4000 watt room setup. Ventilation help

[simpleword]

Well, "better" is kind of relative term. Cooltubes are a very energy efficient way of removing heat. Using the cooltubes will let you use less electricity. (Not an astounding amount, however. Your lights will still dominate the energy usage.) The downside is obviously dealing with the ducting for the tubes. All that ducting can also become a pain in the ass when you are trying to move lights around.

Another thing to consider is that cooltubes aren't the greatest at throwing a nice, even, efficient light pattern. Generally, standard hood fixtures do a better job. They restrict airflow more, though, and need a bigger fan to get the same cooling as a cooltube.

If you don't give a crap about a few extra bucks a month worth of electricity, then screw the cooltubes and just buy more AC and use standard, non-cooled light fixtures. It will make your life easier.



Yup and yup. You probably want two in the closet -- one for your intake and one for your output. Its better to direct the flow where you want it to go rather than letting the pressure from one fan push or pull the air wherever it wants to. (like through the unpatched hole that you left in the false wall to your growroom)




If it was for a heater, it is almost certainly a 240V circuit. If you look at the breaker in the box, if it is a "double pole" breaker (like two single breakers connected together), then it is a 240V circuit. I would recommend having your electrician friend run that line to a subpanel in your growroom. (this is a little "breaker box" like your big box). Have him wire up four 15A, 120V circuits for your lights (I assume your lights use 120V -- most do), and a single 15A, 240V circuit for your AC. Most AC units in the 15K BTU range or larger use 240V. If he's really nice, he'll wire up the plugs for you too.

The whole job wouldn't take me more than hour or two, and I suck as an electrician. If your buddy is a pro, he'll probably spend more time at Home Depot picking up the parts than he will wiring the thing.

This route sounds pretty convincing. I'm thinking more and more about going through with it. The only snag I see is mounting the AC. Any AC in that BTU range is 26 inches wide and requires 29 inches minimum width to install. We were planning on cutting the closet door down to a specific height and then mounting the AC in the resulting gap (framed of course). I'm not sure how wide the door is (roommate is sleeping in the room right now) but I'm pretty sure it's not 30 inches (judging from my closet door).

I'm not sure about mounting it in the wall, aren't there studs every 16 inches or so? The only option left might be the window, but that might be a little suspect running an AC in the middle of winter; although it is on the backside of the house, 4 feet from a high fence, and the neighbor in that direction is 300 feet away. However, I'm not sure that the window is even 30 inches wide. Also wouldn't there be a little light leak through the AC?

If I could go down to 12,000 btu then I'm sure I could fit it in the door. I could also possibly buy a 8-10k btu AC and stack it vertically with my existing 8,k btu AC.

I guess I'll keep looking at ACs and see what I can come up with.

Thanks again.

EDIT: I found an 18k BTU AC that's just over 23 inches wide and I'm pretty sure it will fit in the door. Hooray. I can't believe how simple this will make things.

 

[mrgrowmez]

Merman - if all four of them have their medical recomendations does that mean 6 plants per person or 6 plants per house??
Simple - Good luck cant wait to see what you come up with

 

[simpleword]

Merman - if all four of them have their medical recomendations does that mean 6 plants per person or 6 plants per house??
Simple - Good luck cant wait to see what you come up with

Thanks!

It means six plants per person BTW.

 

[Joe A. Grower]

Joe: Do you know what the definitions for 'mature' and 'immature' are (Cali)? I didn't know about this part. I usually keep three or four Mothers for variety. Are they considered part of the 6 mature? Would I be out of compliance with 3 Mothers with 6 flowering? Sounds like that's the case....Damn! And then there's the clones! Now I'm really screwed up!

"Mature" plants are flowering plants. "Immature" means vegging plants. The law is designed to accomodate people growing from seeds. Obviously somewhere along the way, somebody told the boys in Sacramento that roughly half of all seeds planted are male, and thus worthless as medicine. More sophisticated propagation methods, like cloning, weren't really considered.

I would say if you have three moms, six flowering plants, and clones too, you are WAY out of compliance with the SB420 limits. Cops generally consider anything with roots to be a "plant." So moms are plants, clones are plants, and both vegging and flowering girls are also plants. Under SB420, if you have a doctor's reccomendation and are in possession of fewer than 6 flowering OR 12 vegging plants, you should not be arrested, have equiptment or plants seized, or otherwise get fucked with by the cops. Anything over that does not mean you are automatically guilty. It just means you don't get a free pass and have to justify to the Man how much pot you are growing. Your doc can also write a reccomendation that says you need more than the "normal" amount, but good luck on finding a doc that is going to stick their neck out that far.

Now, that being said, there are some real life realities you have to consider. First, cops don't know shit about growing pot. The most ignorant noob on icmag knows more about growing weed than the guys on your local narco team. Seriously, they are that fucking ignorant. When I got busted, the fucking DEA agent who was in charge actually put down on the seized property list a "1000W High Pressure Sodum Growing Light." What he actually seized was a 400W Metal Halide I used to veg clones. The fucker really didn't know the difference. A guy I met in court told me that he actually had to explain to the cops who raided him the difference between "mature" flowering plants and "immature" vegging plants, and show them the text of the local growing guidlines. Of course they busted him anyway.

Cops are some simple-minded, power tripping fucks. They really don't give a shit about the law. As far as they are concerned, if you are growing pot, you are a bad guy and you need to be busted. To the cops, anything with roots is a plant. If you are a single patient with more than 6 plants, be prepared to explain the difference between flowering and vegging plants. If you have more than 12 green little things with roots, fucking forget it. They will probably chop your grow.

If they can prove sale in any way -- like by the presence of baggies, scales, large quantities of cash, or customer lists, then they will probably chop your grow and arrest you even if you only have one plant.

The second major real life reality is that how sick you look will ultimately decide whether you get prosecuted. I knew an elderly lady in a wheelchair who was busted with 120 outdoor plants. That's twenty times the SB420 safeharbor limit, and really can't be justified in any way for a single patient. They chopped her plants, but she was never arrested, and all charges against her were dropped. Why? She's obviously old and obviously ill. The DA wasn't about to put her in front of a jury. A fairly healthy looking guy with far fewer plants was busted in the same town and was prosecuted to the full extent of the law. That guy was me.

So there is your Lesson of The Day in Cali medical law and politics. The truth is that the whole situation is truly and completely fucked, and if you are growing at all -- even with a recommendation -- you are taking a risk. For the least hassle, never have more than 6 plants per patient, but don't think for a second that you'll never have any problems at all with Johnny Law.

 

[mrgrowmez]

dont want to steer this thread off topic but Joe do you mind me asking what ended up happening to you in the end? i mean with the cops etc
growmez

 

[simpleword]

OK Here's an update with the room. I have a co2 injection kit and monitor/controller, co2 cylinder, 18000 BTU AC, half the lights (other half on the way), sub panel will be finished tomorrow, got faux walls in the room so it's 8x8, floor covered, and a bunch of other small stuff. I'll be posting pictures here soon.

My big concern here is the AC. So far the plan is to mount it in the closet door way with a cut down door below it. I've drilled a 6 inch hole in the ceiling of the closet. If I vent directly out of the back of the AC with a 200 cfm or so fan, into the ceiling, will it pull the heat out of the closet? There is a window right in the grow room but I am still kind of weary about using the window. I'm sure light will leak through the AC. Although I live in a rural area and there is a fence that is about 7 feet high about 3 feet away from the window. Check out the diagram and see if you think it would be kosher to do the AC through the window. That would make life much easier.

Thanks for any input, I'll be ready to start within a few days if I can figure out this AC situation.

 

[Guest]

Do it through the window opening bro,I've been doing it that way for years and I dont live in a rural area,neighbors on each side and across the street.Get the black plastic sheeting from the paint section in home depot to cover all light openings after you mount your unit.Use silver tape not duct tape it seals/sticks better and for longer.Thats really nothing to worry about unless someone is watching you for some reason.All my windows in the house are blacked out just about,use venetian blinds and you cant tell a thing.Get plastic blinds as the metal ones warp under the heat and humidity.

 

[simpleword]

Right on Ballastman, I may just do that then.

Thanks for all your advice on this thread and the other.

BTW were you a member on OG? Your name sounds familiar.

 

[Guest]

Yes ballastman SKELETOR SKELEballast ballaster one other that doesnt come to mind.O yea sparkjumper