Grow Room Floorplans. Here to help.

phillipchristian · Apr 11, 2012

Rrog said:
Thanks for the help. So if I have two 1000W in flower room and maybe two more in veg (?) that's not enough to warrant water cooling? Is that your point?

If you have two 1000w lights in your flower you won't need that much in your veg room. You can do your clones with T5's, your moms with a 400-600w and your vegging plants under a 600-1000w.

Here's the deal, water cooling is expensive for smaller setups. The larger the room the less expensive it is in comparison to other methods. The real key with water cooling is the efficiency. You will literally spend 30-50% less on cooling electricity. For that type of setup I just described you are looking at $2500 for a chiller, reservoir, and pump. Another $1200 in Ice Boxes. $500 for a water cooled Co2 generator and controller. And another $200 in manifold lines. You won't have to buy an a/c units; not as many inline fans; and you can completely seal your room. NO in or out vents. It is more expensive but you will save a ton of money on electricity over using a/c units. When you get up aroun 10-12 lights then water cooling actually costs the same as installing a/c units.

Rrog · Apr 11, 2012

Very helpful. Thank you. Makes great sense. I may look at that geothermal scenario that was described earlier by burying a deep coil 48" and lower in the ground to a radiator or such in the room. I like the idea and could easily do this. That combined with my original plan of exchanging the air with the rest of the basement.

I haven't looked into AC but the necessity to vent the hot air from an AC unit poses yet another cooling challenge.

phillipchristian · Apr 11, 2012

Rrog said:
Very helpful. Thank you. Makes great sense. I may look at that geothermal scenario that was described earlier by burying a deep coil 48" and lower in the ground to a radiator or such in the room. I like the idea and could easily do this. That combined with my original plan of exchanging the air with the rest of the basement.

I haven't looked into AC but the necessity to vent the hot air from an AC unit poses yet another cooling challenge.

You're gonna need about 500ft of coil buried in the ground if you want to cool that room with it. Plus you're gonna have to go lower than 4 feet. Think more like 8'.

Rrog · Apr 11, 2012

Is that an actual estimate or are you just saying I'd need a shitload of coil = not worth the effort?

phillipchristian · Apr 11, 2012

Rrog said:
Is that an actual estimate or are you just saying I'd need a shitload of coil = not worth the effort?

I was just fucking around. It really depends on where you live. You are going to need a good amount of coil or a decent sized reservoir even if you live in a moderate climate. You need to replace the heat created by 3-4000w of light, ballasts, dehumidifiers, pumps, Co2 generators, and the ambient heat in your room. There are some great DIY chiller threads around here somewhere. If you go to my Water Cooled Grow Rooms thread there are some great DIY guys in there. I haven't seen anyone doing that kind of load though. Check around though. Would be cool to see.

Rrog · Apr 12, 2012

If I'm doing this as a hobby for myself and am not interested in volume production, would 4 plants under two 1000w HPS really be wasteful? Sorry for the adolescent question, but I like the idea of having large plants that I can completely walk around.

phillipchristian · Apr 12, 2012

Just depends on the size of your plants. If you really want to be efficient then you size your plants to your lighting footprint. Usually this means having a square plant footprint. Something like 4, 9, 16, etc... plants. A 1000w has a footprint of 5x5 so work around that. If your plants are 2.5' in diameter then that is 4 plants per 1000w.

Sencha · Apr 13, 2012

Hey phill. I'm getting ready to frame a new flower room. Are you up for helping out? I'll be running 2x 1000 watts and 1 600 in it.

Looking to be 9'x9'...8' ceiling, in a basement corner. Veg room will be added later, for now, I have a 4x8 tent.

phillipchristian · Apr 13, 2012

Sencha said:
Hey phill. I'm getting ready to frame a new flower room. Are you up for helping out? I'll be running 2x 1000 watts and 1 600 in it.

Looking to be 9'x9'...8' ceiling, in a basement corner. Veg room will be added later, for now, I have a 4x8 tent.

I'll be the bigger man here because I enjoy helping people. But a few months ago when I (and 3 other contractors/builders) advised someone that they couldn't go 10' below grade with only wood framing (PWF) for a subterranean grow room you went apeshit. You called me names; trolled me in other threads; and just wanted to argue about a subject you had no experience with. I don't like getting into pissing contests on this forum. I'm here to learn and hopefully help a few others. So if you are cool and not here to try and start shit again then I am more then happy to help.

Hash Bandit · Apr 14, 2012

Hey Phillip, just looking for some advise on my rooms. I have 2 main rooms with a smaller 5x5'x6'tall room for my mom/cuttings and earily veg plants. My 2 main rooms are 5x14'x6'tall each and each have 4 600watts aircooled lights with a 6" fan on them (run them dimmed for the first part). Each has a carbon filter with a 6" fan and uses a passive intake, I have a dehumidifier that I use for the last 3 weeks or so most of the time im running a humidifier to keep it a 60%, no Co2 yet but an considering it for the summer, along with an AC unit, or 2 i guess...? I have never ran this setup in the summer, and have just finshing setting it up and getting it dialed in, i'm starting to get concrned with heat as it start to warms up, im limited on cutting holes in the walls i have a 8" that everything exhausts through, and a 6" for the lights that i split between the 2 rooms.

The room is in the basement so im assuming it stays relatively cool in there in the summer but no too sure, it gets warm here in the summer prob avg aroung 70-90deg. Right now with it being 65 in the basement the coldest I can keep my room is 75 running everything at full so... Not sure what direction to go with the AC or maybe using a chiller(drain to waste type) or .....? I dont know thats why im asking, and for Co2... propane burner or tanks... I guess i could build a little addition on my rooms that i could chill and Co2 enrich but it couldnt be very big maybe 2x10'x6 tall... I dont know, I probably should have asked for advise before built it but i was trying to hold the record for the longest lurker... thanks alot for your help

These are they rooms any advise would help thanks

phillipchristian · Apr 14, 2012

Hash Bandit said:
Hey Phillip, just looking for some advise on my rooms. I have 2 main rooms with a smaller 5x5'x6'tall room for my mom/cuttings and earily veg plants. My 2 main rooms are 5x14'x6'tall each and each have 4 600watts aircooled lights with a 6" fan on them (run them dimmed for the first part). Each has a carbon filter with a 6" fan and uses a passive intake, I have a dehumidifier that I use for the last 3 weeks or so most of the time im running a humidifier to keep it a 60%, no Co2 yet but an considering it for the summer, along with an AC unit, or 2 i guess...? I have never ran this setup in the summer, and have just finshing setting it up and getting it dialed in, i'm starting to get concrned with heat as it start to warms up, im limited on cutting holes in the walls i have a 8" that everything exhausts through, and a 6" for the lights that i split between the 2 rooms.

The room is in the basement so im assuming it stays relatively cool in there in the summer but no too sure, it gets warm here in the summer prob avg aroung 70-90deg. Right now with it being 65 in the basement the coldest I can keep my room is 75 running everything at full so... Not sure what direction to go with the AC or maybe using a chiller(drain to waste type) or .....? I dont know thats why im asking, and for Co2... propane burner or tanks... I guess i could build a little addition on my rooms that i could chill and Co2 enrich but it couldnt be very big maybe 2x10'x6 tall... I dont know, I probably should have asked for advise before built it but i was trying to hold the record for the longest lurker... thanks alot for your help

View attachment 2120763 View attachment 2120762 View attachment 2120764

These are they rooms any advise would help thanks

Hey Hash, thanks for stopping by. I'm assuming that since you have 2 flower rooms you are running them on a FLIP? One on while the other is off? I would recommend portable a/c units with dual hoses. You could pull cool air from outside of the tents and exhaust it through the same ducting as the lights. Each room has it's own climate that needs to be controlled independently. Even if you had both rooms on the same light cycle it would be really hard to control the temps in both from 1 a/c unit.

As far as Co2 goes it is just a matter of preference. I use burners but with a good controller/monitor and regulator bottles are just as effective. It's really personal preference in my opinion.

Hash Bandit · Apr 14, 2012

Hey thanks fot the quick reply. I'm not running flip setup, it seemd almost as cheap to just buy the 4 extra ballasts, plus i can run them dimmed at different times... Ya i was thinking i might have to get two seprate ACs, we do have central air, but its a old unit and im not even sure if it runs... Any recomdations on a AC (BTUs/brand), or are thoes chillers any good, the guy at the hydro store recomended them to me he said just hook one end to a tap and the other to a drain i think they were $1200CAD for the 12000 BTU model

phillipchristian · Apr 14, 2012

Hash Bandit said:
Hey thanks fot the quick reply. I'm not running flip setup, it seemd almost as cheap to just buy the 4 extra ballasts, plus i can run them dimmed at different times... Ya i was thinking i might have to get two seprate ACs, we do have central air, but its a old unit and im not even sure if it runs... Any recomdations on a AC (BTUs/brand), or are thoes chillers any good, the guy at the hydro store recomended them to me he said just hook one end to a tap and the other to a drain i think they were $1200CAD for the 12000 BTU model

What are you gonna do with a chiller? This is why I love those hydro store guys. They'll try and sell you anything. Don't get me wrong man...I love water cooled grow rooms. It's kinda my thing. But not every situation calls for it. If you bought a chiller to just cool your rooms then you would need a reservoir, pumps, manifold lines, fans, and heat exchangers. Trust me, cheaper to get a/c units. If you've got the money though then water cooling is more efficietn and you will see the difference on you electricity bill versus a/c units. You would make the money back within a year. A 12,000btu chiller (1 ton) probably wouldn't do it. He's probably trying to sell you and Active Aqua or EcoPlus unit. Those units have shitty components and dont have compressors designed for constant load like you find in hydro applications. They are really designed for a static load like an aquarium. In all honesty you'd probably need a 1.5-2hp unit.

I've never used portable a/c's before so I am not the guy to be recommending brands. I do know that you want dual hose units and I would oversize them. You don't want your a/c running all the time to try and keep up. They burn out that way and are way less efficient. I would say 10,000-12,000btu units would definitely do the trick since you seem to be running pretty cool in your oom without them.

Best of luck man. Let me know if you need anything else.

Hash Bandit · Apr 14, 2012

Very true with the hydro store guys selling you anything, i've put way too much trust in them from day one, thats why im here. I wont have to worry about an AC for a few more months yet so i'll have lots of time to figure it out...

Thanks for the help

Sencha · Apr 14, 2012

phillipchristian said:
I'll be the bigger man here because I enjoy helping people. But a few months ago when I (and 3 other contractors/builders) advised someone that they couldn't go 10' below grade with only wood framing (PWF) for a subterranean grow room you went apeshit. You called me names; trolled me in other threads; and just wanted to argue about a subject you had no experience with. I don't like getting into pissing contests on this forum. I'm here to learn and hopefully help a few others. So if you are cool and not here to try and start shit again then I am more then happy to help.

I'm not here to start shit. I'm here for advise because you have much more experience with this then I do. I sent you a message and I hope we can move on.

hellraizer30 · Apr 14, 2012

Hey (sencha) how you doing? Just wanted to say ! Like this thread and its on the top 5 threads in this forum
That has the ability to help so many! And phillips a great member with great skills. So to the point! Please dont
Stirr up any shit here! Toke n talks the place for that stuff! Other than that you all have a great day

Sencha · Apr 14, 2012

Ok then. The space I'm working with is 20x9. I currently have a 9x9 sectioned off, with panda film. That is my flower room. Outside the flower room is my 8x4 tent for veg.

I thought this panda film wall idea was good enough but it's not. So I'm going to start a framing project in the next two days.

I'll frame the 9x9 in first, I'll add the extra 11' wall later. I only have to frame two walls of the 9x9, the other two walls are pre existing. I won't be hanging anything on the new walls, so here is the first question.

Two options; (the basement is carpeted) remove the carpet so studs can be secured to the floor, or lay the studs on the carpet and not secure the walls to the floor? I will also want some kind of door (sliding?) to seperate the veg and flower room.

Thanks in advance.

kamie · Apr 14, 2012

phillipchristian said:
I need to know:

the room is 13ft long, 10 ft wide, 9 ft high. the ceiling is actually higher. i have a center beam
the window is on the long wall and its about 6.5 x 4 ft
i plan on using 6 lights
SOG
ill be using sunshine 4
8 in. hoods using a 10 in vortex to air it out. I was thinking of using the 8 in magnum xxxl's. i wanted to know what you thought about the 8in luxors?
no a/c so i will be doing air in from the window and air out through the wall. what size fans do you recommend? i was told to use 10 in air in and 12 in air out. what do you think?
i will be having the ballasts inside the room as well.

thanks phillip

phillipchristian · Apr 14, 2012

Sencha said:
Ok then. The space I'm working with is 20x9. I currently have a 9x9 sectioned off, with panda film. That is my flower room. Outside the flower room is my 8x4 tent for veg.

I thought this panda film wall idea was good enough but it's not. So I'm going to start a framing project in the next two days.

I'll frame the 9x9 in first, I'll add the extra 11' wall later. I only have to frame two walls of the 9x9, the other two walls are pre existing. I won't be hanging anything on the new walls, so here is the first question.

Two options; (the basement is carpeted) remove the carpet so studs can be secured to the floor, or lay the studs on the carpet and not secure the walls to the floor? I will also want some kind of door (sliding?) to seperate the veg and flower room.

Thanks in advance.

Hey man, glad we could get all of that behind us. Onward and upward!! Let's get growing!!

The it works is, the more information you can give me the better. Like soil or hydro; where the doors and windows are; do you have Co2; what equipment is in the room; etc...

More important than any other support I really think you need to secure the footings to the floor. Probably would be a good idea to seal it with silicone or caulk as well. If you plan on having this room for a while it would be a good idea to remove the carpet. Carpets are breeding grounds for mold and mildew; especially in a grow room environment. Once you take the carpet up you can lay down your own floor from plywood or cheap linoleum. I would go with somtheing that is easy to clean and moisture proof. Basements usually are built with moisture barriers anyway but it's always a good idea to add a little extra just in case.

For your door; anything that can seal the air and light in the room is fine. I would think a standard door might be better for security reasons. Give you the ability to lock your room. If you do put a standard door in though; make sure it opens outward to save you room inside your grow.

Hope that helps.

phillipchristian · Apr 14, 2012

hellraizer30 said:
Hey (sencha) how you doing? Just wanted to say ! Like this thread and its on the top 5 threads in this forum
That has the ability to help so many! And phillips a great member with great skills. So to the point! Please dont
Stirr up any shit here! Toke n talks the place for that stuff! Other than that you all have a great day

Haha, thanks Hellraizer. Me and Sencha squashed it in PM's. All good now. On to bigger things.

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