Using an LP gas heater in flower room

[GuySmiley]

I have a 3-panel ceramic wall furnace that is set up for LP gas. I need some heat in my flowering area when the time comes (soon). Will the infra red light interrupt the photoperiod?

 

[MIMedGrower]

I would like to hear thoughts on this too. There is a light red glow even from the oil filled radiator heater i use in my room at night. I have not had any reversals from it as far as i know.


the green led display on my light controller is actually brighter and also never caused a problem.

 

[HashBucket]

I have a 3-panel ceramic wall furnace that is set up for LP gas. I need some heat in my flowering area when the time comes (soon). Will the infra red light interrupt the photoperiod?

To answer your question ... I dunno.
The only way to know for sure is to just do it.
Watch for nanners or balls and IF you see them you'll know why.

Or just go full on 'preventative' and light shield it somehow. (which is my default - prevention).

What I am more concerned about is you killing yourself with too much CO2.
Do you have a controller on it that shuts off when you get to the right PPM for CO2?
Do you have a method to measure the PPM of CO2 in your room?

800 ppm is the sweet spot for PPM of CO2
1500 ppm will damage your plants.
2000 ppm will give you a hell of a headache.
3000 ppm will kill your plants.
7500 ppm will kill you.

It's a heavy gas, accumulates at the floor -- so when you pass out, you are in the soup.
This is one of those things that if you can't do it right - don't do it.
And jury-rigging a wall heater ... well, it doesn't seem safe to me.

There is two things I don't play with in a grow setup.
Electricity and toxic gas.

 

[GuySmiley]

To answer your question ... I dunno.
The only way to know for sure is to just do it.
Watch for nanners or balls and IF you see them you'll know why.

Or just go full on 'preventative' and light shield it somehow. (which is my default - prevention).

What I am more concerned about is you killing yourself with too much CO2.
Do you have a controller on it that shuts off when you get to the right PPM for CO2?
Do you have a method to measure the PPM of CO2 in your room?

800 ppm is the sweet spot for PPM of CO2
1500 ppm will damage your plants.
2000 ppm will give you a hell of a headache.
3000 ppm will kill your plants.
7500 ppm will kill you.

It's a heavy gas, accumulates at the floor -- so when you pass out, you are in the soup.
This is one of those things that if you can't do it right - don't do it.
And jury-rigging a wall heater ... well, it doesn't seem safe to me.

There is two things I don't play with in a grow setup.
Electricity and toxic gas.

It's not a jerry-rigged wall heater. T

To answer your question ... I dunno.
The only way to know for sure is to just do it.
Watch for nanners or balls and IF you see them you'll know why.

Or just go full on 'preventative' and light shield it somehow. (which is my default - prevention).

What I am more concerned about is you killing yourself with too much CO2.
Do you have a controller on it that shuts off when you get to the right PPM for CO2?
Do you have a method to measure the PPM of CO2 in your room?

800 ppm is the sweet spot for PPM of CO2
1500 ppm will damage your plants.
2000 ppm will give you a hell of a headache.
3000 ppm will kill your plants.
7500 ppm will kill you.

It's a heavy gas, accumulates at the floor -- so when you pass out, you are in the soup.
This is one of those things that if you can't do it right - don't do it.
And jury-rigging a wall heater ... well, it doesn't seem safe to me.

There is two things I don't play with in a grow setup.
Electricity and toxic gas.

It's not Jerry-rigged. It is marketed and sold (UL listed) as a ventless wall furnace for indoor areas outside of small air tight spaces. I'm not using it to heat a closet while I read a book. I knew the CO2 level resulting from LP gas combustion would rise. The stuff I've read sounds like CO2 is what MJ likes to breathe. I'm sure there's a ppm limit where benefit turns to harm. You shed some light on that with your reply. Something I need to consider for sure.

 

[StoninStanley]

You guys surely mean carbon monoxide, not carbon dioxide. Plants don't like carbon monoxide

 

[GuySmiley]

You guys surely mean carbon monoxide, not carbon dioxide. Plants don't like carbon monoxide

Nope
The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of propane is: C3H8(g)+5O2(g)→3CO2(g)+4H2O(g).

 

[SSgrower]

Propane not natural gas, ok. That may help the responses. I have natural gas heaters here, wondering what they will do to humidity and will study it next week.

 

[JJS009]

It's not a jerry-rigged wall heater. T

It's not Jerry-rigged. It is marketed and sold (UL listed) as a ventless wall furnace for indoor areas outside of small air tight spaces. I'm not using it to heat a closet while I read a book. I knew the CO2 level resulting from LP gas combustion would rise. The stuff I've read sounds like CO2 is what MJ likes to breathe. I'm sure there's a ppm limit where benefit turns to harm. You shed some light on that with your reply. Something I need to consider for sure.

UL listed means they tested it in a lab with perfect conditions, you might want to do some Google fu on how many people get sick or die from ventless heaters every year.

if everything is just right they work fine, when they aren’t quite right people get sick or die from carbon monoxide poisoning. There are better ways to heat that space.

I have been in the HVAC industry for over 20 yrs just for reference

 

[GuySmiley]

I appreciate the good information guys. In light of that, I will find a safer way to heat my grow room.
I heat with a wood stove all winter here in Michigan. Need to figure out a duct system, fan w/thermostat to get more heat from the stove into the grow room. Been using a fan to blow warmer air into the room. Its not keeping it as warm as I'd like.

 

[HashBucket]

I appreciate the good information guys. In light of that, I will find a safer way to heat my grow room.
I heat with a wood stove all winter here in Michigan. Need to figure out a duct system, fan w/thermostat to get more heat from the stove into the grow room. Been using a fan to blow warmer air into the room. Its not keeping it as warm as I'd like.

why don't you just get a co2 burner from a grow store?
you can find them at Amazon too.

That and a controller couldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks, and you'll be safe, and warm.

 

[HashBucket]

Propane not natural gas, ok. That may help the responses. I have natural gas heaters here, wondering what they will do to humidity and will study it next week.

When propane is burned it produces C0 and H20.
It will increase RH.
How much depends on a lot of variables.

I have to run a dehumidifier in the winter.
In summer the AC picks it up.

 

[Aqua Man]

1500ppm co2 damages plants? Nope no way no how even 5000ppm co2 will not damage plants. I mean yeah you need to run higher nutrient levels but damage the plants at 1500ppm??? Many growers run that high.

Sat in my room for hours well above 2500ppm never a headache. Granted long exposure with very high ppm is not a good thing but no way is 7000ppm gonna kill you... not even close.

7000ppm would be like 0.7% above 5% there are risks and over 1% is where I would limit exposure.

Here is a study show 50% co2 thats 500,000ppm and yeah thats freaking dangerous. But read further and find below 5% 50,000 much less risk but still I would be very cautious. 1000-3000ppm I wouldn't have a care in the world.

Carbon dioxide poisoning: a literature review of an often forgotten cause of intoxication in the emergency department

The goal of this article was to provide an overview of the literature available on carbon dioxide intoxication. Articles were included based on their focus on medical or physiological effects of carbon dioxide. Studies related to decompression sickness ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Aqua Man]

Now other concerns like carbon monoxide, possibly ethylene etc. Are a different issue so I would suggest if using any burners to vent periodically.

 

[fou88]

@GuySmiley did you find out if the infra red light interrupt the photoperiod??

I use in Uruguay(South America) LP gas heater for Veg and the benefits of having 2000ppm of CO2 are magnificent, after a few days there are any pest and plants grow faster. But never used them on Bloom because of the light.