Starting from Scratch: Design My Grow Room

Of you only want the main wall and 2 doors. You can make a false wall. Just frame it in with 1x2's and use panda plastic much cheeper then a tent. And for the 240 no you cant plug in 110 T5 into it. But you can make it a sub panel. And use a 20amp 220 to feed you 240 lights and have 2 15 amp 110 brakers to run your T5's and fans. Still would put you under on amps.

Didn't you have 2 open slots on your shed sub anyways? I think you could just do the different brakers there and just add the 2 new outlets inside. Scooby has better memory then me on that. So let's see what he says.

Thanks Warlock. I was considering making a separate 15-20 amp 120v circuit for my grow room, but i just wanted to double check to see if it was possible to run those T-5's off 240v. The only reason i would want to do that is for efficiency and so that i could run all of the light load off of one circuit. No big deal.

I think the way i'll do it, is run 3 total circuits off of my sub-panel, similar to what you were saying.

65 amps coming in:

25 amp for 240v circuit (grow room)
20 amp for 120v circuit (grow room)
20 amp for 120v circuit (lights and outlets on the other side of the shed)

Sounds good to me. How much power are you going to draw from the other half of the shed? This might make a issue. And i swear scooby memorized every equipments amps and power out put. Wish I could do that. Would help out more when trying to answer some of this stuff. LoL

PumpedUpKicks said:

Damn Scoob, thanks for the effort to help me visualize the layout. Much appreciated. My question tho, is how big of difference will it make if i don't want to wall off the area between the two rooms? I'm thinking i really only want to create 1 wall in the shed. Would using a wall-to-wall tent for the flowering plants be that big of a difference?

Also, you assume correctly, i have planned the electrical around running grow lights on a 240v circuit. I'm planning for a 4 wire, 6 gauge (65amps max) feeder cable from the main panel in my house, to the sub panel in the shed. Should i bump it up to 4 gauge wire to get 80 amps instead? I added up all of the amperage i would draw using the equipment i have planned and it didn't even come close to maxing out the 65amps.

1000w x 2 = 8.32 amps
600w = 2.5 amps

that's only using 10 amps of the 40 amps i have set aside for the 240v breaker.

Side question...is there a way for me to run ALL of my lights from 240? I didn't think about this until now, but is there a way to run my T-5's from the 240v circuit?

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you can literally just hang a tarp between the two rooms and make it air and light proof. wall would just be better and really not that much more expesive for a few 2x4's and some plywood/drywall. plus, it would allow you to hang things from that wall and install outlets.

if you are bringing in 65 amps at 240v that is more than enough for that room. 65 amps of 240v is the same as 130 amps at 120v. you don't need anything more than that. you don't even need to wire your ballasts 240v. just makes it more complicated. at 120v you are only using about 35 amps of the 130 amps you have available. you will be just fine.

1000w @ 120v = 10amps
600w @ 120v = 5.5amps

you can run you lights on a light controller. something like the CAP MLC-8DX which has dual triggers. you owuld need to get a few lamp extension cords though. then, you would have to buy a T5 system that is rated for both 120 and 240v. the only one i know of is the Quantum ones. and they don't make a 2' one for your clones. so you could get the dual trigger CAP light controller. plug both 1000's in the flower room into once side of the box and have them on their own timer. then plug the 4' T5 and the 600w light into the other side of the box and run then 24/0. you would just need outlets in the room for fans, the 2' T5, and any other smaller stuff. just be careful adding big dehumidifiers and ac units to the existing 120v outlets.

ScoobyDoobyDoo said:

you can literally just hang a tarp between the two rooms and make it air and light proof. wall would just be better and really not that much more expesive for a few 2x4's and some plywood/drywall. plus, it would allow you to hang things from that wall and install outlets.

if you are bringing in 65 amps at 240v that is more than enough for that room. 65 amps of 240v is the same as 130 amps at 120v. you don't need anything more than that. you don't even need to wire your ballasts 240v. just makes it more complicated. at 120v you are only using about 35 amps of the 130 amps you have available. you will be just fine.

1000w @ 120v = 10amps
600w @ 120v = 5.5amps

you can run you lights on a light controller. something like the CAP MLC-8DX which has dual triggers. you owuld need to get a few lamp extension cords though. then, you would have to buy a T5 system that is rated for both 120 and 240v. the only one i know of is the Quantum ones. and they don't make a 2' one for your clones. so you could get the dual trigger CAP light controller. plug both 1000's in the flower room into once side of the box and have them on their own timer. then plug the 4' T5 and the 600w light into the other side of the box and run then 24/0. you would just need outlets in the room for fans, the 2' T5, and any other smaller stuff. just be careful adding big dehumidifiers and ac units to the existing 120v outlets.

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Scoob, thank you again for the enormous amount of help. I was getting worried that i would never find a controller that i could use for my setup, but the CAP MLC-8DX would work PERFECTLY! Looks like i'll have to pair it with a $500 controller too...The 8DX manual says i'll either the CAP Xtreme Greenhouse Controller or a CAP Complete Greenhouse Controller...

PumpedUpKicks said:

Scoob, thank you again for the enormous amount of help. I was getting worried that i would never find a controller that i could use for my setup, but the CAP MLC-8DX would work PERFECTLY! Looks like i'll have to pair it with a $500 controller too...The 8DX manual says i'll either the CAP Xtreme Greenhouse Controller or a CAP Complete Greenhouse Controller...

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don't buy any of those "greenhouse" or environmental controllers. they are worthless. just run the lights on the light controller (it's just basically a subpanel with a contactor and relay). Your a/c will have a thermostat and your dehumidifier will have it own as well. Plus, most of the environmental controllers can't support theload from a dehu or a/c. i have run 4 and 8 light controllers and those environmental controllers are pointless.

ScoobyDoobyDoo said:

don't buy any of those "greenhouse" or environmental controllers. they are worthless. just run the lights on the light controller (it's just basically a subpanel with a contactor and relay). Your a/c will have a thermostat and your dehumidifier will have it own as well. Plus, most of the environmental controllers can't support theload from a dehu or a/c. i have run 4 and 8 light controllers and those environmental controllers are pointless.

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I was interested in the exhaust fan controller more than anything tbh. Is there a separate one i can buy that'd do the job? Also, what about a timer for the lights? The 8DX is a dual trigger, but doesn't control the schedule for the lights. Is there a simple and cheap timer that you'd recommend as well?

ScoobyDoobyDoo said:

you can literally just hang a tarp between the two rooms and make it air and light proof. wall would just be better and really not that much more expesive for a few 2x4's and some plywood/drywall. plus, it would allow you to hang things from that wall and install outlets.

if you are bringing in 65 amps at 240v that is more than enough for that room. 65 amps of 240v is the same as 130 amps at 120v. you don't need anything more than that. you don't even need to wire your ballasts 240v. just makes it more complicated. at 120v you are only using about 35 amps of the 130 amps you have available. you will be just fine.

1000w @ 120v = 10amps
600w @ 120v = 5.5amps

you can run you lights on a light controller. something like the CAP MLC-8DX which has dual triggers. you owuld need to get a few lamp extension cords though. then, you would have to buy a T5 system that is rated for both 120 and 240v. the only one i know of is the Quantum ones. and they don't make a 2' one for your clones. so you could get the dual trigger CAP light controller. plug both 1000's in the flower room into once side of the box and have them on their own timer. then plug the 4' T5 and the 600w light into the other side of the box and run then 24/0. you would just need outlets in the room for fans, the 2' T5, and any other smaller stuff. just be careful adding big dehumidifiers and ac units to the existing 120v outlets.

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Scoob, after breezing through the manual for the 8DX light controller, i couldn't help but notice that what it does is extremely basic. You seem like a technical DIY kind of guy, so i thought this might interest you. http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/grow-light-controller.asp

I'm considering doing this.

PumpedUpKicks said:

I was interested in the exhaust fan controller more than anything tbh. Is there a separate one i can buy that'd do the job? Also, what about a timer for the lights? The 8DX is a dual trigger, but doesn't control the schedule for the lights. Is there a simple and cheap timer that you'd recommend as well?

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the trigger cord on a light controller is what you plug into a timer and then plug the timer into a 120v wall outlet. it doesn't use any electricity basically. just enough to switch the relay. so if you have dual triggers than you can control different lights on different schedules with a seperate timer on each. or a timer on 1 and then just plug the other one into the wall and run it 24/0 if it's your veg room or something you want on 24/0 in your flower room. depending on how you want to control your fan there are a number of much cheaper options than an environmental controller. you could just put it on a timer if you want it activated with the lights. if you want it to control the temps them you just get a fan thermostat controller. CAP makes one. Called the TMP-DNe. cost like $60. you plug your fan into it and it controls the fan based on set thermostat settings. Looks like this:

PumpedUpKicks said:

Scoob, after breezing through the manual for the 8DX light controller, i couldn't help but notice that what it does is extremely basic. You seem like a technical DIY kind of guy, so i thought this might interest you. http://www.hydroponics.net/learn/grow-light-controller.asp

I'm considering doing this.

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hey man, if you are a DIY guy then go for it. Just build 1 box for each room; or a single box with 2 contactors and 2 relays.

So, with this setup, how big of ducting should i be using? 6" or 8'? Also, how big of inline fan would i have to use to make sure it's properly vented? I know nothing about fans and venting, so i could really use some help from someone with experience. Also, what kind and how big of an air purification will i need to put in the exhaust line for this size room?

ScoobyDoobyDoo said:

View attachment 2311637

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This is the setup i'm referring to, btw.

PumpedUpKicks said:

So, with this setup, how big of ducting should i be using? 6" or 8'? Also, how big of inline fan would i have to use to make sure it's properly vented? I know nothing about fans and venting, so i could really use some help from someone with experience. Also, what kind and how big of an air purification will i need to put in the exhaust line for this size room?

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Bump. Hopefully someone out there can provide some helpful info on this.

so assuming 8' ceilings you have 504' (cubic) of air to exchange. on top of this youre gonna want to use charcoal filter to clean the air. people recommend a fan that can change air once every few minutes so i would recommend 250 cfm (per) or if you wanna run one for both 500. also make sure filter is higher cfm than the fan because if lower it will stress the fan and not properly clean the air. youre gonna want oscillating fans in each room, but more important for bloom, just to circulate air so its not stale. as far as that set up i would also run 3 600w hps not 2 1000w b/c 600 is a lot more efficient. hope it helps

tnsa2k11 said:

so assuming 8' ceilings you have 504' (cubic) of air to exchange. on top of this youre gonna want to use charcoal filter to clean the air. people recommend a fan that can change air once every few minutes so i would recommend 250 cfm (per) or if you wanna run one for both 500. also make sure filter is higher cfm than the fan because if lower it will stress the fan and not properly clean the air. youre gonna want oscillating fans in each room, but more important for bloom, just to circulate air so its not stale. as far as that set up i would also run 3 600w hps not 2 1000w b/c 600 is a lot more efficient. hope it helps

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Thanks for the feedback. That definitely gives me a starting point for finding the proper ventilation equipment.

As for the 3x600's vs 2x1000's, this is an argument that i see pretty often, but how exactly are 3x600's more efficient? I have heard that it would be a more even light spread, but that's about it. I was under the impression that more watts = a better yield? I'm a noob to this, so i'm just trying to figure out how everyone decides on which lights to buy.

PumpedUpKicks said:

So, with this setup, how big of ducting should i be using? 6" or 8'? Also, how big of inline fan would i have to use to make sure it's properly vented? I know nothing about fans and venting, so i could really use some help from someone with experience. Also, what kind and how big of an air purification will i need to put in the exhaust line for this size room?

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there are a lot of factors involved as to what size hoods and fans to get. like the size of your ac/ if you have a big enough ac it won't even matter. you could just do bat wing reflectors. if you are going with air cooled hoods then how you run the ducting and the amount of bends will be a factor as to size. also, if you are trying to run the room without ac then you would want bigger fans to pull more air through the lights. also, where are you pulling the air from that will go through your lights. a ton of factors to determine exactly what ou need.

as for carbon filters; again there are factors. are you gonna run it on a recirculating system where it just blows back into the room or are you going to use it inline on your hoods (i.e. suck air from the room through the filter, through the hoods, and then back exhaust it somewhere. you don't need a carbon filter in your veg room. a little one won't hurt but it's not necessary.

need more info to really be specific with recommendations for you.

PumpedUpKicks said:

Thanks for the feedback. That definitely gives me a starting point for finding the proper ventilation equipment.

As for the 3x600's vs 2x1000's, this is an argument that i see pretty often, but how exactly are 3x600's more efficient? I have heard that it would be a more even light spread, but that's about it. I was under the impression that more watts = a better yield? I'm a noob to this, so i'm just trying to figure out how everyone decides on which lights to buy.

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600's are the most efficient wattage as far as output per watt. the difference is so minimal it doesn't make a difference though. you would be using a little bit less electricity but you would probably eat that up by having to use bigger fans to pull air through 3 hoods instead of 2. plus it means more equipment like hoods, bulbs, ballasts, etc....

a 1000w light basically covers a 5x5 area; 25sq.ft. a 600w light is around a 4x4 area; 16sq.ft. so 2 1000's will cover 50sq.ft. and 3 600's will cover 48sq.ft. the other thing is that with 3 600's inline like that you won't have any room between hoods. the room is only 9' wide. most regular hoods are 26-30" wide anyway. essentially you would be wasting a TON of light on the ends of the room or overlapping light in the middle. i'd stick with the 2 1000's. plus, they give you a wider grow area. 2 1000's give you a 10x5 grow area. in that room it would be 9x5. 3 600's would give you a 4x12 grow area but in that room it would be a 4x9 area.

just to give you an idea...i built this 2 years ago. just for shits and giggles.


View attachment 2315166

damn thats a nice set up man

Have you thought about harvesting and curing ? how much space is needed for this stage ? The cutting and trimming is easy but for drying... could you do it in a box 2'x2'x3'? maybe a metal mesh shelf or two if you trim right down and small holes for venting...?

Oh damn, very nice scooby. wish I had space like that

PumpedUpKicks said:

So, you're saying 1x600w MH would work to veg 8 plants? I would assume that'd have to be on a light track or something, right?

It's also worth noting that i have never actually grown indoor before, so i'm relatively unsure as to what i should expect as far as plant size during each stage...How big would you let the plants get before moving them into the flowering tent? I'm only looking to yield roughly 5-6oz per plant.

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only 5 or 6 oz per plant do u no the skill it takes to get that amount of a plant ,,,,ALOT