Air condition troubles. Need some idea's

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Randyb

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my problem is my garden is in a concrete room off my cellar that has no windows and only a door that I framed in. I can't punch a hole threw the foundation as they are all exterior walls. I have a 25000 btu window-wall mount frigidaire that I need to use. I grow for medical patients so there is little to no money for anything else.
Question, can you think of a way for me to sit the AC in my cellar on a table outside the garden and pump the cold in and the heat out a window. I thought of boxing the front and back and using ducting and inline fans to do the job but I'm stuck on the way the AC recirculates the cool air like it does in a normal window set up. Do I have to split the front box in a way ex.(horizontally) to pull from the cold output vents and use a passive duct to let the gardens air recirculate back to the unit.? Hope you can understand my situation. Its tough to type out in detail. Thanks for all replies.
 
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Growops

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i think you should have the ac in your grow area. istead of venting IN air conditioned air, build box around back of unit nd vent heat from out a window and when you build your box have the intake to the box come from a window so your using only outside air to cool your condenser that way no co2 is watsed but you must seal very well . ive also never done this but i have read many postsz on this subject as i was gonna this summer but im holding out for a mini split neext summer:) hope this helps but id use 900 cfm or more to do the job , you can also ask cannabis jon he has a section here called 'grow room ac
 
deacon1503

deacon1503

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Do I have to split the front box in a way ex.(horizontally) to pull from the cold output vents and use a passive duct to let the gardens air recirculate back to the unit?

i think this is the only way to do it. Within the ac manual should be the cfm for the interior evaporator fan that circulates the cool air to help gauge your inline fan needs. make the cold ducts as short as possible i would think and use insulated ducting for both the hot and cold. this is a sealed room i take it?
 
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Randyb

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Yes this is a sealed room but I think I may build an air tight box for the back and vent it outside through 2- 6" holes. Lows has vent kits and this would stay pretty un-noticed by neighbors. I'll suspend the the AC from the ceiling like they do heaters in a garage. Ill just have
to keep from smashing my bald dome off the sharp corners.

Thanks for the idea's
 
hiboy

hiboy

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Ya i think your on the right track with venting the side that is suppose to be outside the window. We have done something similiar with diff. type but will work the same.
Important to have some fresh air coming in also if ya not goin co2
hiboy
 
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TacomaComa

Guest
you need a 2 ton mini split. here is a heat pump model you can run in the winter. all it takes is a 3" hole to run one of these. to properly exhaust a 24k btu wall banger you gonna need to build a box and then get a powerful fan to suck out the heat. right there your at 1/3 the cost of a split. do it once and forget about it.
 
deacon1503

deacon1503

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Yes this is a sealed room but I think I may build an air tight box for the back and vent it outside through 2- 6" holes. Lows has vent kits and this would stay pretty un-noticed by neighbors. I'll suspend the the AC from the ceiling like they do heaters in a garage. Ill just have
to keep from smashing my bald dome off the sharp corners.

Thanks for the idea's

Try to keep your exhaust cfm above the 500 cfm/ton baseline. A CAP 6" is at 435 cfm. A single 12" at roughly 1000cfm will work, plus i think the 12" is a good value in cfm/$. My 2ton pumps out the heat. how many watts is it cooling?

you need a 2 ton mini split. here is a heat pump model you can run in the winter. all it takes is a 3" hole to run one of these. to properly exhaust a 24k btu wall banger you gonna need to build a box and then get a powerful fan to suck out the heat. right there your at 1/3 the cost of a split. do it once and forget about it.

I have to also agree with TC here, this would definetly be the simplest solution, for install especially. Unfortunatly, its understandable that some of us are not always that financially liquid, so ya gotta make do with what ya got.

How were you planning on installing the through-wall ducts for both the hot exhaust and cold side into the room?

Any pics of the space?
 
convex

convex

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Mount it to the top of your door jamb and frame it in and cut/shorten your door accordingly.
Add a drain line and run it to a condensate pump to deal with the water.
DUCT the back end to a window, the larger the better to cut resistance.

Cheers
 
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Randyb

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Mount it to the top of your door jamb and frame it in and cut/shorten your door accordingly.
Add a drain line and run it to a condensate pump to deal with the water.
DUCT the back end to a window, the larger the better to cut resistance.

Cheers

I've been here with this idea also. This may actually be the cheapest and easier as I only have a hollow door in place now so cutting would be tit an I framed the opening with 2x6's and lagged them into the concrete using a RAM so overall strength of the frame is there as well. I'll just have to learn to duck a bit when entering.

I have a 12" inline thats just getting dusty on a shelf that may be ideal to pull the heat out the back and send it up the chimney which is 10 feet away. I still have a few 2x6's left.
 
TrichromeFan

TrichromeFan

1,850
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Randyb,
I really think that deacon has the right idea. Mini split is the mac daddy. Not too big of a hole through any wall, and a good one is QUIET and powerful. Only catch is you gotta get a pro to get it hooked up right in almost all cases. Otherwise you will need more than a 6" to cool that unit that you have already. I use a 6" on an 8k. It was hooked up to a 12k before, and it was borderline. If you gotta do it yourself, get a 12 centrifugal not an inline axial style, and you will be set. There are pics on this site explaining exactly how to build it up. Best of luck with the project,

-TF
 
deacon1503

deacon1503

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I have a 12" inline thats just getting dusty on a shelf that may be ideal to pull the heat out the back and send it up the chimney which is 10 feet away. I still have a few 2x6's left.

great idea!

Randyb,
I really think that deacon has the right idea. Mini split is the mac daddy. Not too big of a hole through any wall, and a good one is QUIET and powerful. Only catch is you gotta get a pro to get it hooked up right in almost all cases. Otherwise you will need more than a 6" to cool that unit that you have already. I use a 6" on an 8k. It was hooked up to a 12k before, and it was borderline. If you gotta do it yourself, get a 12 centrifugal not an inline axial style, and you will be set. There are pics on this site explaining exactly how to build it up. Best of luck with the project,

-TF

u talkin about a squirrel cage blower?
 
TrichromeFan

TrichromeFan

1,850
83
Oh man, I missed the chimney! Yep, shoot it out the chimney fo sho.

I mean a fan like a can-fan or a vortex type. The axial "duct booster" style just don't cut the mustard when you need air pulled through a length of duct. A squirrel cage is also pretty good, but they typically are louder and draw more power.

-TF
 
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woody420

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Hows it going I just install a 12000 BTU unit and its working well. The only thing u need in two 8in holes bringing in cool fresh air to the unit from outside your room. U have to make a box for your intake around ur a/c. Then you will have to have an 12in exhaust. Fan pulling hot air out the the back of the unit brining the hot air outside your grow room. Have to make two boxes around the a/c for the intake and exhaust my a/c. Will bring the temp from 88 down to 82 in five mindswith 8 600watts aircooled 1600 cubic feet room. Hope this helps pm me if u want pics and info
 
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Shamrock

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Hows it going I just install a 12000 BTU unit and its working well. The only thing u need in two 8in holes bringing in cool fresh air to the unit from outside your room. U have to make a box for your intake around ur a/c. Then you will have to have an 12in exhaust. Fan pulling hot air out the the back of the unit brining the hot air outside your grow room. Have to make two boxes around the a/c for the intake and exhaust my a/c. Will bring the temp from 88 down to 82 in five mindswith 8 600watts aircooled 1600 cubic feet room. Hope this helps pm me if u want pics and info

do you have a good link for a DIY on one of these boxes?
 
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