Not your same old "is my closet temps to high" Question. Seeking advice, not urgent.

Hello!


I first must say I have read plenty of posts (big fan) on this website and many others and I have managed to come up with a few questions that some experts may want to assist with. First some information about my closet build.


- Problem: Heat in closet is to high
- Closet: 9x2.5x8 (22.5 Sq Ft)
- Lights
- Two 6" Cool Tubes 600w HPS (2100) (Digital ballast, in closet)
- Five 105w Floros (6500)
- Ventilation
- Carbon Air 6" Inline (400CFM, Venting out of closet, out of room, into unused space)
- Carbon Air 4" Inline (200CFM Venting In the closet, from bedroom)
- Carbon Air 6" Inline (400CFM Venting closet, through lights, to outside the house)
- 16" Isolating 800CFM Fan attached to the ceiling of the closet. (Full coverage of whole closet)
- 6" 200CFM Fan (Portable AC) (Blowing air out from bedroom, Into attic)
- Growing Media (DWC/Under Current)
- Eco 3 (6 Huge Bubblers)
- 3 Tubs, 1 Res
- 3.75" Net Cups
- Pee Moss/Hydrotron
- R/O Water
- General Hydroponic (nutes)
- 70 Gal
- Cooling
- 8000BTU Portable A/C (In room, Hot air vented in attic)
- Central Air
- Temps
- Water 68*
- Closet 83* (Doors Shut)
- Closet 81* (Sliding Doors Open)
- Closet Temps, (Ceiling 85*-86*, Above lights 82*-84*, Around plants 79*-86*)
- Bedroom 73*-75*
- Eco 3 Commercial Air
- Water Pump 360GPM (With pre-filter and in-line filter)
- 1/4th HP Water Cooler
- Specs
- PH 5.8-6.1
- PPM 1100 (5th Week)
- 16 Outlets wired 4 foot high in closet (30 Amp)
- Panda Film Everything
- Sliding doors insulated.
- Walls are 1" thick concrete/drywall.


Question.


Temps? So when I use my nifty radar gun to measure these temps I notice that the air around the plants and the temp the plants are at are dramatically different ranges. The plants (the physical plant) stays around 78*-80* compared to the air around it (85*). Should I be going by the temp the plant is at or the air around it?


Secondly I am at a lost as to how else I would get these temps any lower. I have done everything I could think of and any suggestions would be nice. Any comments off topic is also welcomed. This is my first grow and would like any useful feedback.


Thanks for reading,
King Kong!


*Attention*
I am a avid online role player and like to browse online forums to pretend I have interesting lifestyles. Everything I say is made up in my fantasy world of adventure and games. I find this helps me cope with my abused childhood and my lonely lifestyle.

Is the ductwork insulated? All I can think of is that your ventilation needs to be reworked. Do you have any pictures?

If the ductwork is very long, it will lower the fans cfm. You could add a booster. They are fairly cheap. http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=180902304468&index=4&nav=SEARCH&nid=83401658598

I am having so many issues with this website loosing what I had typed. Frustrating when you have to type everything twice...

Anyway, I am aware of what bends and long distances do to duckwork. The primary exhaust and intake are both straight shots with no bends. My lights have the most bends and length, as it goes somewhere specific. It also has three inlines in the stretch of 40 feet. (400CFM, 260CFM, 260CFM) Two are the cheap inclines I did not list.

I would like to post pictures. But I do draw the line there.

I'm no hydro expert but I'm great at troubleshooting. What are your sources of heat? 2 lights cooler, and pumps? If air temperature is 10 degrees different, your ventilation isn't adequate. That's why your temp drops when you open the door. Yes, I know you know I'm just pointing out the only logical solution.

Sources of heat? I have a few.

2 600w Lights, Cool tubes (can sit my hand on them for 20 seconds+)
1 Air Pump (Keeps at 107 )
5 105w Light Floros (Keeps at 165)
2 Electronic Ballasts (Keeps at 115)
Thats what I can think of for now.

As well as Ventilation goes, Do I really need that much? Lets add this up.

My closet gets a TRUE (by my calculations)
(Rated 440) 330 CFM Out (through filter)
(Rated 440) 220 CFM Out (through filter and bends) (with two inlines rated at 265CFM)
(Rated 220) 180 CFM In (through filter)

Bedroom gets
200CFM out (through A/C)

We are only talking about 180 Cubic feet of space. I have, a true 550 CFM of air out of this closet. Thats new air 3 times a min (Every 20 Seconds). Last I checked people recommended once every 5 mins??

PS. (Checked with a CFM reader)
Thanks. I hoping there's something in all this mess that I am missing. I have everything on the marker except for my temps. So frustrating.

Thanks for the thoughts. Keep them coming!

If you can't increase cooling, decrease heat. Can you remove any sources? Perhaps a cabinet against the grow space can hold the pump and ballasts. It would remove heat and keep it hidin. If all else fails, check temps without the fluros.

I have thought about this too. I have ran the closet without fluros and it made "may be" a degree. It did not impact the closet that greatly.

I have too also thought about moving them, but it would effect the "effectiveness" of the devices. If I moved the pump farther away I would get lose of air flow. If I put the ballast in boxes they would overheat quickly. I have thought of moving them outside to my room, but decided it wouldnt be worth the gain. May be I am wrong?

Also, Would any one happen to have the answer to my original question? If the temps I have to worry about is "Only" the plant, then I am happy with 78-80*. However, if its the a due stress of the heat of the air, then I would feel less comfortable because its around 83-86. I will say, they look healthy as shit, fan leaves as big as my hand in 5 weeks, sitting 15-19 inches tall. So I may not have that large of an issue. I just dont like it because its not ideal.

Hopefully I will get the answers I am in seek of! Anyone out there with closet grows with this much lighting? If so explaining how you got your temps down (or what they are at) would be nice.

Thanks again!
King Kong!

Well that is a good question about the actual temp of the plant. Unfortunately I am unable to answer it. It seems like you have a great setup going and I am just wondering with all of the ventilation how in the hell are the temps so high? Well have you thought about using your chiller to help cool the air as well. You could get one of those nifty heat exchangers, like this.

http://www.growwurks.com/hydro-innovations-ice-box-6.aspx

Well sounds like you have a pretty nice setup on your hands. As for your issues with hear I would say removing the floros from the room will help out a lot. I don't know how many plants you have but you are already running 1200 watts in a closet which is more than enough to get a killer supply of bud. Is your duct work insulated. If not that always will cut down temps a few degrees. I would say take out the floros and you will do just fine.

I don't see any issues with your setup. Assuming your water temperature is staying in the proper range, your air temps and canopy temps are actually amazing for the small space.

I don't think it would be possible to do much better without a more powerful AC....

Honestly though you can tell the plant is doing just fine at regulating it's temperature, keeping the leaves in the ideal range via transpiration. Unless you are seeing big problems that look like heat stress you should not worry.

My poor ventilation keeps my temps around 90F all the time, but the plants seem happy, and the canopy stays below ambient as it should in a healthy plant.

Well you could add more intake to get some of the cool air in from your AC but with 550 cfm out and only I think 180cfm in you said? Creates a negative pressure so new, cooler, air should be pulling into your room automatically.. I think only thing you can really do is up the intake to cool down your room or just remove some of the heat sources like others said.

Ultimately, it's your call, also you have to realize 84 - 85 degrees wont kill your plant.. It's not ideal but it not horrible. Don't stress yourself and let the plant do it's thing, bro! If it gets too hot around the plants and that's your concern perhaps raise the lights.

Stay mother effin' frosty!

Could you please post some pics of your setup? I have a closet VERY similar if not identical to yours and I'm just curious to see how you have this setup, especially the ventilation.

Put down your nifty temp gun, and confirm the temp readings with a plain old ambient thermometer before you go any farther.

Here are your pictures, I did make some changes. I took out the carbon air filter to increase air to the lights. I added a higher CFM filter and ran it into the attic for intake.

Also my "nifty" radar gun is accurate and I test it often, it tells me the right numbers. I also have 3 Thermostats throughout the room to confirm the temps.

Any more thoughts or suggestions are appreciate it.

I'd be happy with those temps. I'm glad winter is coming. I run mid 90s in the summer without many problems.

Insulate the exhaust for the AC. I couldn't believe how hot the plastic duct work got on mine. Otherwise ditch the flouros. Peace.

Bump!

I would really like to know more information on what temps to follow (plant or air) and what your first recommendation as to what to change to get my temps lower. I did upload detailed pictures.

Thanks again.
King Kong

To put things into perspective for you - Would you rather have the air be at the right temperature or the plant?

The air doesn't give a shit what temperature it is.... but the plant dies at the wrong temperature.

If your room is fairly well sealed as some have mentioned an intake, or even just a passive opening to allow air in could improve temps. If it's not well sealed this is already happening and another intake wont make much difference at all.

You could get a bigger AC if you really that worried..... are your plants dieing?!

If your shit is healthy and your temps are below 100F then everything is all good.... this is not a math class where there is only one right answer!