have you might wonder how he got that 2.14 gpw yield when that grow was the definition of close quarters which should have resulted in a high temperature fail scenario if it were imitated (and it was many times to many a growers epic failure) by others. Yes, he does know and respect the burden of high water surface agitation which results in optimum oxygenation of the root zone. He also knows not to position a 600w HPS further than 2 feet from the 4" piping in a vertical set-up. He also used a high output strain. But I can't tell you how many times I've read through grow journals that copied all these parameters ( including the use of reflective insulating material) and still the grower would only get average yields (if they were lucky). It's also extra hilarious when they use Co2 and an AC unit and still come out with a crap yield. Wanna know the secret to a great yield in a vertical grow? Use the 20" circulation fan pointed up toward the light and keep the specs the same as Heath did. But more importantly , wouldn't you like to know how to get that bottom to top air circulation in a regular horizontal garden? Because you can't just point a fan upward through a densely packed sea of green( fans simply don't have a "dematerialization" feature ).The secret is out. May I so humbly present to you the concept of a raised floor intake/ceiling exhaust ventilation scenario. I don't like tents for grow rooms but I'll use it for an example since they're all the rage.Take a wooden pallet or two (or three or four) and modify it to fit the footprint of your tent. Glue or tape 1 layer of 3/4" Mylar coated white polystyrene foam board to the top side of the modified pallet. Lay the tent on top of the foam covered pallet and secure it with glue or preferably tape (so it can come apart if need be). Now lay another foam board on top of the tent floor and secure it to the inner perimeter with tape. With a drill and 1/4" metal twist bit make as many holes (equidistant spacing please) in the composite floor cross section that would equal 4X the circular mil area of your exhaust outflow port. When your done with that, go ahead and locate the inflow port(s) of your exhaust fan(s) above the hood(s) flush with the tent (or proper grow room) ceiling. Remember to not use a vented hood with this scenario. A batwing style pebbled aluminum reflector (can you say adjust-a-wing?) will be ideal in this case. Got that? Good... Now do it. I'll wait. But after you do it( yes, I know it will be hard to get the exhaust to flow through the ceiling without a 90 degree bend but I figured it out and so will you if you are willing and able) [and do it properly mind you] (meaning a high enough output exhaust fan for the cubic foot volume and light intensity inside the room or tent), please post a grow journal of your experience with the worlds best ventilation method for a regular horizontal garden (remember: No Co2, No intake fan [passive intake] and just exhaust fans and carbon filter/silencer all sized properly). Don't blame me for a low yield if you are using soil and or organics. I only guarantee this method for DWC hydro done with a real deal air pump and 8.5" round aluminum oxide airstones. If you don't want to use the aforementioned airstones prepare to suffer a lower yield. Remember, even with the worlds best ventilation the chain will only be as strong as the weakest link, so that also means no cycling exhaust fans on and off for Co2 enrichment. Co2 enrichment or AC units of any shape or form have no place in this (already proven) experiment.Prepare for greatness.