Airconditioning Question

mace · Mar 29, 2010

Finishing my MPB build, 8k in lights. All of them are in cool tubes. Was originally planning on reworking the home AC system to cool the room, but came up on some extra money so gonna buy a separate system.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10999800&findingMethod=rr

Any experainced growers have a thought on using the above window AC? The room is 12x14x14. Technically it should blow the doors off the room in cooling, but with this much wattage i want to be sure i have enough cooling. So what's the call 25k BTU good enough for 8,000 watts in cool-tubed lights?

Much appreciated before hand,
Mace

Farmer Jon · Mar 29, 2010

Heya Mace,
The problem with a window unit is they allow smells and co2 to escape the room and make a possible entrance for pathogens and/or insects. If neither of those are of concern then 25k btu should be fine with vented hoods thats around 2 tons of cooling power and not a bad price, but will cost a bit in energy Consumption.
You would prob be better off with a mini split unit. It would be a higher initial cost but a big savings in the long run, not to metion it would not allow any air in or out of the space.

matamus · Mar 29, 2010

i have read places that you want anywhere from 1000-2000 btu\1000k light so if you follow that rule of thumb then you should be fine with that 25kbtu ac.

Lost · Mar 29, 2010

More like 4-5 btu per 1k. :)

KING_KONG_KOLAS · Mar 29, 2010

Since you have cooling tubes you should be more then good
with 25k BTU.

Jimmynitz · Mar 29, 2010

Lost said:
More like 4-5 btu per 1k. :)

I'd listen to Lost...when summer rolls around you'll understand! :sun2:

Lost · Mar 29, 2010

Yup, im 28k btu on my new 8 light setup but come the 2 hot summer months. if I don't suppliment it, i'll have to drop down to 5k ish..

Its the summer that fucks everything up so you need to plan for the week or 2 when its 105 (115 around where I live) for 2 straight weeks..

KING_KONG_KOLAS · Mar 29, 2010

Lost said:
Yup, im 28k btu on my new 8 light setup but come the 2 hot summer months. if I don't suppliment it, i'll have to drop down to 5k ish..

Its the summer that fucks everything up so you need to plan for the week or 2 when its 105 (115 around where I live) for 2 straight weeks..

Do you have cool tubes?

mcattak · Mar 29, 2010

5-6000 btu per 1k non air-cooled
2-3000 btu per 1k air-cooled

This is where I used to buy all my ac units

go to page 5 and you will find what you need...They have a/c year around and its not WALLMART..

Lost · Mar 30, 2010

with a good aircooled system 3k sounds like a reasonable estimate. Make sure you get an inverter style a/c thro so you can go waaay bigger, like 5k a light and the a/c will just run real easy. Check out Harbor Point a/c's as well. You really want an inverter unit and most of them you get a 30% of price tax rebate...

matamus · Mar 30, 2010

Lost said:
More like 4-5 btu per 1k. :)

true depending on locale, if ya live where its hot a good portion of the day and night then hell yes the more the better, and if your lights won't be covered and vented, but if ya get the biggest one ya can then you will have all your bases covered.

mace · Mar 30, 2010

Follow-up in case anyone else is watching this thread. $storeSearchZipLayoutButton.x=0$isQvSearch=$Ns=p_product_quantity_sold|0#prod-tabs"]Lowes : AC unit Decided to go with this unit for $500 bucks. Seems like it will work for the first go around with my new room. I've already invested nearly every red cent into this new style of growing, so rather than the split unit ill have to make due with this one for now.

Socachi · Mar 30, 2010

Lost said:
with a good aircooled system 3k sounds like a reasonable estimate. Make sure you get an inverter style a/c thro so you can go waaay bigger, like 5k a light and the a/c will just run real easy. Check out Harbor Point a/c's as well. You really want an inverter unit and most of them you get a 30% of price tax rebate...

Lost what is an inverter style AC unit?

Would a window unit swamp cooler work?

Farmer Jon · Mar 30, 2010

Swamp coolers create to much humidity for an indoor flowering room.

Sway · Mar 30, 2010

hey brother mace, theres an old thread on here somewhere called "AC my grow"... i believe hunter made it. but it has shit tons of great info on how window units work, and the condenser boxes we were talkin about... i tried to search for it and find it with no luck... i used to have it bookmarked.. maybe someone remembers what im talking about and can find it. it was a few years ago i believe..

Lost · Mar 31, 2010

What is Inverter Technology?

Traditional A/C & Heat Pumps have single speed compressors that run until the set temperature is reached, then shut down. As the ambient temperature varies from the set temperature the compressor switches on again, and this cycle repeats itself. The DC Inverter compressor is smarter, more advanced. Rather than turning on and off, it instead adjusts its operating speed and capacity to maintain the set temperature and eliminates the frequent stopping and starting required by standard systems. This creates substantial energy savings and also reduces wear on the system by eliminating the continual on/off cycles

Socachi · Mar 31, 2010

Thanks Lost. Any info on swamp coolers, are they good to use in a grow?

ncga · Mar 31, 2010

Lost

Thanks for all the info on the threads you have added to. In the past 4 hours I have changed my mind with almost every post on mini splits. I stated getting ready to buy a 14k ( $389.00) portable unit from Ebay at the start of the day LOL.

Well after all the reading I was set on the least expensive ( $650) 12,000 BTU unit I could get. After more reading and following links and researching, I'm going with a 12,000 BTU Inverter 16 SEER unit for about $895 with free shipping if picked up . It comes with 16 ft hose.

My question is can they be shortened?

Glad I took the time so far to do a lot of reading. By spending 200 more and going from 13 SEER to a 16 SEER Inverter I think will save a lot. I will still have my 13500 BTU portable but it should just be back up. Next year the Ice Box will be in place.

Now to find a HVAC guy for the final install

Thanks for the info

nc

TyKaycha · Mar 31, 2010

Socachi said:
Thanks Lost. Any info on swamp coolers, are they good to use in a grow?

With as much humidity that's going to be in the room, don't think a swamp cooler is going to help very much if at all. They're basically a big humidifier. They work nicely to cool a house in an arid area and help us humans feel cooler as the moist air evaporates off our skin. The room's air is going to be think with humidity. Need an a/c to dehumidify & cool the room.

noone88 · Mar 31, 2010

With vertical lighting, non-aircooled, the humidity in the flowering room is sub 20%. Previously, while using standard aircooled hoods, my humidity was in the 40-50%.

I am bringing in a swamp cooler to increase my humidity and help control temps a bit.

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