AC in the room or in the tent? Small space

[Boio_]

Hey Ya'll,

I started this journey about a year ago and so far it has become one of my favorite hobbies. Now I want to up my game for the drying process which means I need to be able to downregulate temperature. I live in a small home which is basically one room + bathroom. My grow tent is 0.6mx0.8m but I do have space above the plants. My question is, is there any unit that could replace my ventilation and function as an AC as well as ventilation at the same time or does it make more sense to just downregulate the temperature of my room as a whole. If so is there a unit you can recommend? I got around 15sqm if I close the bathroom.

Thank you all for your support, without it this hobby would have taken much longer to take root.

Best regards
Boio

 

[revegeta666]

Just use an AC unit for the whole room. Same thing if you have to use a dehumidifier. Dehumidify the room, not the tent.

 

[Red October]

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[Switcher56]

What lighting are you using and what are the main causes for heat to be an issue? AC units are costly to run

Uh, he did say for the drying process?

OP, You control the environment, in this case the room. I like 70 deg @ 65% for drying (tent). Low and slow...

 

[cultivatorkid]

 

[troutman]

AC in the room. Leave the tent for plants.

 

[Boio_]

@cultivatorkid what is that called? I'm hard pressed for space, but there is a nook I could use.​

@troutman any recommendations brandwise, I have no idea about ACs, what to look out for etc.?

 

[troutman]

@troutman any recommendations brandwise, I have no idea about ACs, what to look out for etc.?

I've never used one. Just look at several models and check for online reviews before purchasing.

 

[cultivatorkid]

@Boio_ What kind of AC are you looking for? If you just want a portable or window AC, first need to figure out how many amps you have to use for the AC.

 

[SuperBadGrower]

That $1600 thing looks like it can barely house your average 2x2 harvest. maybe by the end of your life you can get that return on investment

 

[Ca++]

Why must AC always be so big. If you just want 500-1000w of cooling, you have to chop up a fridge. Using it as an inlet plenum

 

[Boio_]

@cultivatorkid as I have a very small room, the AC won't need to be that powerful I think. Mostly I'm just wondering if the ones in the 200-300€ price range are even worth considering. Anyone have experience with it?​

@Ca++ is an inlet plenum a space you send the air through that goes into the tent? Wouldn't it be easier to just get an old fridge with temperature setting? I do have a little corner it could fit in.

​

 

[Ca++]

It would be quite a project figuring out how to use a fridge like in the image above. The first mod would be thermostat, which is easy enough. Then dehumidification, which might be simply extraction. There would be considerable condensation issues that a fridge doesn't usually have to deal with, so drainage would need addressing. Later, that condensation problem might lead to humidification needs.
Using a fridge to supply cooler air to another space would only be a condensation issue. Most modern fridges route the condense to a cup over the hot compressor. This is ok for a fridge opened infrequently. If you use one as a dehumidifier they need a drain though.

This might all be for nothing. Much of peoples ideas regarding curing, align with peoples ideas their weed is the best. Blind testing has shown interesting results regarding just what does and doesn't make a difference worth chasing. While growing, your weed is living under conditions approaching a beach holiday. It's true that higher temps degrade the weed faster, but these studies are done over years. Not a couple of weeks. Logic tells you that what stayed on the plant under growing conditions, isn't likely to vanish in the next two weeks unless you really made a mess of things.

RH during the drying process is the key to not ruining the product. Once dry, many people like to smoke it then. No extended cure. We have seen timescales that go from chopping to dispensary in days. Some might say, preserving the weed is about not having it sat about degrading. Not sitting it about at lower temps,

100% fact, is that the RH while drying is the most important thing by a huge margin. Everything else is open to debate.


Personally, I wouldn't want my weed at 60% when cold. I want it at 60% at room temperature. If it were 60% cold, it would be dry at room temperature, which is where I'm using it. I don't like over dry weed, it's harsh. I wouldn't want my smoke in that machine above (looking at the dials) No matter what I'm told I should like. I like my weed almost sticky.

 

[Switcher56]

@cultivatorkid as I have a very small room, the AC won't need to be that powerful I think. Mostly I'm just wondering if the ones in the 200-300€ price range are even worth considering. Anyone have experience with it?​

@Ca++ is an inlet plenum a space you send the air through that goes into the tent? Wouldn't it be easier to just get an old fridge with temperature setting? I do have a little corner it could fit in.

​

Back to the drawing board! You measure your room, room size dictates the amount of BTUs required. When they went from Freon 12/TF to 138A the cooling capacity of the refrigerant was greatly reduced. IOW when once one would select lets say an 8000BTU unit, now you require a 10K unit, to prevent compressor cycling (read unwanted wear and tear on the unit). This is the approach you need to take and it has nothing to do with growing cannabis perse. Chose a brand name and you should be fine. Everyone want's to grow weed as cheap as possible. Heck you are growing weed, therefore, you should be able to withstand the price of an AC unit. I have paid my grow equipment/peripherals many times over. Buy the best you can afford and look in the rear view mirror, and, in my humble opinion, if you can't do that, I suggest you wait until you can!

 

[Boio_]

@Switcher56 thank you for your reply. As I have no idea about these machines yet, I was looking at this type. Do they have any power at all? The room is at 26° celsius and I was thinking of getting it to 20° with it. If it would run me down more than 300€ I don't think its worth it, as summers aren't that long. I'm considering it as it would have the nice added benefit of cooling me down too, making work more productive in general.

 

[cultivatorkid]

I had a $260 portable AC I used in a 12x12 bedroom with a 2ftx2ft grow tent. 8000BTU ASHRAE it worked fine.