I have a bit of situation... electrician/Hvac

[Natural]

the short answer is yes you do need it to be outside...it's like a mini version of a central ac unit. It will be hard to find someone to install one..let alone find someone willing to build it so it is stealthy.

 

[Natural]

You want the unit that cools only when asking. I would think that some one with severe allergies or just an air related health issue could be helped by a ductless mini split ac. They are really efficient..some make more noise than others and may be questioned during winter use. food for thought.

 

[legaleyes13]

That's unfortunate. I was hoping for complete stealth.

 

[legaleyes13]

Would a unit like this work? It's made by the same company that you posted earlier, but for whatever reason it's much cheaper. Maybe I'm missing something. And thanks again for all your help, I'm sure I'm getting a little annoying with all of these questions.

 

[Natural]

Slightly less powerful and efficient. You are paying mostly for the stuff you cannot see when buying a unit. You just cannot put out a quality product with cheaper parts...if you're investing, the ones that breakdown the least are the best ones. Check it out..lots of threads on mini splits and which ones to buy around here.
Other options would be to vent your lights and add either a chillbox..or build yourself a container system so you can cool a window shaker ac and keep it inside..also lots of threeads on boht of those subjects.
Time for the ladies to get their food. I'll check in with ya tomorrow evening. Just keep in mind lots of places outside of desert regions that have people growing indoors without CO2 or AC.

 

[legaleyes13]

Slightly less powerful and efficient. You are paying mostly for the stuff you cannot see when buying a unit. You just cannot put out a quality product with cheaper parts...if you're investing, the ones that breakdown the least are the best ones. Check it out..lots of threads on mini splits and which ones to buy around here.
Other options would be to vent your lights and add either a chillbox..or build yourself a container system so you can cool a window shaker ac and keep it inside..also lots of threeads on boht of those subjects.
Time for the ladies to get their food. I'll check in with ya tomorrow evening. Just keep in mind lots of places outside of desert regions that have people growing indoors without CO2 or AC.

Cool, thanks. I'm not gonna vent my lights, but I do live in a pretty cold part of the country. I was hoping that I could get away with a 12,000 btu mini split, and to be plain, I've made it work with a 5,000 btu a/c and 2,400 watts of hps and 1,200 watts of Led. So I'm thinking I could pull it off, but I would hate to buy a unit that's too small.

 

[ttystikk]

If mini split units are that expensive, that difficult to install stealthily AND require an HVAC tech every time you want to move it, then suddenly a chiller is sounding much more competitive.

Yes, water lines running to and from a chiller can be a pain, but since they carry water, you can reconfigure these lines yourself, meaning that installing and removing it need not involve a service call.

Like better mini splits, it can cool several rooms at the same time, and unlike mini splits, it can cool air, dehumidify AND chill your hydro system.

 

[legaleyes13]

If mini split units are that expensive, that difficult to install stealthily AND require an HVAC tech every time you want to move it, then suddenly a chiller is sounding much more competitive.

Yes, water lines running to and from a chiller can be a pain, but since they carry water, you can reconfigure these lines yourself, meaning that installing and removing it need not involve a service call.

Like better mini splits, it can cool several rooms at the same time, and unlike mini splits, it can cool air, dehumidify AND chill your hydro system.

It looks like I might have to go the chiller route. They're stealth and I don't like that mini split units will be outside and may draw attention considering I'm in a cold climate state. Please inform me of the type of chiller that would work for a 4,000 watt flower room, and what type of changes I'd have to make with the electrical wiring for it to work. Thanks in advance.

I really don't want to spend more than $1000

 

[ttystikk]

It looks like I might have to go the chiller route. They're stealth and I don't like that mini split units will be outside and may draw attention considering I'm in a cold climate state. Please inform me of the type of chiller that would work for a 4,000 watt flower room, and what type of changes I'd have to make with the electrical wiring for it to work. Thanks in advance.

I really don't want to spend more than $1000

I don't see any options that wool effectively cool that many lights running at one that will be in your price range. You can look for a used chiller, or split your op to run two 2kW rooms on a flip. Thus, only a smaller cooler would be necessary.

 

[legaleyes13]

What size chiller do you think I need? I figured a 1hp would be good enough.

 

[legaleyes13]

Say I pick up something like this
1-1/2 HP chiller. Am I good to go, or do I need to buy other products not including a pump and res to get it to work? Basically what I'm asking is, will I need to buy an air handler or something?

 

[Natural]

I might be talking out of my ass here..and I'm sure ttystikk will set me straight...but I think 1.5 would be on the weak side for 4 rez's and ambient air for just 2 lights. This is some high tech stuff. You could cool ambient air..rez's..liquid cooled CO2 burner..and even a liquid cooled dehumidifier..which would run so cool you basically turn the dehumidy into a small AC unit.
BUT..we are talking a few tons of cooling..maybe a 3 hp would be closer. It's a huge investment up front..but pays out in the long run.
It means becoming a plumbing pro of sorts and also means having another rez..which brings to the main point I want to discuss with you..which is growing with neighbors in the same building. I prefer to rent run down houses where the landlord is pretty much guaranteed doesn't want to be bothered making repairs and maintaining shit while you live there. I like basement access as well as attic access. God knows we have to be creative when it comes to wiring, plumbing, and venting our grows as can be. Having a shared basement, attic space, and walls with a neighbor makes it very difficult to hide weed smells that find their way sometimes...and god forbid you have a flood(happens to the best sometimes)...then all hell breaks loose.
Just want you to be safe...would want someone in a med state even to watch growing in shared properties even. It can be difficult enough hiding smoking..or even a small cab in an apt situation.

 

[legaleyes13]

I might be talking out of my ass here..and I'm sure ttystikk will set me straight...but I think 1.5 would be on the weak side for 4 rez's and ambient air for just 2 lights. This is some high tech stuff. You could cool ambient air..rez's..liquid cooled CO2 burner..and even a liquid cooled dehumidifier..which would run so cool you basically turn the dehumidy into a small AC unit.
BUT..we are talking a few tons of cooling..maybe a 3 hp would be closer. It's a huge investment up front..but pays out in the long run.
It means becoming a plumbing pro of sorts and also means having another rez..which brings to the main point I want to discuss with you..which is growing with neighbors in the same building. I prefer to rent run down houses where the landlord is pretty much guaranteed doesn't want to be bothered making repairs and maintaining shit while you live there. I like basement access as well as attic access. God knows we have to be creative when it comes to wiring, plumbing, and venting our grows as can be. Having a shared basement, attic space, and walls with a neighbor makes it very difficult to hide weed smells that find their way sometimes...and god forbid you have a flood(happens to the best sometimes)...then all hell breaks loose.
Just want you to be safe...would want someone in a med state even to watch growing in shared properties even. It can be difficult enough hiding smoking..or even a small cab in an apt situation.

I really do appreciate your concern, but I should be fine. I'll have the room tricked out properly and odor will not be an issue. Flooding might, but I'll just have to be super careful. All of my research (which isn't much) says a 1-1/2 hp unit should handle my room.

But I'll ask you since ttystikk hasn't gotten back to me yet. When I grab that unit will I be good to go, or do I need an air handler of some sort? Hopefully, ttystikk will post his setup.

 

[legaleyes13]

Trying to figure out how to cool this room stealthily is driving me crazy. I've already spent money on a window unit thinking that I'd have my own basement to work with.

Do any of you guys know of a way that I could rig up this window unit to work for a bedroom? I know I could build a box for it, but I can't think of a place to expel the exhaust. I'm thinking maybe if I expel it off to the far end of the room or even the closet and try to keep it away from the canopy by having fans blowing it away from the canopy.

 

[Natural]

you could vent it out the fart fan in the bathroom..although this is usually only a 4" duct. as for air coming in for lights and ac...hmmmm...cracked window or a sucking througha dryer vent perhaps..not alot of options without basement or attic...and it's quite a bit of heat too

but you've heard enough from me..the squeaky wheel..I'll jump off and let someone else get a word. ;)

 

[ttystikk]

I really do appreciate your concern, but I should be fine. I'll have the room tricked out properly and odor will not be an issue. Flooding might, but I'll just have to be super careful. All of my research (which isn't much) says a 1-1/2 hp unit should handle my room.

But I'll ask you since ttystikk hasn't gotten back to me yet. When I grab that unit will I be good to go, or do I need an air handler of some sort? Hopefully, ttystikk will post his setup.

I have posted my setup. It's on here somewhere...

The 1.5 hp chiller will be roughly equivalent to one ton. It should suffice for multiple RDWC, and cooling plus dehuey for a sealed room with 2 kW of HPS, not sealed or vented. You will need two 8" Iceboxes with muffin fans blowing through them, one hooked up to a thermostat and the other hooked up to the humidity controller. Count on one of both to run all the time, which is fine. Your chiller system should not share its water with anything that plants see; temperature control should happen through water to water heat exchangers. This system should have a reservoir about 20 gallons or so, in a well insulated container (a big ice chest would be great), and a reliable pump that pushes plenty of water, say 1/4 hp from Flotec or similar. Do not go cheap on your pump; if it fails, everything else will in short order.

 

[ttystikk]

You need to stick this thing out the window in the summer, no way you'll get by any other way. Keep in mind you're trying to shed the heat from a 2000W hair dryer that's been left on all day. In winter it will heat your whole place if you play your airflow cards right!

One big advantage of the ChillKing unit is that it's basically a heavy duty air conditioning unit with a water heated evaporator coil. All the rest is the same, and therefore from the outside it's indistinguishable from a normal window banger.

It's very important to run a second bloom room on the flip schedule of the first in order to take full advantage of the technology's efficiency benefits.

 

[legaleyes13]

you could vent it out the fart fan in the bathroom..although this is usually only a 4" duct. as for air coming in for lights and ac...hmmmm...cracked window or a sucking througha dryer vent perhaps..not alot of options without basement or attic...and it's quite a bit of heat too

but you've heard enough from me..the squeaky wheel..I'll jump off and let someone else get a word. ;)

lol... I'm sorry for all of the questions man. I really am. I can sense that I'm getting somewhat annoying, but I'm gonna be moving in shortly and I have everything covered but this cooling problem. The bathroom is across the hall from the room so I don't think that would work. I'm thinking I'm gonna setup a 10x10 grow tent and cut out a hole for a window a/c and do things that way. I'd rather not, but I can't figure anything else out.

 

[legaleyes13]

I have posted my setup. It's on here somewhere...

The 1.5 hp chiller will be roughly equivalent to one ton. It should suffice for multiple RDWC, and cooling plus dehuey for a sealed room with 2 kW of HPS, not sealed or vented. You will need two 8" Iceboxes with muffin fans blowing through them, one hooked up to a thermostat and the other hooked up to the humidity controller. Count on one of both to run all the time, which is fine. Your chiller system should not share its water with anything that plants see; temperature control should happen through water to water heat exchangers. This system should have a reservoir about 20 gallons or so, in a well insulated container (a big ice chest would be great), and a reliable pump that pushes plenty of water, say 1/4 hp from Flotec or similar. Do not go cheap on your pump; if it fails, everything else will in short order.

ttystikk, you're the man. I appreciate all your help, but this is looking like more trouble than it's worth. I'm against putting my lights on a flip, and I don't want to get a bigger chiller than what I posted. Not to mention hooking up everything to the chiller when I only intended to cool the air, not the reservoirs, dehumidifiers and etc.

I'm just gonna rig up a tent and cut holes for a window a/c. It won't be efficient, but it should work. Or all just revisit the whole mini split thing, and see if I could figure out a stealth option for that.

 

[ttystikk]

lol... I'm sorry for all of the questions man. I really am. I can sense that I'm getting somewhat annoying, but I'm gonna be moving in shortly and I have everything covered but this cooling problem. The bathroom is across the hall from the room so I don't think that would work. I'm thinking I'm gonna setup a 10x10 grow tent and cut out a hole for a window a/c and do things that way. I'd rather not, but I can't figure anything else out.

What's wrong with buying two tents, each 5 x 10 and running the flip? Circulating the air back and forth actually recycles CO² from the plants in the dark, and helps regulate temperature and humidity on both sides. Run just one CO² tank- this is too small for a burner- and keep the room sealed up tight.