a/c my room in the garage

[swampdank]

legalize: its 4.5x9 and the portable a/c works extremly well for me. i used to use a window unit but i found that it wasnt cooling to my standards so i replaced it with the portable. im running two 1ks and the temps sit right at 70-71 degrees. its right around 77 degrees outside now but i like the portability of standalone a/cs if need be i can move it even closer to the garden and cool even better. mind you my setup is in a garage with no window. so i got the portable cuz the window unit box wouldnt cool good enough

 

[dontlockmeup]

I was talking to you Larry.

 

[SuperLarry]

ru talkin to me?

 

[TGT]

Swampdank, I am glad to here your portable works well for you because this week I am going to set up a new grow room using 4 - 1000 watt HPS and I wanted to use a portable that I had purchased last year and never used. It is a 12000 BTU unit with 2 hoses and the room I am building will be a 15 x 15 foot room built in a basement that is 30 feet by 30 feet. So basically I will have a smaller room in a very large room. I have the portable unit already so to save money I was hoping I could some how make it work to cool the room and save buying another one. If I can't make it work I will do something else, but it would be nice to save a buck if possible.

My grow will be with the HPS hoodless and verticle as I have found this to be most effective for me. The problem is it really heats up the room not having vented or air cooled hoods, so I am wondering if this will work. I plan on moving the ballasts to outside the grow room so that should cut down a little heat. Summer is not here yet, but during the summer months it gets to a high of may be 90 degrees. The good thing is I am in a cool basement.

I have a set up already running that consists of 4 - 1000 watt HPS and the lights are verticle and hoodless and with it being in a basemet also the central air unit for the house cools perfectly. I don't have a central air unit in this house, so I will need to think of something new.

I hope I am not stealing this thread. I figured it would help us all out as it pertains to the topic, at least I hope it does.

TGT

 

[SuperLarry]

as stated above i am glad this thread is pulling in more insight of similar situations. room inside of a room and a/c. its great that we can fight off the summer heat together and grow on!

 

[iLLperception]

i also grow room inside a room, have a 5x8x8h inside about a 20x20. I use a window a/c but the hot exhaust goes into the bigger room and heats it up quick. I have been looking for a better way myself!

 

[PonicalChillin]

Does anyone have a link to a DIY AC Box for using a window ac with no window?
I could have swore I say one around here in the past.

Wouldn't having the window ac blowing hot air into the garage (or outer room) just cause the outer room to heat up..redering the window ac useless or overworked.

I know I attempted to do something like this in using a 4x8 homebox in an attic using a 6" vortex pulling heat off the back of the ac (no box was made..it was just hanging there). My ac's compressor would just turn off after a little while of being on and the thing would just blow hot air. Perhaps my ac was just old and on its way out anyways though.

If anyone could go into further depth concerning venting a window ac without a window that'd be great. Do you build the box around the entire back including the vents on the side (intake?).. or do you have those closer towards the front intake vents hang on the side of the room sucking in ac air?

Is the box around the ac seperated within to seperate the back half blowering air and the vents on the side?

 

[TGT]

The grow I have going now has 4 - 1000 watt HPS and in the dead of summer the central air conditioner from the house cools it off very nicely. So for people that have central air, it can work in SOME situations. Other situations it just will not work. Just thought I would mention this.

For this new grow I have no central air as the home has conduction heating, so there are no vents. I am going to have to think of something else and I was hoping this 12000 BTU portable I have hanging around doing nothing could be used. I know a lot of people say they are no good, but I rmember seeing a few set ups that were rather large working perfectly well with them. I think it isn't a case of them not working, it's a case of the window air conditioners are just more efficient.

TGT

 

[SuperLarry]

i think the consensus is that the window a/c are a little more efficient however a little harder to conceal. also the window a/cs are cheaper to buy. two of my favorite growers Pico and Neptune seem to keep to them i follow their lead.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

my 5200 btu window units were 99 and 84 (clearance sale) whereas my 13k portable was 550$....

 

[SuperLarry]

its working good so far. set the a/c to 74 and put it on energy saver. max temp in room is 78.

 

[dontstepongrass]

unless its a digital a/c you can use on of these to adjust temps day/night

cost me like 80$ at my local h-store.

whoa. that is a clever lil gadget. how does it work? does it have an internal thermostat?