1st Grow- Heat And Height Problems In Odd Dimension Growroom

[NormieNube]

Greetings and salutations
I have just started my first microgrow (soil Roots Organic when (if) I replant and FFOF to start) and am already having problems. The space has strange dimensions such that I have a small door ~30X30 inches maybe a bit bigger that leads to a strange little room that has about a 3x3 ft space that is only 4ft tall then it slopes down for the remaining space about 4ft creating a long space with a triangular wall away from the light that is admittedly overpowered. The light was free (1000W HPS) and came with a 6" fan so that was my inspiration. It can get hot in my house but even on cool days the after only an hour of light the room got to near 100 degrees F. I have already put way to much time and money into this grow so failure is not an option. I actually made the door and replaced the old one as we are in a rental unit. I cut two 6" holes in the door and have a carbon filter bringing in air near the non-air cooled 1000w HPS hood and the other hole is passive intake and electrical intake. I have five clones most indica to cut down on height. I think I will have to by an AC especially for the summer months. I plan on doing some aggressive "low" stress training to maximize the space and growth. Because of the oddness of the room shape I do have some extra room that I want to maybe put a CO2 producer in because of the high heat I thought this could counter act the heat with a little CO2. I was thinking of the simple yeast but maybe I should invest in a Mr.Beer homebrew setup or even something bigger?

Am I crazy for putting such a high powered light in a room with such little height? Yes maybe, what can I do? What is the min height you would put a 1000W hps from the plants? Is CO2 a useful idea? I had my fan on low for the sound but I think the AC unit will be pretty noisey. I had to put the magnetic ballast in the room to stop the annoying hum. I really want a quiet operation.

 

[Navillusii]

First step i'd take is moving the ballast out of the room. Second, if your gonna run co2 your room should be "sealed" (No air exchange) Third, if you air cool your hood you can run 8-12 inches from the plant. Place your hand under the light and if its uncomfortable move it up.

No i don't think a 1000 watt is overkill, but if you have cooling problems i'd size down to a 600, I do that in the summer because it gets to warm. Hydrofarm makes a good a/c unit, its 12000 BTU (I believe 1 ton). Ive run mine for a little over a year straight with no issues. Hope this helps.

 

[NormieNube]

The Ballast is so noisy tho. Its a sunsystem non digital one and the hum is super annoying and surprisingly loud. I don't have a good way to wall mount it and stealth is preferred so I just have it on a concrete block in the room. Are digital that much quieter? I have thought about buying a digital one that can do other wattage as well just in case I want to downsize the light. I'm not trying to spend a ton more money until I get at least one good harvest but I do want to do it right the first time. I am thinking about decent AC and putting it right by the door. As far as sealing the door to air and light is weather stripping the goto? Its definitely not air right now and the space around the door isn't exactly even. I used a door sweep underneath but its still a little short. Inside the room is covered in mylar that I attached to cardboard that is attached to the concrete walls with silicone. I am paranoid about fire so I bought the fancy ballast timer and a heat activated fire extinguisher.

I guess I'm wondering what will be most effective at cooling and which I can do without. I don't really mind buying an AC because it can get hot in the summer anyway.
1) Portable AC right by the air intake
2) Air cooled hood instead of wings that were free
3) Digital Ballast assuming I keep the ballast in the room
4) Some passive/cheap CO2 to help the plants deal with the higher temps

 

[Navillusii]

Extinguishers for the win! Got them all over the house. Anywho, digital are about as loud as a computer fan, they are pretty awesome. AND HOLY SHIT, I didn't catch the "wing" part.
So if it was me I would purchase an ac and place it in the room, i'd also grab an inline filter for its exhaust, and finally purchase the air cooled hood. If you could only do one, i'd suggest the air cooled hood, that will move some serious heat away from those bulbs.

 

[DemonTrich]

Run far far far away from hydrofarm aka active air anything. I tried 3x 14k portable a.c. and all 3 epically failed. It couldn't even blow out cooler than 75* air....not even in the grow room.

I currently use a 14k LG portable and it FN rocks!

2nd on moving ballast out of the room. If your worried about a bit of noise, what ya gonna do when it's week 5+ in flower or harvest time when you stink up the 4 houses next to you.

 

[NormieNube]

The ballast noise is more for me than for the neighbors. Thanks for the response tho. I have a large carbon filter and 6 inch inline fan that blows out of the room. My intake and outtake are likely a little close to each other but the outtake is at least a bit higher than the intake. I think getting an air cooled hood could be crucial as I only have a little height to work with. The AC will be nice either way when the summer hits is a craigslist find 120 for 12,000 BTU but there is no removal water bucket and things could get humid in there. I feel like the light is 20 times the heat output of the ballast and its really annoying as it is in the main living area. Plus with the ballast in the room our living area looks legit if people come over which is nice. I have one oscillating small fan in the room too. Maybe another one? Of maybe I just need to crank my fan to full blast....I have been keeping it on low because the room is so small but it doesn't make that much noise anyway. For noise I'm worried about the nighttime when ambient sound is low (and temperatures....). I'm going to look at an AC unit today and I might call the hydrostore and get a price check on a air cooled hood. Thanks again. Pictures to come.

 

[DemonTrich]

Adding more fans just moves more hot air around.

As far as intake and exhaust placement. Since heat rises and cold air sinks, put your intake low to the floor, and exhaust our the ceiling or upper part of the wall.

 

[Navillusii]

Run far far far away from hydrofarm aka active air anything. I tried 3x 14k portable a.c. and all 3 epically failed. It couldn't even blow out cooler than 75* air....not even in the grow room.

I currently use a 14k LG portable and it FN rocks!

2nd on moving ballast out of the room. If your worried about a bit of noise, what ya gonna do when it's week 5+ in flower or harvest time when you stink up the 4 houses next to you.

It was only 400 bucks, I figured i've got my money out of it. lol I will replace it with a lg though, had one at work from home depot and it was amazing!

 

[NormieNube]

I think the exhaust was too close to the intake. The door is so small and I didn't want the duct to get in the way too much when getting in and out. I think both might be necessary by the time flowering rolls around and they are even more temperature sensitive. It will require quite a few extra parts and more ducting which is a bummer, but I think I can do it and really should change the light position anyway if I were to use keep using the reflector hood.

I am having some luck cooling it now that I have the exhaust going outside which won't always be feasible. I think a AC will be in order always wanted one anyways. Lowering and raising the light sounds cumbersome if its all ducted in, plus the room will have even less headroom which is a bummer. I feel like the reflector is actually to narrow and is robing some of my beautiful mylar on the slanted ceiling of light. I guess I could also just bend the reflector back?

Pictures don't really capture the room well. But picture this all concrete crawlspace with 50" ceiling and a square portion 45 wide x 33 long(into the room ie. back wall is 33" from straight into the door) inches then the ceiling slants down to the left end of the space another 68" (so pretty long). All covered in mylar with a wooden frame built into the square tall part. Didn't want to drill in the concrete. This is what I am hanging the light from wide way and the filter attached directly to the fan with a special clamp along the backwall with just enough space to make the duct do a 90 degree turn and head towards the door along the right hand wall where the exhaust 6" hole is about 4 inches up and hingeward of the intake. This was for stealth that isn't need often. I think I should plan on having an extension from the door towards the ceiling at least and maybe even the closest door on hot days.

In order to put the can opposite of the fan with the light in-between would mean mounting the fan which is doable but not preferred. Can I just put the air cooled hood after the fan even tho its already warm air? I have stabilized the room at around 87 degrees still over 20 degrees warmer than outside and I even put a little cooler pack in the passive intake. The humidity reads 37%. Maybe a DIY evaporative cooler would be enough. Summer is coming tho I guess I should just go for the air cooled hood and AC. I just wish the hood weren't so narrow. I was hoping to have a pretty wide but low grow area and I think the narrow hood makes too small a footprint or least not shaped right. Any ideas?

 

[DemonTrich]

I have fixed lights. I use cinder blocks, wally world .$98 dish pans, or milk crates to raise my plants as needed. May be an option for you. Try raising 3 a/c hoods. You'll find some tricks and what not. Just takes time. Your never going to know everything in the beginning. Takes a few full cycle grows to get things dialed in and tweaked. I've been doing this for about 5yrs. I still learn new stuff and tweak things. Sometimes I screw it up and undo everything. But it's trial and error.

 

[NormieNube]

Oh nice tip. That sounds much easier. I think I have to go air cooled think this "Giantex air cooled hood reflector" cause its so cheap.50$. would love to support my local store but damn you amzon.....some say its not perfectly airtight...I have a huge fucking carbon filter is seems like so smell is a no no. I guess thats the chance you take with a cheap hood. Isn't the accepted way filter>hood>fan>out? I just have a passive in. Any cool products for sealing the door better?