Grow tent a/c or solution for high temps?

[Southernuncle21]

Does anyone know of a small a/c unit that can fit in a 5x5? I don't need a large unit. Just one that can bring the temp down a little bit. And I have a/c in my house but the tent is reaching close to 90f in a house that is around 70f.

 

[Cirroji]

Does anyone know of a small a/c unit that can fit in a 5x5? I don't need a large unit. Just one that can bring the temp down a little bit. And I have a/c in my house but the tent is reaching close to 90f in a house that is around 70f.

do you have your lighting schedule set to optimum timing vs natural heat? (setting it to it's dark period during the hottest ambient temperature times?)

I've made a small swamp cooler before out of a used camping cooler. then switched them to the basement and called it a day. now they have their own room and will get a window AC

i know a-lot of people here are big on mini-splits but that's a big upfront cost

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Does anyone know of a small a/c unit that can fit in a 5x5? I don't need a large unit. Just one that can bring the temp down a little bit. And I have a/c in my house but the tent is reaching close to 90f in a house that is around 70f.

I've seen many people using portable, vent out the window through a tube style AC units although my inclination in your situation is to look at adding forced intake air especially if the ambient air surrounding the tent is in the low 70's.

I use a 6" carbon scrubber inline fan to force intake air into my tent. I adjust my 8" carbon scrubber exhaust system to match the airflow and keeps the tent sides from sucking in or blowing outwards. My tents are 5 x 5 and 8 x 4 sized and I'm able to keep my temps about 80F +/- 2 degrees. The plants love the airflow and fans cost less to operate than a portable AC unit.

 

[Budclarkson]

Does anyone know of a small a/c unit that can fit in a 5x5? I don't need a large unit. Just one that can bring the temp down a little bit. And I have a/c in my house but the tent is reaching close to 90f in a house that is around 70f.

20F rise is pretty high.

What do you have lighting (watts) and is it in a closet or small enclosed area?

 

[Eledin]

That is completely normal IF you dont have proper airflow. Wether youre using LEDs or not youre generating heat constantly rising the temperature inside the tent, and that heat wont go away unless there is proper airflow. If thats your case then invest in that first as it will also refresh the air inside, its good for your plants in many ways. If you already have ventilation and still reach high temperatures then yes, you might wanna buy a mini AC but I cant help you with that, maybes someone else can recommend you one.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

That is completely normal IF you dont have proper airflow. Wether youre using LEDs or not youre generating heat constantly rising the temperature inside the tent, and that heat wont go away unless there is proper airflow. If thats your case then invest in that first as it will also refresh the air inside, its good for your plants in many ways. If you already have ventilation and still reach high temperatures then yes, you might wanna buy a mini AC but I cant help you with that, maybes someone else can recommend you one.

I'd rather hear more about the set-up before recommending a portable AC unit. If the tent isn't in a confined space, the ambient air temperature in the low 70's should be sufficient to cool the interior of the tent. The OP would need to introduce fan driven intake air. I use a 6" carbon scrubber to deliver clean cool filtered air into my 5 x 5. My 8 x 4 has an 8" carbon scrubber filtering intake air. Both tents also have an 8" carbon scrubber exhaust system. If the ambient air is already cool enough, then air flow through the tent should be enough to cool a tent illuminated by LED lights. HID are a different story and a person would be better off enclosing an HID in a cool tube with active air exchange.

I have a portable AC unit in storage. I'm not a fan of them. They are extremely expensive to run and not all that efficient.

 

[Southernuncle21]

20F rise is pretty high.

What do you have lighting (watts) and is it in a closet or small enclosed area?

It's a 5x5 set up in a 15x20 bedroom with good airflow. The room stays pretty cool in the summers, that is why I set up in that room. Last year I had two smaller lights in the tent and it did not get nearly that hot this year. I have a brand new phlison FD6500 and that bad boy is putting off some heat

 

[Southernuncle21]

I'd rather hear more about the set-up before recommending a portable AC unit. If the tent isn't in a confined space, the ambient air temperature in the low 70's should be sufficient to cool the interior of the tent. The OP would need to introduce fan driven intake air. I use a 6" carbon scrubber to deliver clean cool filtered air into my 5 x 5. My 8 x 4 has an 8" carbon scrubber filtering intake air. Both tents also have an 8" carbon scrubber exhaust system. If the ambient air is already cool enough, then air flow through the tent should be enough to cool a tent illuminated by LED lights. HID are a different story and a person would be better off enclosing an HID in a cool tube with active air exchange.

I have a portable AC unit in storage. I'm not a fan of them. They are extremely expensive to run and not all that efficient.

I have a 5x5 in a large bedroom that reaches maybe 72 on a hot day. I have a 6 inch fan and filter. I'm running a clip fan and a 10inch table top fan. The inside has good airflow and tried different fan positions. I checked this evening around 9:30pm and it was still 88 degrees with the ambient temp of 65.

 

[Oldguy71]

You could put another 6 inch forced intake fan and or get a bigger carbon filter for better air flow. I assume your exhaust fan intake is near the top of the tent with air intake at the bottom . 65 degree lung room of that size really should be able to handle 1 tent.

 

[Oldguy71]

Can you lower your light and dim it so the plants get the same amount of light with less heat?

 

[Southernuncle21]

You could put another 6 inch forced intake fan and or get a bigger carbon filter for better air flow. I assume your exhaust fan intake is near the top of the tent with air intake at the bottom . 65 degree lung room of that size really should be able to handle 1 tent.

Yes I have a 12 inch carbon filter installed at the top of the tent to also suck the heat out. I think the light I have is getting too hot. I have followed the manufacturer recommendation on light intensity and height which the plants are liking pretty good. The phlizon light works really well but I think they might need to figure out how to produce less heat. I'm thinking I'm going to get another intake fan and feed it through the bottom to pump cool air. I feel like that has been the best advice I have received so far.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Yes I have a 12 inch carbon filter installed at the top of the tent to also suck the heat out. I think the light I have is getting too hot. I have followed the manufacturer recommendation on light intensity and height which the plants are liking pretty good. The phlizon light works really well but I think they might need to figure out how to produce less heat. I'm thinking I'm going to get another intake fan and feed it through the bottom to pump cool air. I feel like that has been the best advice I have received so far.

I use my old 6" carbon filter system with the carbon filter attached. I pump the air in at the bottom and allow the exhaust system to pull the air through. I use the carbon filter on the intake air to keep dog hair out of my grows. If you don't have that problem, a simple intake fan should be sufficient as long as it moves enough air for proper cooling.

 

[Mikedin]

It's a 5x5 set up in a 15x20 bedroom with good airflow. The room stays pretty cool in the summers, that is why I set up in that room. Last year I had two smaller lights in the tent and it did not get nearly that hot this year. I have a brand new phlison FD6500 and that bad boy is putting off some heat

Odd I’m running the same light in a 4x4 I’m only at about 30% but I had it crankin during the last run she does put out some heat for sure, but I was able to handle it with just a 4” spiderfarmer exhaust and carbon filter, my sensor will read 90 if I don’t post a mini hood on it to block the light from hitting the sensor directly, can you give us a temp sensor location?

Here’s a photo since the video isint working


That little white square of paper floating back and forth is just a 3”x3” paper square I cut a slot in the middle and slid the sensor through it then tape it so it dosent fall down, I keep it about 3-4” above the sensor, if I don’t the exhaust panel will read 90 while my thermometers right next to it read 80

 

[jamesmost]

Yes I have a 12 inch carbon filter installed at the top of the tent to also suck the heat out. I think the light I have is getting too hot. I have followed the manufacturer recommendation on light intensity and height which the plants are liking pretty good. The phlizon light works really well but I think they might need to figure out how to produce less heat. I'm thinking I'm going to get another intake fan and feed it through the bottom to pump cool air. I feel like that has been the best advice I have received so far.

Is tent vent dumping in room or going outside, if dumped in room, you are sucking that same hot humid air back into tent..
65° is main house or in grow room ?

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Is tent vent dumping in room or going outside, if dumped in room, you are sucking that same hot humid air back into tent..
65° is main house or in grow room ?

It's not that simple. Venting outside opens up a whole bunch of new variables that the home was not designed to handle.

In a modern home, heating and cooling is a tuned system and venting outside changes it efficiency dramatically. It also sounds like the room that the tent is in is large enough to handle the warmer exhausted air from the tent and still maintain upper 60's/low 70's ambient room temperatures. @Southernuncle21, is this correct? I vent into the same room without issues. I'm using 2 larger tents and 3 large LED bar light fixtures in the same room without issue. My ambient air temp is in the lower 70's outside of the tent and my tents seem to settle out at about 80f.

Hopefully an HVAC specialist will catch this thread and fill us in on the details.

 

[jamesmost]

My room is similar except smaller and more te to 12×12 3 4×4 1 2×2
Built this box out of insulation with a false wall on the outside to hide vents...
Brought my room temp/humidity down to good levels...
Also hvac in entire house
House 70°
Room 74° (was 78° b4 venting)
Tent 78-80° (was high 88° b4 venting)
Gonna suck some cooler air from under door with an extra inline as well....

Just a quick fix b4 I put in a mini split

 

[Novaracer69]

I personally think we have a airflow problem well a volume issue. That 8" is probably not enough for both tents. You can force air in but is needs to be pulled out. Have you tried using the 6" as a exhaust that connects to your 8" in mind a 6" is the bare minimum for a 5x5 and it better be a top of the line pwm inline fan. My 6" is advertising 400cfm it's perfect for my 3x3 or a 4x4. You would think a 5x5 alone would need 500cfm.

 

[jamesmost]

I personally think we have a airflow problem well a volume issue. That 8" is probably not enough for both tents. You can force air in but is needs to be pulled out. Have you tried using the 6" as a exhaust that connects to your 8" in mind a 6" is the bare minimum for a 5x5 and it better be a top of the line pwm inline fan. My 6" is advertising 400cfm it's perfect for my 3x3 or a 4x4. You would think a 5x5 alone would need 500cfm.

My 4x4 's have 6" ac infinity t6 temp/humidity activated
4×8 has t8
2x2 no active ducting us3d for cloning

 

[Mikedin]

It's not that simple. Venting outside opens up a whole bunch of new variables that the home was not designed to handle.

In a modern home, heating and cooling is a tuned system and venting outside changes it efficiency dramatically. It also sounds like the room that the tent is in is large enough to handle the warmer exhausted air from the tent and still maintain upper 60's/low 70's ambient room temperatures. @Southernuncle21, is this correct? I vent into the same room without issues. I'm using 2 larger tents and 3 large LED bar light fixtures in the same room without issue. My ambient air temp is in the lower 70's outside of the tent and my tents seem to settle out at about 80f.

Hopefully an HVAC specialist will catch this thread and fill us in on the details.

I agree with the HVAC issue venting outside I don’t run AC I just have my tents in the basement,

My FD6500 does get pretty hot, but with the ambient room temps he has he shouldn’t be hitting 90f with it

I didn’t even think about the multiple tent side of it, so yes I’m running that FD6500 like he is, I’m also running a 4x8 with a FC-E8000 right next to it, that tent runs at 83f 65% RH and dumps into the same room as the 4x4, the room they are in also has the furnace and hot water tank. ambient room temp (with both tents running) is 75-77. Tent temps average 4-6f higher my 4x8 is only running a 6” exhaust and filter and the 4x4 is running a 4” exhaust and filter and that is set to 82f and 60RH and 40% fan speed and it kicks on for about 2 minutes every 5 minutes or so


PS I’m still curious of the sensor location and do you have other thermometers in the tent to gauge off of? I keep mini hydrometer/thermometer at the canopy as well as another in a back corner to compare to my exhaust display readings

 

[jamesmost]

I keep my gavita temp sensor
And ac infinity temp/humidity on top of canopy, the gavita sensor has a plastic shield to block the direct light and get more of an ambient temp (according to gavita)