Odor Control/Tent Setup Help

Hi, I have a few questions about Odor Control, inline fans, carbon filters, and Grow Tents. First of all, I will be using a 600 watt hps light in a 48-Inch Wide by 24-Inch Deep by 60-Inch High tent with 4 plants in 7 gal pots going. I am starting with a 12/12 operation to keep electricity costs down and to use less space so I don't need a veg room.My question to you is do I need a fresh air intake to cool the tent? Would it be better if I grew in the closet without a tent and high powered inline fan so I could leave the windows open and it would pull fresh air in from around the closet? How smelly/hot will one 600 watter make my tent or closet? I am thinking about buying a 6" 240 cfm inline fan and buying ducting and a carbon filter. Any suggestions as to what I am missing/forgetting? I am in a studio apt. sharing a wall w/ one neighbor and my grow room isn't sharing that wall. Do you think smell could be an issue? Thanks for all the help. Sorry I have only done one grow w/ CFLs and didn't even need a tent or inline fan or filter so this is all new to me. Happy growing!

6" 240cfm seems a bit low for a 6"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JQ14F8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002JQ14F8&linkCode=as2&tag=pricediscounted-20

I'd go with that one. Grow in the tent. tape up the seams and run it passive. I think that is much better than having both intake and exhaust fans. The tent isn't THAT large to justify an intake fan IMO. I run a similar setup in a smaller tent with a 400w. I've been using passive intake fore years with nothing but success.

Trust me, stick with the tent. Much easier to control smell not having to ghetto rig the light setup and all that. You won't regret it. Also, get a carbon filter and run it like this..

Carbon Filter -> Light -> Fan -> Out Tent

(Oh I see you're thinking about an inline DUCT fan. Don't buy those, they are shit. When you stick a carbon filter to them the cfm DRASTICALLY drops) Get the fan I linked or one similar.

Here's a pic of my setup for reference. I have it routed a bit different now but I discovered running it the way in the picture burns up the fan bearings from the lights heat. I find it works better blowing air over the light instead of sucking hot air through the fan.


Also running your light for 16 hours instead of 12 depending on how much it cost per kw/h will only be an extra 20-30 cents a day.

i jsut got my inline 450cfm dont have venting atm, or a hood. just a wing, put fan on the 6" outlet and jsut point it out for the time being, dropped my temps,average 5-7 celcius with my ac on a lower setting, and running or 30 mins on 1 hour off, instead of 12 on ffs.

mr2shim explained it fine get the hardware hook it up, and in my exp tent is much better than a closet.
Good Luck

So what are you saying you did with the wing reflector? I'm thinking about this light on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Electronic-Dimmable-Reflector-Hydroponic/dp/B00521B894/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1346535422&sr=1-4&keywords=600+watt+hps. Is it able to be controlled like that? If I did would it work to go reflector--> carbon filter --> inline pulling air --> Ducting out the window? So it would be pulling air through the filter rather than blowing it? And what is passive intake? You mean just a fan pulling air from the room into the tent? Would I need two of the said 90 dollar fans for this or could I buy a 250 cfm for the intake? Thanks for all the help guys it's much appreciated

Many people don't do this but it helps on power consumption and lower temps,- set your 12/12 for lights to come ON at around 8pm and to go OFF at 8am.

It's cooler after sunset and since your lights will come on at night, it's considerably easier in controlling temps instead of having them come on at 8am and go off at 8pm.

Also, many electric companies all over the nation charge a higher kilowatt per hour rate during business hours such as 9am to 6pm (times vary with different power companies) as this is when most everyone is pulling the most power from the power plants.

It's possible that with a single 450 CFM hooked up to your carbon filter that you could get away without needing central air/window unit IF you run your 12 hours ON after sunset.

I know I could get away with that but I live in Colorado at 8,000 ft in the mountains. Temps here at night even in July and August drop as low as 50 degrees and I have no central air or window unit, just a single 20" box fan blowing cold night air inside my bedroom where I have my tent.

due to the ac being on intervals the fan pics up the cooler air sucks in bottom of tent rises over bulb i stay at about 29 where i was jumping up to 37 before

Thanks TreeOfLiberty, I'd say the temperature gets that low here as well at night. I'm in Central California so we get a nice ocean breeze. But is it harder to deal with a wing reflector than a sealed coolable one? I'm trying to figure out how to cool this light. Would it help a lot to add another fan? If so, I will do it, but I'd rather not. I want to keep my temps below 80 degrees at all times and hopefully lower than that while they sleep.

ballaboyee21 said:

Thanks TreeOfLiberty, I'd say the temperature gets that low here as well at night. I'm in Central California so we get a nice ocean breeze. But is it harder to deal with a wing reflector than a sealed coolable one? I'm trying to figure out how to cool this light. Would it help a lot to add another fan? If so, I will do it, but I'd rather not. I want to keep my temps below 80 degrees at all times and hopefully lower than that while they sleep.

Click to expand...

Best way is to get an air cooled light or cool tube. Batwing reflectors as they are called, are the cheapest way to go. I would advise against them if you have the funds. It really helps to have a sealed reflector for the added benefit of filtering smell. If I had to do it again, I would go with a hood instead of a cool tube only because you lose a bit of lumen with the curved glass.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TNDCVK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002TNDCVK&linkCode=as2&tag=pricediscounted-20

I would go with something like this. Even though it's a bit more than the cool tube you linked it's a hood and like I said, you don't lose lumen like you would with the cool tube.

Trust me, do it exactly how I have done it. Don't over think it, just do it. Get a real inline fan, not those crummy duct fans. Get something like the one I linked and either the cool tube or the one I linked in this post. It will all make sense once you have it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052ZPMAG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0052ZPMAG&linkCode=as2&tag=pricediscounted-20

Here's a carbon filter AND 6" 400cfm inline fan. That plus the hood I linked and a tent. You're ready to rock and roll.



lol, I drew this a few years ago to explain how passive works. I'll say it one more time. Do NOT buy an inline DUCT fan. Get a inline fan like the one I linked in this post. In fact just buy everything I linked haha.

Thanks a million for the diagram mr2shim. But I'm not seeing how a carbon filter would attach to the hood you linked in the last comment. It looks like one end of the hood is sealed off for the power supply to come into the reflector. Are both ends open on this? So I can attach a carbon filter to the side that has the power cord coming into it? I'm going to just go for it, but I sure hope I can figure a way to filter my air... Should I maybe throw filter AND fan on the same side of the light? thanks for the help.

ballaboyee21 said:

Thanks a million for the diagram mr2shim. But I'm not seeing how a carbon filter would attach to the hood you linked in the last comment. It looks like one end of the hood is sealed off for the power supply to come into the reflector. Are both ends open on this? So I can attach a carbon filter to the side that has the power cord coming into it? I'm going to just go for it, but I sure hope I can figure a way to filter my air... Should I maybe throw filter AND fan on the same side of the light? thanks for the help.

Click to expand...

Yes they are both open, it's an air cooled hood. The power cord comes out the top of the hood, not through the inlets. Here's my setup running as of 30 seconds ago. This is exactly how you would set it up. The only difference between mine and the links I gave you is I'm using a cool tube. Everything would be setup the exact same.


Obviously, my tent is a bit smaller. I'm using a 4" carbon filter and a 4" inline fan to cool a 400w hps

Thanks again for your time mr2shim, it's much appreciated. I am going to buy all the things you linked and set it all up next weekend or maybe in a few weeks. I still don't know if I am going to end up with a 1000 watt or a 600 watt and I may actually end up buying a 4 x 4 tent for flowering and vegging in my closet without a tent with cfls. You have made this whole ventilation setup process much clearer to me now. Thank you.

You're welcome. Happy growing. Perhaps I can convince you to grow in waterfarm+SCROG as well? lol

Hahahaha, I don't know about the waterfarm, but I might end up setting up a screen eventually. I want to try LST'ing this time tho with some hemp rope to tie the ladies down and let their side branches turn to colas. Once I'm into my new place I'll start a journal or somethin' so everybody can see the setup. My goal is a quarter p per plant and I'm going to put a lady in every 2 weeks. I'll have 3 vegging for a month and a half each before they go into flower and I'll have one mother that I'll take a cutting from every 2 weeks as well. 7 gallon smart pots is what I'm buyin. Might do 2 gallon pots for the ones in veg tho. Have you had better luck with a screen than with LSt'ing?

I do both, LST and SCROG

mr2shim said:

I do both, LST and SCROG

Click to expand...

I LST and i never have SCRoG and i was looking at them today and was thinking.... these shoots seem like they would go really well with a screen. Next time.... next time

also can u personally recommend a filter/fan combo because im looking over some and im not sure if there is a specific brand i should trust or is a filter just a filter no matter where is comes from and an inline fan is just an inline fan as long as it meets desired cfm

nvm just got http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-A-GrowBright-6in-Inline-Fan-&-Carbon-Filter-Combo.asp