Its starting to get cold, what to do?

[bluegrass]

Ok folks, as we all know winter is right around the corner. My single 1000 watt grow room is currently being cooled by a window ac unit. I know that in a month or so people might happen to look at a running ac and wonder why it is still running in the lat fall/winter. What can I do?

I remember reading somewhere about a window box, where the window could be cracked to let cool air in but keep light out. Does anyone utilize this method to cool their rooms? Is there anyway to do this without letting light seeping in and out of my room? I need to keep electricity at a minimum as well so this might actually let me throw another 400 watts in there! Thanks folks! BG

 

[CoughingMan]

To be honest, I doubt anyone will give the AC a second thought. I mean for all they know it's some kind of 2 in 1 heater/AC. Personally, I would leave it.

Then again, that's just my opinion, maybe it isn't a good idea after all... :D

 

[bluegrass]

LMAO hahah thats great! I love you guys! Fuckin crack me up, thanks mang! :):D:)

 

[Kuntjoose]

i dunno it seems like it would be noticeable to me. i personaly would be using a portable a/c they are kinda spendy tho for an acctual a/c unit, a swampcooler wich ppl think are the same thing can be alot cheeaper but acctually add lots of humidity. my advice would be to look into that if if u also think it might be noticeable for a window a/c to be running in the middle of winter when its 2 below with windchill.

 

[hererisssh]

I just read an interesting thread started by Holliherb that might be your answer if you're handy.


Set this to terminate on one side of a y duct adapter and run your exhaust into the other and this could look like a dryer vent, which is fine year round.

 

[HolliHerb]

wow ty hererisssh for using my thread! thats a first. :D

just for information purpose. The ac does not let heated air back into my room. I will be going out to buy insulated 6" duct to replace what I have. It's really quiet on the outside, not even the sound off air rushing out. However in that same room its gonna be quiet noisy...

if you want to cut down noise more. you can build a box around the side vents on the ac and duct that to ambient air within your home, then a seperate box for the rear heat exchanger and have that exhausting out of your house. I would imagine that cutting down noise fairly well.

I use Dow Foam board Tuff - R to build my box.

 

[hererisssh]

NP holliherb, it's could be a good solution to a pretty common problem (and you actually had a fair picture to boot). Have you had any problems with water build up? Condensation seems like the only potential pitfall. Maybe you could do a diy thread specifically about it hh.

The ac does not let heated air back into my room.

That's exactly why I thought it might be an answer for bg.:nod

 

[FastForward]

I'm planning on re-routing the input fan from outside to inside, so it gets a chance to get 'buffered'/warmer air heated by the oil heater in the room. Also, switch your night cycle to daytime so you get the warmth at night (also cheaper). We've got some weird indian summer happening here so it's not quite cold enough to make winter changes just yet.

 

[HolliHerb]

NP holliherb, it's could be a good solution to a pretty common problem (and you actually had a fair picture to boot). Have you had any problems with water build up? Condensation seems like the only potential pitfall. Maybe you could do a diy thread specifically about it hh.

That's exactly why I thought it might be an answer for bg.:nod

I haven't had issues with condensation. That might be because my ambient humidity is stable around 30. However I think some ac are designed to evap condensation or not have it at all. So far I have no puddling of water or any moisture buildup. not even in the same room which isn't much bigger then the tent. 10x10 roughly.

 

[bluegrass]

Great info folks thanks for the great ideas and keep em coming as Im sure this will be an issue for a few people here this winter! Peace and respect!

 

[ProGroWannabe]

Once the temps get down low (dunno how cold it gets where you are) can you cool the room with just a strong fan in a window? If so, you could consider boarding up the window on the interior, and installing an inline or blower fan in there. As long as there are blinds on the window, and your box was installed so that someone on the outside would only see the blinds, it might be stealth enough. Then you could just leave the window cracked open however far you needed it for cooling. Make any sense at all? Kinda tough to explain what I'm thinking here.

 

[bluegrass]

It makes perfect sense to me as I was thinking the same thing! Its starting to get down into the 50s here at night and I want to utilize that natural resource! That way I can throw 400 more in my flowering room just for shitz and gigglez!

 

[ProGroWannabe]

Let us know how it works out if ya don't mind.

 

[poutpup07]

i like the leave it in approach

if anyone asks just say its a heater/ a.c unit....then give them a simple idea like you know how your car can switch from air to heat ell, so does my window unit.
i have a ac unit in my window all year round but i dont have to run it in winter.as long as the edges are weatherproof. hope this helps a little
peace
pout

 

[bigbud318]

if your a/c is running in the winter time you would get major ice crystals forming from the vents on the outside. eventually your a/c would stop running as the ice will move into the inner workings of the a/c unit. you can't run a/c in the winter.

 

[ProGroWannabe]

Soda vending machines run an a/c unit in the bottom of their case through all seasons including winter. It's just a small, standard a/c unit in them, nothing specialized. And the A/C units are, in fact, exposed to the elements.....at least all the ones that I serviced years ago were. The coil that resides nearest to the rear of a window-unit is the condenser where the heat is actually removed from the refrigerant so that the refrigerant can return to a liquid state, where it goes back to the evaporator.

Don't get me wrong bigbud318, I'm not trying to be an ass. I just don't want others to be mislead into thinking that they can't do something that is truly feasible, that's all.

 

[bluegrass]

Well I have no choice now, the ac unit has completely quit working on me. I must get this addressed asap as I am ready to flower. This weekend it will be done. I am going to have some fucking monsters on my hands now so I will definitely need more light and cooler temps. What to do what to do. I am going to get this taken care of and fast. PGW thats great info on the soda machine tip! Learn something new everyday!

 

[ProGroWannabe]

No problem bluegrass! I was a road service tech for a major beverage distributor for a few years. Vending machines, bar guns, all kinds of good stuff. Let us know how you get it all worked out, man.

 

[hererisssh]

Solid advice all around. Any of these approaches will work. What ever you chose should be something you can stay with year round and be semi permanent is all. That's why I think a variation on holliherb's approach could be the answer. Disconnect the duct work heading to the ac in the winter and use an inline duct fan and hook up the ac for relief through the summer.

 

[bluegrass]

Great advice through and through folks! Man I love this place! Much appreciated!