Heating intake air

bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
On grow 2. Grow room has 6" intake that is generally run passive albeit it does have an inline fan. It is gathering its air (through the Amish Redneck Cooler Filter) from the inside of a non-heated pole barn. Fine during the summer but I live in an area where the inside of my barn can get below 0F...so this is the air that is going to be sucked into my room. Currently hope to heat the well-insulated, room with one of those oil-filled, radiator-looking, electric heaters but I question whether it will keep up with that cold air.

So, the question is, does anyone have some ideas on how I warm up that incoming air before it gets into the room. Thought of putting a small heater inside the Amish Redneck Cooler Filter, but hoped others have already conquered this.
 
A

anzohaze

Well-Known Member
Can you use the lighyt for heat source just let the exit dump into the room for heat. If need be slow fans down on lights to allow a little mre heat to build and use that as the intake
 
ProHuman

ProHuman

Well-Known Member
A 6 inch fan can move a lot of cubic feet per minute of air.
I would say that warm air will be replaced in no time, and you will be using cold air after a few minutes.
 
chocobear

chocobear

Active Member
You could just not intake new air, do you need the intake for any reason other than replenishing co2?
If its just for co2 depending on your size area there a cheap options.
I have used Exhale bags
http://shop.gyostuff.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=exhale

And a boost bucket
http://shop.gyostuff.com/CO2-Boost-Bucket-Pump-CO2BOOSTBP.htm?categoryId=-1

both will circumvent the need for air intake and allow for a completely closed room depending on size.

If your area is too big for either of these options then putting a heater in the box looks like the second easiest answer
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
jijiandfarmgang said:
Just exchange air to manage temps in winter. Using a heater as little as possible.

Even quasi sealed, your C02 levels should be close to normal.

- Jiji
Click to expand...
I ran my 6" Hurricane exhaust 24/7 this last grow . So you are saying I vary that. ?? How would I "manage" it. Seems that with the heat on a thermostat oppositely correlated with a thermostat on the Hurricane that I would be creating a vicious circle. Hmmmm...maybe I could choose 1 of the time periods (The LUX plug in thermostat allows 4 different daytime settings) and have it kick up the heat so it would kick in the "air" thermostat and exhaust the a bit. But, what did you have in mind? What about smells as I was also filtering 24/7 via that exhaust?
 
jijiandfarmgang

jijiandfarmgang

Well-Known Member
Your gonna have to experiment a little bit, and I've never done it quite this way, but it should work, and be simple.

Carbon filter>reflector>fan (on 24/7)> 6 inch y splitter>

Y splitter is open on one end and recirculates in the room, the other output has a 120 v duct damper (if your gonna use that lux thermostat) that is normally closed.

Most dampers that are motorized are gonna be 24 volts....so your gonna need a transformer, unless you can find a 120 v one.

- Jiji

Doh, just realized that you might need a damper for an intake. I suppose you could just get a chincy 8 dollar spring loaded passive one, and the vacuum will open it when your exhausting, and it will keep warm air in when not.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
Simple..

Ive taken a pipe or hose or whatever, and simply tapped into the suction side duct of my cooling fan with a ball valve on it, so when the fan turns on it will pull cold air in over the fan and over the hot light. You dont need a large diameter either, the point is to leak fresh air in, but that can be controlled manually with the ball valve...

*edit* I use waste heat from the lights to keep my grow warm.. so the exhaust is open ended to the grow.
 
Last edited:
Paperroller24

Paperroller24

Well-Known Member
Put a timer on your intake and have it turn off 10 mins before the light does and run a heater on as low as possible. If you have a carbon hook up, have that on a timer too and have it kick on only when the light is on to exhaust the heat/smell etc. Its the only way Ive managed to work my setup, if you're using a tent. Good luck.
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
Ok I have some ideas. Thanks.

Any estimates on how long any one day that my intake would have to be sucking in CO2 to accommodate a 7'x7'x8'h room and 8, up to 4 ft, plants?
 
Bugeye

Bugeye

Well-Known Member
I use those oil filled heaters in my greenhouse and at 0F you MIGHT have to put a smaller insulated box around it depending on the size of your room that you are drawing from. You may want to put one in your grow room as well near your in-take fan. It's a really nice heat for being near plants, steady, low output, low fire danger, but like all electric heat it is expensive.
 
Paperroller24

Paperroller24

Well-Known Member
What Ive noticed with tents or any area that you have to completely control, it will take a few runs to get the climate just right. Whether its positive or negative pressures, to the temps and humidity.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
bravedave said:
In my case, it is not a tent...

Room creation is documented here:
https://www.rollitup.org/t/thoughts-on-room.836894/#post-10683399

Bottom line is the room, although well-insulated itself, exists is in an un-heated barn. Fought some heat issues in its first summer but they were handled. Now looking to tackle my first winter. Where I live it can be 100F in the summer and -30F in the winter. Nope, not Columbia.
Click to expand...
I have a similar setup. I've already insulated mine for the winter.. somewhat. I have R13 insulation in mine with the panda poly. I have no problem maintaining 88-93 with my lights on and its high 30's low 40s at night. (no electric heat on at that time) I'm working on a high temp and timed trigger for my vent fan, the RH outside is dropping, so I'm introducing cool dry air into the grow. And since I'm early in a cycle I have no RH problems.

Now I currently have my co2 burner off, and you asked earlier how to heat air, I"m going to experiment, and kinda plumb air to my burner when I do run it.
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
ProHuman said:
Nice Build.:clap:
Is there any way you can heat the barn?
Maybe plug in a portable heater near the intake area?
Click to expand...
Ahhhh a big thinker. Heating the barn would be an expensive undertaking without insulating the roof which itself is not cheap. Thinking about that though and I know a foamer.
 
GrowerGoneWild

GrowerGoneWild

Well-Known Member
bravedave said:
Ahhhh a big thinker. Heating the barn would be an expensive undertaking without insulating the roof which itself is not cheap. Thinking about that though and I know a foamer.
Click to expand...
Foam is good, I foamed sealed the holes and gaps in the building, Then I put the fiberglass up. I kinda wish I had foamed it with a thin layer and put up fiberglass instead of just filling the edges and corners. It would have given me better sealing. But foam is a bit more expensive than fiberglass... The sealing of it makes up for the cost..

Next cycle I might put up 1" foamboard with alumnium on celing Not really for reflection, but just to keep any radiated heat down instead of using a fan. That should push my roof R rating up a bit. to mebby the higher teens.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top