Hey everyone, this is my first attempt at a grow. I have procured a walk-in cooler and have set it up under a shelter behind my shop. The inside dimensions are roughly 6wx8lx6h. I took a bathroom light bar(6lights) from Lowes and put Y adapters to to the receptacles and screwed in 8-65w2300k monster CFLs and 4-23w6500k CFLs into the fixture. I have fans (3) that can be moved around at will. I have also made a carbon filter with some of the GREAT info that I have received on this site. I'm in the process of making "light walls" to surround the girls as they grow. The walls consist of coated mesh with 18-26w-2300k CFLs each that are bent into a 90 degree angle so that they stand up on their own. Looks like a standing cornice. I have 1 built and will be building another this week. I'm hoping to raise 4 girls(in a row) with this setup.Heat is a HUGE factor as I am located in the South which typically reaches high 90's in the summer. Not really sure how to combat this issue. Does it sound feasible? The watering and soil will be done the old fashion way....potting soil and standard ferts from basic off the shelf brands and flowering fert of the shelf as well. My goal has been to use items from Lowes, Walmart, and a local hardware/farm supply to keep my travels and maintenance costs to a minimum. This will be a bag seed grow. I welcome any viable input. Thanks, Gr11nch
First Grow
- Thread starter gr11nch
- Start date
would like to see some pics of the set-up I think more peeps would chime in.
mystifiedbongs
Well-Known Member
your gonna have seperate areas for veg and flower? either way sounds like you got lights good for a small grow. definately wanna figure out how to get old air out and new air in. it can get pretty expensive. i have a 300$ fan and about 140 in ducting for 2 grow tents in a bedroom. summer gets hot here too but i have central air and it shouldnt really be a prob. for you id imagine its going to be a big problem without some kind of ac unit. they have in wall ones which would require you cutting a hole in the side of your walk-in, but saves space over the stand alone ones which have ducting for taking the hot air out of the unit.
mystifiedbongs
Well-Known Member
30 lights total?
1080 watts?
thats what i got from your post. if so you have plenty of light to grow. just make sure you can adjust the lights to keep them as close to the plants as possible. thats one of the big benifits of cfls, might as well take advantage
1080 watts?
thats what i got from your post. if so you have plenty of light to grow. just make sure you can adjust the lights to keep them as close to the plants as possible. thats one of the big benifits of cfls, might as well take advantage
That is why we (Well most of us) are all here. Look forward to your pictures.
Well, with the second set of wall 18 CFLs I'll have 1548w.....and I may need to see what the draw would be on from a small window A/C unit. I'm on a 15 amp circuit which only alows about 1800 watts.... I think. The cooler is 4"thick of insulation so it should cool with this setup I believe. I should be able to vent fairly easy too. Lokks like I have some work to do.....I think it'll be worth the hassle though. I appreciate the input, Gr11nch
Hupomone
Active Member
At 1548 watts of CFL you should already be drawing close to 13 amps if all of your lights are basically powered by 1 plugin. If that plugin is only rated at 15 amps I wouldn't add an a/c unit to it. Powering all of our lights should be fine on 1 circuit, but I would add anything extra to a seperate one.
Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I never claimed to be an electrical expert, but that's what my math shows me.
Edit:
You're describing using close to 50 CFL bulbs to grow 4 plants. While it would work, have you considered that your CFL grow might better benefit from a single MH/HPS? Your chamber is 6 x 8 x 6 which is basically the same size as a small bedroom or larger walk-in closet and the last thing I would be considering would be CFL's in an area like that. Plus I figure the amount of CFL's you're using you will eventually probably spend close to $250 on just the bulbs alone. That's a nice HPS or MH with way more lumens output than CFL's would ever achieve. Plus it is commonly accepted that CFL's should be replaced every grow, or every other grow, simply because they lose the amount of lumens produced overtime. Are you prepared in the long run to shell out almost $300 on bulbs every year (if you grow year-round). If your MH or HPS bulb went out, you still use the ballast and fixture, you just buy a new bulb for 10 bucks.
Don't get me wrong. I am personally using CFL's right now myself. I grow in a rubbermaid tub though. If I had your tent I wouldn't be using CFL's. That's just my two cents.
Well, I wasn't aware of the CFL life expectancy. I'm already committed since I have purchased the bulbs. I guess I'll need to consider changing over as time goes on. I do know that running a/c on another circuit is in the cards though. as far as the true cost on the bulbs goes.....and everything else for that matter......it's a tax write off. BUT, I can purchase some MH and HPS stuff from Lowes but as of yet I can't seem to locate any thing more than yard lights that I could modify. Any Ideas on this? Thanks Gr11nch
Hupomone
Active Member
I was afraid of this as I was writing my thoughts. The fact you already have the bulbs make it a no-brainer to continue forth. You should still have nice plants at the end of it all I was just speaking on a larger scale. One thing to remember too that I forgot to mention is that if you bought all your CFL's at home depot (for example) they should come with a very long warranty that will allow you to exchange them for new ones in the next year or so if you think the light output is dwindling. I don't know how this works though as I've never done it and I have no idea if they will allow you to keep coming back and exchanging your bulbs every year.
I've seen people modify security lights, but I've never personally done any of it to speak on that. If I were to buy an MH and HPS I would most likely order it online. I've found complete 400w setups with a switchable ballast, a universal reflector, and an MH and HPS bulb included for under $200 retail with 36k lumens from the MH and 50k from the HPS. If you want the really really nice ones with the glass protected sealed light chamber and ventilation then it will run you over $300.
Alas, this thread most importantly is about your CFL lighted grow tent. You got plenty of the bulbs. Can't wait to see your pics and some progress on your setup.
