If you use a Portable Air Conditioner, please step in..

mcinnc

mcinnc

Well-Known Member
I was just curious as to how many of you have/use a portable air conditioner that you incorporated in use with your grow...
I was having some heat issues, and purchased the "Royal Sovereign ARP 3012" 12,000BTU unit. I've been running it now for about 12 days, and i am very unimpressed to say the least. I am ONLY using the unit for an average sized, sliding glass door closet. approx. 10' in length, 2' deep, and 8' tall. the scary part is that i'm still in veg, and im using CFL's!
-I can run the unit on High mode, take the temp setting down to the lowest setting (61f), and run it all day, and it only gets my closet down to 77f !! i know that when i start 12/12 with my 1000wt HPS, its going to do next to nothing. IF i was to NOT return it.
-It's loud.. but that wouldn't a huge issue to me if it cooled the air down like i want it to.
I'm planning on returning it to the store i bought it from, and buying a different model...
- The unit has a 'Water Full' warning button on it, which goes off about 4-5 times a day, causing the unit to shut down and causing me to have to empty the water from the drain plug, 4-5 everyday. which, of course, means i have to be home, or the unit will just be Off until i get back. shiiiiiitty.
Any makes, models, etc out there that you could suggest??
Here is a pic of the one i'm "working" with now
 

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Busmike

Busmike

Well-Known Member
mcinnc said:
I was just curious as to how many of you have/use a portable air conditioner that you incorporated in use with your grow...
I was having some heat issues, and purchased the "Royal Sovereign ARP 3012" 12,000BTU unit. I've been running it now for about 12 days, and i am very unimpressed to say the least. I am ONLY using the unit for an average sized, sliding glass door closet. approx. 10' in length, 2' deep, and 8' tall. the scary part is that i'm still in veg, and im using CFL's!
-I can run the unit on High mode, take the temp setting down to the lowest setting (61f), and run it all day, and it only gets my closet down to 77f !! i know that when i start 12/12 with my 1000wt HPS, its going to do next to nothing. IF i was to NOT return it.
-It's loud.. but that wouldn't a huge issue to me if it cooled the air down like i want it to.
I'm planning on returning it to the store i bought it from, and buying a different model...
- The unit has a 'Water Full' warning button on it, which goes off about 4-5 times a day, causing the unit to shut down and causing me to have to empty the water from the drain plug, 4-5 everyday. which, of course, means i have to be home, or the unit will just be Off until i get back. shiiiiiitty.
Any makes, models, etc out there that you could suggest??
Here is a pic of the one i'm "working" with now
Click to expand...
I use a 5000 watt window unit in my flowering room. A window unit drains itselt to the great outdoors so I don't have your watter full issues. Mine does lower the room temp a bit, but I've thought many times I should have gotten a larger model. With 7 400 watt lights AND a gas CO2 generator, heat is a real problem for me year round.
Get a unit that vents water to the outside. Remember that an AC unit also creates heat that also normally vents that heat outside the room being cooled.
 
mcinnc

mcinnc

Well-Known Member
the heat emitted from the exhaust is not really the problem. as you can see in the pic i attached of the model i have, the exhaust runs via exhaust hose, to a vent hole at the window. i have even taken the further step, by wrapping the exhaust hose in duct insulation material so that the small amount of heat 'escaping' through the plastic exhaust hose is eliminated. my unit is 12,000BTU and 1050 watts. 5000 watts for a window unit seems to be a pretty powerful device. how many BTU's does it push? do you know the make/model off hand?
 
Busmike

Busmike

Well-Known Member
mcinnc said:
the heat emitted from the exhaust is not really the problem. as you can see in the pic i attached of the model i have, the exhaust runs via exhaust hose, to a vent hole at the window. i have even taken the further step, by wrapping the exhaust hose in duct insulation material so that the small amount of heat 'escaping' through the plastic exhaust hose is eliminated. my unit is 12,000BTU and 1050 watts. 5000 watts for a window unit seems to be a pretty powerful device. how many BTU's does it push? do you know the make/model off hand?
Click to expand...
My mistake...
I meant to say 5000 BTU not watts. It's really not as usefull as I'd like. Been thinking about buying a more powerfull unit No windows in your Flowering room?
 
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Triple6

Active Member
Busmike said:
My mistake...
I meant to say 5000 BTU not watts. It's really not as usefull as I'd like. Been thinking about buying a more powerfull unit No windows in your Flowering room?
Click to expand...
I have an enclosed room also and opted to use a portable. I initially thought my unit was crap [Haier] but it turns out I needed to attach a blower to the AC exhaust. Hope that helps


AC exhaust -> hose -> blower -> carbon filter
 
Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia

Well-Known Member
I've got a GE...I think it's 8000btu and like 1250watts. I like it, except the vents only blow straight ahead.

Regarding the water drainage...check to see if your model has an option to drain into a hose. I had the same problem with my water tank filling up after a couple hours and shutting down the system until I found a drain switch on the back that I just flip down and attach a hose. Now I drain into a 5-gal bucket and can leave the thing running for days no problem. If your model doesn't have this option I would take it back and get one that does, because as you said emptying the damn bucket 5 times a day is just impractical.

At 12,000 btus your room should get as cold as it says on the unit (61 or whatever). Do you have any fans in the grow room to help bring in the cold air or at least move the air around a little? I found that if I pointed the unit directly into my flower room it brought the temps down the most.

Do you have an air cooled hood or cool tube? With one of those and your current setup (77 degrees with the a/c on) you probably wouldn't have to worry about the heat getting above 85, which is a little on the warm side, but not too bad. You should seriously consider investing in one though (I prefer the air cooled hoods to cool tubes myself...they provide a better distribution of light).
 
Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia

Well-Known Member
Also what Triple6 said is important. I tried to vent outside through some black speaker cloth and it blocked the exhaust to the point where it actually shut off the condenser and only blew HOT air through the vents. Make sure you have a clear exhaust path, and a regular inline duct fan could potentially help. But if you're already blowing out cold air, it just isn't making it cold enough, I'd say the exhaust isn't likely to be your problem.
 
Realclosetgreenz

Realclosetgreenz

Well-Known Member
5000BTU's typically covers about 200Sq FT. That's a 6'x6'x6' Enclosure. Typically a window units uses evaporative cooling which is the act of a liquid, typically into surrounding air, cools an object or a liquid in contact with it. The efficiency of a Evaporative cooler is measured and determined by the DRY and WET Bulb temperature. The greater the difference the cooler it runs. In lamens terms you have to live in a considerably dry climate for a Evaporative cooler to be of great use.
 
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skyhighcomics

Member
I had problems with my 9,000btu unit. I took it back thinking it was broken/damaged.(not cooling the room, lowest setting etc.) If your air-in is not allowing enough to come in, your unit(s) are working overtime. Between blowers and AC, you might want to check and see if your units are getting a nice flow. LOL The door on my room had a gnarley suction. I would try to close it and thunk!!, it would slip right out of my hand. Slapped a couple 16x20 vents on the main door and we be good now.
 
NinjaToke

NinjaToke

Active Member
^^^Yea those things suck in tons of air from behind, my room is sealed with plastic and it would get sucked right up against the unit but some sturdy cardboard and larger intake opening and its working fine. The better you get the airflow the better it works and that means less water draining. Ive had mine on over a month and have about 10 drips worth of water in the container. Temps steady at 77
 
captain insaneo

captain insaneo

Well-Known Member
I had a amacor eh1600 it was a 16000 btu portable ac and it fucking sucked. if you are looking at using one of these you need to find one that has an air intake and exhaust hose other wise it blows your room air out which poses 2 problems 1 it sucks in air form the out side into your room and then it sucks the cooled air from around your ac and blows it in the great yonder. it is a loose loose.


Now if you can get a cheap window ac unit go get some mdf and some sheet foam insulation make and insulated box for the ac, next get a good inline fan 300cfm + and run a hose into the box and one out of the box so you cool off the outside coil make sure when you hook them up to a window you make sure that you place them as far apart as you can and if possible extend out let about a foot so you dont suck in the hot air.
 
NinjaToke

NinjaToke

Active Member
!!WARNING!!
If you're offended by ugly look away!

Ok so the pictures in order show
1) the cylinder cardboard keeps the plastic from blocking the ac intakes
2) black plastic taped around ac vent
3) the white thing taped to the plastic connects to the ducting which points right up to the oscillating fan
4) ac exhaust tube, when closed theres enough slit open for air flow
5) ac exhaust goes through the closet wall and onto that nifty exhaust box, I was lucky enough to discover a pair of 2.5" holes behind a plant so thats how it gets outside
 

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NinjaToke

NinjaToke

Active Member
mcinnc said:
any advice on how to make this more efficient?
its a clusterfuck for right now for sure.
Click to expand...

The only way is to have the unit alongside the plants, connect a drain tube and you're free of having to empty water.

And captain insaneo can you explain a lil more? Im not quite seeing it.

Now if you can get a cheap window ac unit go get some mdf and some sheet foam insulation make and insulated box for the ac, next get a good inline fan 300cfm + and run a hose into the box and one out of the box so you cool off the outside coil make sure when you hook them up to a window you make sure that you place them as far apart as you can and if possible extend out let about a foot so you dont suck in the hot air.
 
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Triple6

Active Member
Good point but my unit looked to be working also until we got some real heat (90+) this past spring--I lost a very good looking 3X3' SCrog of some hearty Nirvana Citral. That would have supplied me all year :(

I know the insulation made it harder for my unit to get it done also. I put a 296 blower in the attic and that chaged everything. I can dail that room in now :) Even in summer.
 
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Triple6

Active Member
I'd like to go to one of those as every model I've looked at has more programming features. I bet it's way more efficient than this portable too.
 
bbonging

bbonging

Member
um im not sure but isnt the exhaust from that thing blowing smelly air out ?? how do ya filter the exhaust without blocking the air flow?? im not trying to hijack this thread but I have a in room unit and i dont use it because 0f the smell issue any help ??
 
Calijuana

Calijuana

Well-Known Member
bbonging said:
um im not sure but isnt the exhaust from that thing blowing smelly air out ?? how do ya filter the exhaust without blocking the air flow?? im not trying to hijack this thread but I have a in room unit and i dont use it because 0f the smell issue any help ??
Click to expand...

yeah this is how i got "caught" growing.. not seriously, but for others it would be serious.

i looked the other way and ended up regretting it. i'm sure there is a simple way though.
 
mcinnc

mcinnc

Well-Known Member
look in the first picture i posted. i have a bucket, with holes drilled in it with ona gel inside and a fan on top, right at the intake of the unit. its from a DIY thread i got around here or another site..
 
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