24 plant - Flower room redesign - diagrams inc

[theTinker]

Hi Fellow Farmers.

Im redesigning my grow room for my second grow. First grow was built as emergencies needed. eg: from 9*23 cfls to a HPS 600 etc

For my second grow. I'd like to build everything i need up front and make a room i dont need to redesign each new grow.

I live in an Apt so I have no access to exterior walls for vents etc.
Smells must be a Zero.
I live alone so im quite free to do anything i want to the interior walls.

Size:

Plants:
I want 2 crops of 12 plants growing 4 weeks apart. They are DP Super Haze. About 3.5 foot height mature.

Lights:
During my first grow. I added a HPS 600 watt with reflector and my temperatures SOARED to 31C+. I eventually installed exhaust/intake and it fixed this to 24C. However now i want 2 HPS 600. Im a bit concerned about the temps.

Air:
Air ventilation is intaking room temperature air (from kitchen) into the room and the exhaust is pumping the hot air from the room into my living area (open plan living).
I have installed ducting to the intake that I can run over to the window at night(lights on) to suck in cold outside air if needed AND im alone/safe company.

Watering:
Watering is currently a nightmare. I have a bucket i fill in kitchen, carry it to the grow, place a plant in a tray, then water till runoff...wait for run off to stop...then move onto next plant... its Horrible.
Getting to the back plants is WAY too difficult since i cant reach easily at all.
I plan to run a tap into the room (kitchen sink is on other side of wall) and fill a bucket there, then buy a type of self pump water hose that will allow me to reach.

I'd like any advice or opinions on my plans please. The last grow i learnt to do things properly the first time rather than doing things twice eventually :)

I have some questions I'd like to ask.

1: Water.. How can i water the plants so that the run off runs off back to the bucket or even a seperate spill container. I was thinking some sort of raised bed with half pipes running under to catch spills?

2: Light Temp. The HPS 600 caused a disaster without my exhaust + intake installed. Installing a second will push the temps up. I dont know how much. Since im worried about temps. It makes sense that i just bite the bullet and install some cool tubes around the lights. Or even the new one.

3: The hot air exhausting back into my house has zero smell so im very happy with being able to use the hot air from the room instead of wasting it. It also saves me from having to illegally/noticebly breach my exterior walls. Has anyone ever had problems with scrubbing + exhuasting back into the home? Its a cold climate here.

4: Lights. I have a 600 HPS. I was thinking of using a 400 HPS for the bottom grow to make transition easier to the flower room from veg room (CFL grow tent). Is it just better to leave a 600 Hps Higher up instead of reducing light?

5: Noise.. My 5" exhaust fan makes too much noise since the ducting runs into my living area. Its screwed into wood that is screwed into the ceiling. I think about half the noise is vibration so i plan to attach it with a bungee cord next grow. My exhaust ducting is only 1 meter long AND contains a 90degree turn. I think installing a hard plastic turn will be less noisy than ducting? Any other ideas?

6: The intake air will be aiming towards the bottom plants mostly, Any issue with this?

Thanks very much for your help :)

 

[theTinker]

RE 2: I've decided to install a cool tube on the 2nd new light when i purchase it. I already have the reflector on the first so i can just add a cool tube to that if the temps are too high with a 2nd light.


RE 4: My cloning tent will allow the plants to reach about 4-5 inches before needing to be moved to the grow room. Im going to put in a 2nd 600HPS as i believe keeping the light about 2-3 foot above the plants will give them enough time to get accustomed to the harsher HPS.

 

[DrGreenz011]

Go Hydro.

Its cleaner and less hassel and you will get awesome results. Im thinking a Drip or an NFT system, with one resivour, get 6 gullies all draining back into the resvour. you will just have to get PH/EC monitors to keep an eye on the Nute. it will be a lot less hassle than hauling buckets to and from.

 

[theTinker]

I plan to go hydro next grow DrGreenz, It does seem to get better results but also seems to be less forgiving. Im going to grow this last batch in soil for a bit more of a learning curve. Appreciate the advice.

I bought my 600HPS/Ballast/cooltube today :)

On Saturday, I plan to begin DIYing the room up with some help from my friends.

 

[theTinker]

I've decided to buy an extra cooltube for my original light. Theres no reason not to and with plants above and below each other. The last thing i need is risk of a water droplet getting to my exposed light reflector. Off today to get some soil & extra cooltube & more ducting.

I came up with a design to deal with my water draning problem. Ill post up pics on saturday when we build it.

 

[Buddy Flowers]

One of those in-room AC units in the Hydrofarm catalog for like $550. They have ducting instead of sitting it in a window so it's suitable for your room within a room.

 

[theTinker]

Very happy with the work today. Organised some friends over to help build in exchange for a few after hours of smoking.

Installed 2 cool tubes venting through exhaust. Testing temperatures now but i think i might just happily pull off a 26-27C.

I installed the exhaust fan approx 5 feet from the exhaust hole into my living room, + hung it from a few hooks with wire instead of screwing it into my ceiling and its HALF the noise at least. The low level vibrations are all gone and the air flow sounds smoother

I've half built the drain system and will finish + test tomoro. Its basically a tilted platform so the water runs to the front and ill have a hole with a tube that it should drain into down into the water bucket. Fingers crossed. :)

Pics tomoro

 

[theTinker]

I built the room as diagramed up above. After a security problem, I had to move location.

However I stayed with the design. It worked well. However as i have no cold outside air. the temperatures were too high and the buds were not very dense.

I've reworked the room to now have a closed loop light airflow with 6" fan pulling air.
A 5" inch scrubbing the room and exhausting hot air.

and a 4" now intaking.

The room stays at 21C min at lights off and 28C Max at lights on. Humifity between 35%-45%.

This is 4C lower than before so im very happy with this! :D

 

[theTinker]

As for watering. I built some trays that fit on the top shelf. A hose fits into a hole in each (each tray holds three plants) and drains into a bucket.

This works very well :D

I water with a bucket and a hose + garden pond pump. It takes 10-15 mins for the top layer. ALOT better than the 1 hour of tedious moving plants around.

Thanks :D

 

[theTinker]

One of those in-room AC units in the Hydrofarm catalog for like $550. They have ducting instead of sitting it in a window so it's suitable for your room within a room.

Sorry to ressurect such an old thread. its come that time again where im rebuilding my room to be better.

Is this the type of system you meant?

If so, That needs an external vent to the outside world to work yes? Im unable to make any holes in exterior walls... Unless im mistake and I can duct it into my kitchen?