Closed or open system?? (using a 13,500btu Portable A/C, 8" Vortex, and more...)

[DoctorFungi]

Ok my partner and i are setting up a room and we are having a disagreement about how all of our equipment should be set up....THC Farmers, pls chime in on the way you would set all this crap up, thx for ur time farmers.

OK equipment listed as follows:

2-600w HPS(with 1 or 2 more added at flowering onset)
2-8" Aircooled Hoods
1-8" Vortex
1-8" Carbon Filter
1-13,500 Btu AC with dual 4" hoses(one is intake, one is exhaust)
1-4'x8' Ebb and Flow Table w 70gal Botanicare Res
Plus lots of lil odds and ends(PBPnutes,Tri-Meter,Hygrometer,PH Down,Air/water pumps+Airstones,6"Cubes,60-1L containers w mesh bottoms,4Bags of Hydroton)

Ok the room measures about 13' x 10' w 8' ceilings, and we currently have the lights/hoods up above the 4x8 table w/ 8" ducting that runs to a piece of plywood mounted in the window.....We installed this piece of plywood in the window w/ 2-4" holes(for A/C) and 1-8" hole(for the air cooled lights/hoods). The A/C was installed in front of the window with the 2-4" hoses running to the 2-4" holes in the plywood.

The problem were having is this:

I, want to close the system off(so the 8"Vortex would handle ONLY cooling of the lights), then let the A/C regulate the temps inside and supply CO2 if necessary.......

My homie, wants to take the easy way out and mount the carbon filter in front of the air cooled hoods, and vent the entire grow space, and cool the lights with ONLY the one 8" Vortex.

Wont the cool air from the A/C be directly vented out of the grow space?

Would the 8" Vortex provide enough cfm to vent the space properly and cool the lights, even with a huge carbon filter attached?

Thx everyone, any answers would be greatly appreciated!!!! i need to get this shit goin already, and im just trying to figure out the best way to do this.

Doctor Fungi :anim_44:

 

[mMmTHC]

Yea I was thinking on how I will be doing that also.... I'm going to follow this... Good post..

 

[lollipopman]

I have 2 6" air cooled 600's with a 6" vortex and 6" carbon filter they way i have mine is the carbon filter is at the ceiling my vortex is connected to that then blows through my lights out the room, i have no heat problems and the lights stay nice and cool to the touch...my ac unit regulates the temps no problem and i lose Little co2 with the vortex up high

 

[Sway]

Ok my partner and i are setting up a room and we are having a disagreement about how all of our equipment should be set up....THC Farmers, pls chime in on the way you would set all this crap up, thx for ur time farmers.

OK equipment listed as follows:

2-600w HPS(with 1 or 2 more added at flowering onset)
2-8" Aircooled Hoods
1-8" Vortex
1-8" Carbon Filter
1-13,500 Btu AC with dual 4" hoses(one is intake, one is exhaust)
1-4'x8' Ebb and Flow Table w 70gal Botanicare Res
Plus lots of lil odds and ends(PBPnutes,Tri-Meter,Hygrometer,PH Down,Air/water pumps+Airstones,6"Cubes,60-1L containers w mesh bottoms,4Bags of Hydroton)

Ok the room measures about 13' x 10' w 8' ceilings, and we currently have the lights/hoods up above the 4x8 table w/ 8" ducting that runs to a piece of plywood mounted in the window.....We installed this piece of plywood in the window w/ 2-4" holes(for A/C) and 1-8" hole(for the air cooled lights/hoods). The A/C was installed in front of the window with the 2-4" hoses running to the 2-4" holes in the plywood.

The problem were having is this:

I, want to close the system off(so the 8"Vortex would handle ONLY cooling of the lights), then let the A/C regulate the temps inside and supply CO2 if necessary.......

My homie, wants to take the easy way out and mount the carbon filter in front of the air cooled hoods, and vent the entire grow space, and cool the lights with ONLY the one 8" Vortex.

Wont the cool air from the A/C be directly vented out of the grow space?

Would the 8" Vortex provide enough cfm to vent the space properly and cool the lights, even with a huge carbon filter attached?

Thx everyone, any answers would be greatly appreciated!!!! i need to get this shit goin already, and im just trying to figure out the best way to do this.

Doctor Fungi :anim_44:

you are correct and your friend is not. Vent the lights only with the 8 inch. then get an additional fan for the main exhaust that will be scrubbed by the filter. Your ac will run more efficient, and u will have greater control over temps. you can cycle your main exhaust fan since it doesnt need to run 24/7. let the cool Co2 rich air from the AC sit in the room for 10 minutes or so, then cycle the exhaust fan on for 10 minutes. you can also implement Co2 this way.. i would cycle your exhaust much less if implementing Co2 though.

 

[robbiedublu]

Ask your friend why he would want to pay to run an AC and then immediately vent the cooled air out? That's nuts IMO.
This kind of stuff is one of the problems growing with a partner. Good luck !!

 

[DoctorFungi]

Sway, couple ???s...

you are correct and your friend is not. Vent the lights only with the 8 inch. then get an additional fan for the main exhaust that will be scrubbed by the filter. Your ac will run more efficient, and u will have greater control over temps. you can cycle your main exhaust fan since it doesnt need to run 24/7. let the cool Co2 rich air from the AC sit in the room for 10 minutes or so, then cycle the exhaust fan on for 10 minutes. you can also implement Co2 this way.. i would cycle your exhaust much less if implementing Co2 though.

Sway, so ur saying to run the closed system with the 8" vortex, then get about what sized fan for the room? From my understanding the dual exhaust A/c will bring air in and out, is this air that the a/c exhausts just from the back of the machine?(hence, needing the second exhaust fan) or does the dual exhaust A/C exchange enough air in the entire room by itself? would smell be a problem like this? Basically would adding an exhaust fan eliminate any need for co2? thanx for ur help bro

 

[DoctorFungi]

Ask your friend why he would want to pay to run an AC and then immediately vent the cooled air out? That's nuts IMO.
This kind of stuff is one of the problems growing with a partner. Good luck !!

I will, Thanx bro for the kind words, ill post some pics when its all set up...

 

[ugmjfarmer]

Yeah, why would you want to vent the A/C'd air out the room, or the CO2 for that matter? If you have that much into a setup, you mind as well buy another A/C just in case, and a dehumidifier. Run as many fans on your lights to reduce the A/C load, but draw the air from another space than your grow. Then Use the carbon filter in the room, and seal it.

That way your not loosing your CO2 and not loosing your A/C air. Not that it will increase yields any doing it this way, but CO2 is not cheap... and might in the long run be more expensive to not run a fully sealed room. If your going to vent all the air in the room out and then have to fill it back up with CO2 just to repeat that process all over when your temp/humidity goes out of spec, it gets expensive quick.

That is madness at $30 a tank or whatever your propane/nat gas costs.

 

[Greyskull]

if you're adding the co2 close the system... if not aircool it.
pretty simple.