Anyone know anything about Blueprint CO2 controllers?

[hush]

Someone I know is offering to sell me an unused CO2 generator and controller by Blueprint for a reasonable price, based on their actual retail price. It's still in the box, never been used, and has just been sitting in storage. It's being offered to me for $650, which is a pretty good deal but that's still not cheap. I have been considering buying a generator/controller for my grow room anyway, so I feel like I might have to jump on this, but I don't know much about this brand. I looked for reviews but didn't find anything. I don't want to buy a piece of shit, but I have been reading reviews of the common brands like Sentinel and I'm still finding people referring to those as pieces of shit, so maybe I should go ahead and buy this one? The model of the controller is BDCC-1, and the generator is CGLP-4.

Anyone know about these, or have used them?

 

[FlowerFarmer]

Is this for a sealed room?

If so, i'd say snag the generator and pass on the controller. You don't need a controller that sophisticated to turn on/off a generator according to a setpoint.

Something like their BCDCC-1 (digital) or BCC-1 (analog) would be sufficient for less money.

As far as reliability...I've got the BCDCC-1 on the way so we'll have to see. I normally like the old simple GreenAir SPC-1, but it doesn't appear to be easily available anymore as well as being way more expensive then the Blueprint stuff.



This isnt for the 2x2 tent garden in your sig right? Because if so I'd pass on the generator /co2 supplementation all together....

 

[hush]

Thanks for the reply. No this is for a sealed 8x7 room where my 4x4 tent resides. I guess I thought having the fancy controller would be nice for an eventual grow room upgrade, but if I don't need anything that complicated then I'd rather save money. I'll see if I can just buy the generator without the controller and then grab one of those cheaper units you mentioned. Thanks for the help!

 

[pezthetoker]

The blueprint control you are talking about is made by sunleaves. It's prett much the same as a sentinel or autopilot they are all nice controls. $650 is not a particularly good deal though, pretty regular price. My local hydro store would hook that up for $500 plus tax brand new , but isn't too far from some big stores has to stay competitive.
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[pezthetoker]

I would offer him 400 for the controller if I were you, that is if the other controls ( heating, cooling, humidity) will be useful for you.

 

[theother]

Thanks for the reply. No this is for a sealed 8x7 room where my 4x4 tent resides. I guess I thought having the fancy controller would be nice for an eventual grow room upgrade, but if I don't need anything that complicated then I'd rather save money. I'll see if I can just buy the generator without the controller and then grab one of those cheaper units you mentioned. Thanks for the help!

I have doubts about using a generator in a room that small, especially considering it is only going into one lamp. Are you using the larger room as a lung room and conditioning the air you pull into the tent? Fwiw I would go bottled gas.

 

[pezthetoker]

Also second that on the tanked gas. That is a small space for a generator. I would go with the control and a couple 20lb tanks (one for reserve while the other is being filled).

 

[hush]

Thanks for all the replies I appreciate it. Yeah I've decided to pass on this and I'm just going to purchase what I need from Amazon.

Bottle gas is not an option. Tanks run out too quickly and it requires too much of my time to go swap them out at the welding shop. A generator is the only thing that would get me through an entire grow without having to swap out anything multiple times. So bottled co2 is off the table.

I use the room as a lung room for the 4x4 tent that's inside it. My air conditioner is also in this lung room and not the tent itself. It seems like an ideal space to be burning propane, actually, so can you guys educate me on why the space is to small for a burner? My understanding is that I can plug up all the burners except for one, which will generate an ideal amount of co2 for the room's cubic volume. Why is 560 cubic feet too small for a generator? I'm seriously asking, because I've never encountered any warnings about using generators in small rooms. There's a high ceiling in there so there is plenty of space to let the unit hang freely and safely with the required buffer around it.

 

[theother]

Thanks for all the replies I appreciate it. Yeah I've decided to pass on this and I'm just going to purchase what I need from Amazon.

Bottle gas is not an option. Tanks run out too quickly and it requires too much of my time to go swap them out at the welding shop. A generator is the only thing that would get me through an entire grow without having to swap out anything multiple times. So bottled co2 is off the table.

I use the room as a lung room for the 4x4 tent that's inside it. My air conditioner is also in this lung room and not the tent itself. It seems like an ideal space to be burning propane, actually, so can you guys educate me on why the space is to small for a burner? My understanding is that I can plug up all the burners except for one, which will generate an ideal amount of co2 for the room's cubic volume. Why is 560 cubic feet too small for a generator? I'm seriously asking, because I've never encountered any warnings about using generators in small rooms. There's a high ceiling in there so there is plenty of space to let the unit hang freely and safely with the required buffer around it.

If it must be a burner (which I do understand in a non med state) then take it down to like 1 burner in that space. Usually a 4 burner will come with 3 plugs just make sure you leave the nozzle in by the piezo ignition.

If you get it down to 1 burner it shouldn't overshoot your set point too bad. I guess I like that the burner isn't in the same room as the plants. I don't really trust combustion, there are definitely by products.

I'm kind of assuming your actively exhausting your tent through a filter and pulling in passively. Is the ac a windowbanger? Will it work in the winter? Combustion definitely adds heat and moisture and the window acs don't work too well when it's cold outside.

Actually now that I think about it, that price was super high! Pretty sure I could get a blueprint/autopilot gen for maybe 190-200 and the controller (I don't know the exact blueprint model but assume it is shit because it is basically a cap product) I got an atlas controller for like 170. Pretty sure after tax and everything when I did a gen and controller it was like 500.

If you aren't near a good hydro store check ehydro and like greeners or something, there are deals out there"

 

[hush]

I do have a few hydro shops around me, but they aren't known for bargains. Most people around here know this and get their supplies online. I only use the shop for stuff like rockwool, coco, starter plugs, nutrient, that kind of thing. That being said, I've started looking online and I see that I can get a 2-burner generator and a basic analog controller for a little over $500 so I guess I'll go that route.

Yes, I'm in a non med state so I still have to be stealthy about what I do, so going into the welding shop to swap out tanks every week would make me nervous. I need to be able to make it through my grows without that kind of maintenance, for peace of mind.

I do use a window banger, but it works pretty well for such a small space, so I'm pretty sure adding a generator with only one burner wouldn't mess things up in terms of humidity, or heat for that matter. Also my window unit seems to work fine in the winter. It doesn't get too cold here anyway, but even when it does, the AC keeps banging away. So I'm pretty sure that all the logistics will allow for a generator, as long as there are no safety issues I'm not aware of when dealing with spaces that are smaller than 1000 cubic feet.

Are there extra safety precautions that can be added to the mix when burning propane inside of a room like this? Like using a redundant propane detector that will cut all power to the room if a propane leak is detected, or something like that?

 

[theother]

I do have a few hydro shops around me, but they aren't known for bargains. Most people around here know this and get their supplies online. I only use the shop for stuff like rockwool, coco, starter plugs, nutrient, that kind of thing. That being said, I've started looking online and I see that I can get a 2-burner generator and a basic analog controller for a little over $500 so I guess I'll go that route.

Yes, I'm in a non med state so I still have to be stealthy about what I do, so going into the welding shop to swap out tanks every week would make me nervous. I need to be able to make it through my grows without that kind of maintenance, for peace of mind.

I do use a window banger, but it works pretty well for such a small space, so I'm pretty sure adding a generator with only one burner wouldn't mess things up in terms of humidity, or heat for that matter. Also my window unit seems to work fine in the winter. It doesn't get too cold here anyway, but even when it does, the AC keeps banging away. So I'm pretty sure that all the logistics will allow for a generator, as long as there are no safety issues I'm not aware of when dealing with spaces that are smaller than 1000 cubic feet.

Are there extra safety precautions that can be added to the mix when burning propane inside of a room like this? Like using a redundant propane detector that will cut all power to the room if a propane leak is detected, or something like that?

The best thing you can do for safety is get a whip extender for your gen and keep the tank outside the room. Soap and water is your friend check all connections every time!

Maybe set up like a 6" fan to periodically exhaust the larger room. I'm assuming you are gonna put the controller in the larger from not in the tent, I fear if you put it in the tent then it will way overshoot the enrichment, probably best practice to put it in the larger room on a timer since the photo sensor won't work out of the tent.

Where do output the dehu in all this? Does it work okay outside the tent in the other room? What size fan are you using for the tent?

 

[theother]

Fwiw I think your instincts on the bottled are good, that is fucking busty, I go through a ton of tanks when I use bottled gas. Way way back when before every hydro store did bottle exchanges we used to tell them it's a shielding gas, problem is it's weird as fuck if you don't buy a ton of the other gasses.

 

[FlowerFarmer]

I see nothing wrong with running a small generator in that room.


I would suggest keeping the propane tank outside of the house/building. I've been breaking this rule myself, but it's rather stupid. Get an additional hose and remote your tank for safety concerns. Propane tanks should not be indoors.



EDIT - I see theother beat me to that reply regarding remoting the tank.

I'd also suggest keeping anything electrical away from the generator hose. I believe bobblehead had a fire in his room (perhaps faulty electronic ballast).. When the flames reached the generator hose it unleashed a propane fueled flame thrower all over the place. This things have tip over protection and other lock-out protection, but if your hose fails I'm pretty sure they'll just dump propane until the tank is empty. In his situation things could have ended up much worse.

 

[hush]

The best thing you can do for safety is get a whip extender for your gen and keep the tank outside the room. Soap and water is your friend check all connections every time!

Maybe set up like a 6" fan to periodically exhaust the larger room. I'm assuming you are gonna put the controller in the larger from not in the tent, I fear if you put it in the tent then it will way overshoot the enrichment, probably best practice to put it in the larger room on a timer since the photo sensor won't work out of the tent.

Where do output the dehu in all this? Does it work okay outside the tent in the other room? What size fan are you using for the tent?

Okay, yeah, I can put the tank outside the room. I wondered about that. But yeah, I just need to build a platform outside of the room so that it can be housed up off the ground without getting in the way of the entrance. And yes I will be putting the controller in the lung room, not inside the tent. I've already thought about the photosensor, and I will be covering that with tape and running it on the same timer that the grow light will be on. Also, I don't have a dehuey. The window unit takes care of all that, and the humidity never gets very high at all. I like your idea of exhausting the lung room every so often. I could buy another centrifugal fan to use for this purpose. Would I need to exhaust the fan periodically during the day? Or would it be okay to exhaust once a day, during the night period?

Oh yeah, and I use a 400cfm centrifugal to exhaust the tent, which just gets recirculated back into the lung room. It's a sealed grow.

I see nothing wrong with running a small generator in that room ... I'd also suggest keeping anything electrical away from the generator hose. I believe bobblehead had a fire in his room (perhaps faulty electronic ballast).. When the flames reached the generator hose it unleashed a propane fueled flame thrower all over the place. This things have tip over protection and other lock-out protection, but if your hose fails I'm pretty sure they'll just dump propane until the tank is empty. In his situation things could have ended up much worse.

That's good to know, thank you. I think I should be able to easily suspend the generator right next to the door way, which would only leave a few feet of the hose exposed, since most of it would be through the wall and on the outside. So I think it should be easy enough to keep all things electric away from it. I will have to cut power to the overhead lighting in that room, though, which is fine since it's just a garbage shop light, and it's partially blocked by the tent anyway. I'll just bring a floor lamp in there and keep it on the other side of the room from where the generator will be. The ballasts and electrical outlets are already on that side, so I do think I'll be able to keep random sparks away, as long as I cut power to the overhead shop light.

This is very helpful, guys, thank you so much! I just want to increase the yield in my garden, and I know that should be possible by adding CO2. If I'm able to harvest a pound at a time in there, with no fresh air, then I should at least be able to get 1.5 lbs if not 2 just by adding CO2. Everything else in my garden is pretty dialed in.

I've decided my new goal is to harvest 2 pounds, and I even considered getting a second light, but that would have required upgrading my window banger, for more expense, not to mention the doubled electricity bill. So then I thought, wouldn't the best option be to add CO2? It would make me very happy to harvest 2 pounds at a time, and I know it's theoretically possible since that would still be less than 1.0 gpw. So, that's my new plan of action!

 

[theother]

Okay, yeah, I can put the tank outside the room. I wondered about that. But yeah, I just need to build a platform outside of the room so that it can be housed up off the ground without getting in the way of the entrance. And yes I will be putting the controller in the lung room, not inside the tent. I've already thought about the photosensor, and I will be covering that with tape and running it on the same timer that the grow light will be on. Also, I don't have a dehuey. The window unit takes care of all that, and the humidity never gets very high at all. I like your idea of exhausting the lung room every so often. I could buy another centrifugal fan to use for this purpose. Would I need to exhaust the fan periodically during the day? Or would it be okay to exhaust once a day, during the night period?

Oh yeah, and I use a 400cfm centrifugal to exhaust the tent, which just gets recirculated back into the lung room. It's a sealed grow.



That's good to know, thank you. I think I should be able to easily suspend the generator right next to the door way, which would only leave a few feet of the hose exposed, since most of it would be through the wall and on the outside. So I think it should be easy enough to keep all things electric away from it. I will have to cut power to the overhead lighting in that room, though, which is fine since it's just a garbage shop light, and it's partially blocked by the tent anyway. I'll just bring a floor lamp in there and keep it on the other side of the room from where the generator will be. The ballasts and electrical outlets are already on that side, so I do think I'll be able to keep random sparks away, as long as I cut power to the overhead shop light.

This is very helpful, guys, thank you so much! I just want to increase the yield in my garden, and I know that should be possible by adding CO2. If I'm able to harvest a pound at a time in there, with no fresh air, then I should at least be able to get 1.5 lbs if not 2 just by adding CO2. Everything else in my garden is pretty dialed in.

I've decided my new goal is to harvest 2 pounds, and I even considered getting a second light, but that would have required upgrading my window banger, for more expense, not to mention the doubled electricity bill. So then I thought, wouldn't the best option be to add CO2? It would make me very happy to harvest 2 pounds at a time, and I know it's theoretically possible since that would still be less than 1.0 gpw. So, that's my new plan of action!

Co2 is kind of a double edged sword in my opinion. Just make sure you don't compromise other environmental parameters just to make the co2 work (Temp rh air movement etc). The co2 can exacerbate existing problems and compound issues. Again, that's just my experience.

Probably can purge the lung room once during lights on and once during lights off.

Honestly without mechanical systems in place to reliably keep the environment in check it's risky. It's always a balancing act and this is gonna change it.

 

[WaittillIdie]

dc

 

[hush]

Thanks for all the help, theother, I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to give it a shot, because I know that I definitely want to increase my yields, and I think I will compromise the environmental parameters much more if i add another light. There is just enough room in my grow room to have two 4x4 tables side by side, but my current AC can't handle that. Plus, of course, my electricity bill would double at that point. But if I can add CO2 and increase my yields by at least 50% I will be happy. I still think it's possible I could do 2 lbs under a single light with CO2 and the right cut, so I'm going to just continue onward with the single light.

If I'm thinking this through correctly, the only potential problem I might run into is increased humidity from the CO2, like you alluded to before. But I pretty much never had the humidity go into extremes before now, so I think I have some buffer to work with. The way I see it, if it climbs too much, I could always just invest in a dehuey at that point. I know those consume large amounts of electricity, but certainly not as much as adding another 1000w light would.

I'm going to go ahead and order a CO2 generator now.

 

[WaittillIdie]

dc

 

[hush]

^ No nuclear fission? What's the fun in that?

J/k. But seriously though, I did think about hooking up my tesla coil to generate the 1.21 jiggawatts of electricity necessary to eliminate the flux capacitor from my signal chain, but then I get too high and I pass out on the couch.

I need to generate CO2, not electricity.

 

[WaittillIdie]

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