Candles / Combustion for Co2 supplementation

[skylined]

A while back I asked if fermentation was a practical way of enhancing the ppm of C02, which apparently it isn't. I wonder though, if one were to leave a lit candle near the air intake for the grow-room, if this would provide a sufficient level of C02 to make it worthwhile. Naturally, I would only leave lit candles there while I am at home, leaving an untended fire would be extremely stupid.


Could this possibly work?

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Sammet]

I reckon it wouldn't produce enough CO2 to be worthwhile and extremely hazzardous. As far as grows go, keeping it simple is the best way to get results.

^^ no additional CO2

 

[skylined]

The reason that I worry about C02 levels is because my room is basically sealed. I have an AC in the window which I don't really need anymore b/c it is winter, but that also means there is very little fresh air. This is the reason why I asked. Are there any simple and practical ways to boost C02 by a a hundred or more ppm?

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Sammet]

Gas generator? Keeps the grow room warm in winter too.

http://www.greenfinger-hydroponics.co.uk/articledetails.php?ArticleID=917

Are you venting your room at all? I grow in a room in my basement. It's totally closed off but I vent out through a duct in the cieling. By expelling the air, the grow room is naturally at a lower pressure to the rest of the house, ensuring fresh air is drawn in and my plants get CO2. This also helps contain the smell.

 

[skylined]

My grow room is basically a room within a room. The actual room is sealed, but of course the growroom has a vent fan outwards. That's the way I had to set it up since I do not own the place and thusly can't go drilling nice holes in the walls. I also use 600 watt lights, so a burner isn't really practical. This puts me in a bit of a bind.

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Guest]

For peace of mind get a couple 5 dollar syringe type co2 testers from a growshop and take few readings during the day.You'll find at lights on the co2 level will be high depending on number of plants and size of room and will slowly drop throughout the day.I run a sealed room and until I got my controller,didn't realize how much co2 they put out during lights out.With 30 stretching plants 3 weeks into 12/12 in my 8 by 8 room it would be normal for the co2 level to be 2500PPms when the lights kicked on.Regular vegging plants create a little less,ripening plants even less.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

i have thougt that CO2 would give a big boost, but i noticed no differance with or without it. no matter how good the other conditions are. sealed or unsealed.
maybe just add a cleap ventfan 4"s for a 100 and save the other 250$....
candles are dangerous. if u want ghetto Co2 get a coleman camping burner for like 30$ it comes with a safe stand and i think it even has fule. i had a splended one when i went camping, but never thought to use it in growing. essentialy thats what a co2 generator is.

 

[Dr Dog]

I don't know if you have ever left a candle burning in an enclosed place.
The smoke it gives off is a black greasy smoke, will choke your plants

 

[Guest]

If you use proper co2 enrichment,the results are more than obvious.25-30% more weight on a plant the same size grown without co2 is my experience.I screwed around for awhile before I listened to someone that said anything other than controlled co2 is worthless.Now that my generator is on a real controller not a flippin useless cyclestat and I kick up temps to 85 at the canopy 2 lb per 1K with a medium yield strain like blockhead is attainable.There is a huge difference when done with the right equipment and environment.Just wanted to clear that up.Spend the money or forget about enrichment

 

[Rastatrue]

Hey now, Just my own idea, don't leave ANY burning candle or stove inside an enclosed space. Results will be small and it's very risky. You can make a wick type CO2 generator very simple. Using a cup of vinager and a piece of twine, hanging out of the container, it will drip into a dish of Baking Soda, bubbling with every drip. This creates CO2. In an enclosed space you are enriching the air. It works and is cheap and simple.
most importantly it's safe! Also buy some small CO2 cartriges using a Whippet device blow off a few inside daily. It's a small increase, I really can't say it gonna give you a big change in yield, but you feel better knowing you have enriched the air quality. Forget the candle though, too dangerous. The wick system is simple and if you use apple vinager you get a fruity smell going inside the space.

 

[Guest]

Creating co2 isn't the issue with enrichment success,my CD-6 green -air generator created co2 just fine,high levels of it quickly.The issue was like I said before it was controlled with a cyclestat timer not a true controller.The cyclestat raises co2 to a certain level based on room size not taking into account the number of plants.It replenishes on a timed sequence,not by ambient co2 level.A controller like the Cap PPM-3 uses ambient co2 levels to determine when co2 is needed,and you never get more than a 200PPM swing which is of utmost importance.It takes the plant time to adjust to the higher temps and co2 levels and if levels are fluctuating too much,the enrichment never occurs.You can get it up to 1500 PPM with a cyclestat but if it drops to 900 PPM before the cyclestat kicks in an hour later,you've accomplished nothing.A co2 PPM swing of 200PPM or less is suggested.I set my controller to 1800 PPM and it never drops below 1600 for 12 consecutive hours.Thats how you get co2 enrichment

 

[Sammet]

Light intensity normally becomes the limiting factor in the rate of photosynthesis before CO2 levels.

You need to have your grow absolutely spot on before adding CO2 to see any benefit.

 

[Guest]

Yea good point if you're not flowering with at least 50 watts sq./ft you won't see results.You also will see minimal results with high co2 levels and normal flowering temps.I got a lazer thermometer and found around 85 F at the canopy to be best.This is what I use in my sealed 8 by 8 floweroom its simple and real effective.3 1K vertizontal fixtures,a 12K BTU window AC,a co2 generator and controller,oscillating fans pointing upward,and a dehumidifier.Also R/O water in my soil grows.Sealed flower rooms with co2 enrichment are the bees knees.

 

[skylined]

I use 600 Watt HPS lights, so I don't think intensity is really a problem. How would I go about constructing the whole vinegar drips onto baking soda thing? The American, thanks for the directions on the proper way to do that, that's a few steps in the future for me as far as growroom fabricating is concerned.

Peace,
~Skylined

 

[Guest]

I don't cry when I spend time trying to help people understand how co2 works in terms of real production and the futility of fly by night methods like baking soda or paintball cannisters.I feel like it but I dont.If I couldnt get visable results with a co2 generator and cyclestat timer do you think dropping vinegar on baking soda is going to accomplish anything but maybe a foul smell?The only two options a person should be considering is a co2 generator or tank and regulator with a controller or sufficient air exchange to replenish co2.You're much better off having air exchange then a sealed room with a fly by night co2 setup

 

[Sammet]

I think I skidded over the point a bit. I'll explain a bit:

Factors Affecting Photosynthetic Rate

The rate of photosynthesis may be measured by the quantity of carbon dioxide consumed per unit time, or by measuring the quantity of oxygen consumed per unit time. Since photosynthesis is a very complex process, the rate at which photosynthesis occurs is determined by the step that is occuring the most slowly. This step is then known as the rate-limiting step. Factors which affect the rate of photosynthesis include, light intensity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. Each factor affects a different rate-limiting step.

Light Intensity

As light intensity increases, the photosynthetic rate increases until a point is reached where the rate begins to level off. At low light intensity, photosynthesis occurs slowly because only a small quantity of ATP and NADPH is created by the light dependent reactions. As light intensity increases, more ATP and NADPH are created, thus increasing the photosynthetic rate. At high light intensity, photosynthetic rate levels out, not due to light intensity but due to other limiting factors, including competition between oxygen and carbon dioxide for the active site on RUBP carboxylase.

Temperature

As temperature increases above freezing, the rate of photosynthesis increases. This ocurs because molecules are moving more quickly and there is a greater chance of a collision resulting in a chemical reaction. At some point, a temperature is reached that is an optimum temperature. The photosynthetic reaction rate is at its quickest rate at this point. Above that temperature, the enzymes begin to denature (as in RUBP carboxylase), slowing the rate of photosynthesis until a temperature is reached where photosynthesis does not occur at all.

Carbon Dioxide Concentration

As carbon dioxide concentration increases, the rate of photosynthesis increases. At high concentrations, the rate of photosynthesis begins to level out due to factors not related to carbon dioxide concentration. One reason might be that some of the enzymes of photosynthesis are working at their maximum rate.

In general, carbon dioxide is found in low concentration in the atmosphere, and so atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may be a major limiting factor on photosynthesis when at low levels.

I hope this helps you understand it better. I have a perfect graph in a text book showing the photosynthesis rate against concentrations of all the limiting steps mentioned above, but can't post it because the uploads broken

So I'm all for using CO2, but it's addition won't increase the rate of photosynthesis and eventually the rate of growth unless you have light, temperature, humidity, pH, nutes etc all running at their maximum. If you have all this stuff sorted, then it'd be worth stumping up the cash and getting a proper regulator/bottle.

 

[Verite]

A wax candle is going to burn wax into the air and like Dog said it will clog the stomates and choke off the plants breathing apparatus.

You'll know when your co2 is dialed in because you will go thru twice as much water.

My co2 is a burner with a healthy sized pilot light so I have it timed when its dark in the flower room I have some dryer vent hose right above the pilot light that has a computer fan in the other side that pulls co2 into my veg room for nine hours a day. The other three I let it build up in the flower room before lights on. With dryer venting and computer fans you can recycle the co2 from anything thats got a natural/propane gas pilot light.

 

[skylined]

Ok. Thanks for your responses everyone, much appreciated. I'm going to stay away from messing around with C02 until I have my setup completely dialed in (which as of right now, I certainly do not haha).

Peace out,
~Skylined

 

[Guest]

Thats smart man.Co2 enrichment should be the last thing on the list after all other factors are met.When you get there consider using vertizontal non-cooled 4 ft octagonal parabolics to flower with along with a window AC at 3-4K BTU per 1K of lighting.I've tried a few flowering fixtures and the verts are my favorite to flower with.

 

[Dr Dog]

baking soda vinegar

baking soda vinegar

I have done this, without the wick, but I would do baking soda and vinegar, I find all it did was make a mess for me clean, but made the growroom smell nice