Check out this design [PIC]

[Topper51]

SEE PIC FIRST

Hey guys, I'm super pumped about a grow I'm planning, and my only problem is ventilation. Would it be possible to not have any ventilation other than when I work on the plants?

Using relatively low power CFLs that i can pretty much hold on to after hours of being on with such a large fan blowing on them such keep temps lower while the DIY CO2 generator should provide more than enough CO2.

Thoughts/tips/advice needed please

 

[Quazi]

Hello Topper!

Looks like you're off to a good start.

To answer your first question: no, you need ventilation in an enclosed space like that. Otherwise you're just building a small oven. You need to remove the heat, not just blow it around. It seems like you already understand the necessity for air exchange due to the need for CO2, but more on that in a sec.

I have used the 23W CFLs you speak of and they produce plenty of heat, especially in enclosed spaces.

Why can't you have proper ventilation? Can you provide some more detail as to why you can't provide adequate ventilation?

Also: the CO2 will just complicate things. Get your box built first and get things going, then consider CO2. In addition: you might want to read up a bit on CO2, because, in your drawing, it appears you have them at the bottoms of your plants which won't help much considering CO2 falls.

Also, also: I'd recommend figuring out a way to get those CFLs mounted as horizontally as possible and get some kind of reflector above them. You'll get a lot more bang for your buck from them.

Don't forget about smell

Keep working at it.

Good luck in your travels!

-Q

 

[mrred]

you want to spread them lights out more, in the flower room youre going also want 2700k warm white. if you havnt got your lights already, i'd order or try to find 42+ watt cfls

if youre going with soil, goto the organic forum
. if you want co2 you must cooltube it, and you'll still need a exhaust fan

 

[mrred]

you might be able to ac it

 

[Topper51]

thanks for the replies, It's mainly a stealth grow in this front opening dresser that my TV will be on top of. The dimensions are the inner ones of space I have to work with and the only real reason for not using proper ventilation is laziness. I don't know of any place that sells pc fans or anything strong enough to use a carbon filter and I don't plan on spending over 75$ to set this up.

also it's going to be a 1 cab setupno separate rooms or anything, my mom snoops

 

[fully baked]

Check out an inline duct fan. They have them at almost any hardware store. Menards, home depot, lowes.

Found 4" ones for $14... If anything that should be doable and imo is much better than a pc fan. I exhaust with one and have another blowing right over the canopy and there is no worries whatsoever and more than adequate air exchange.

Don't skimp on ventilation. Without it, it's not even worth trying to grow.

You will be FRIED...

 

[mrred]

have you seen DrBudGreengenes cab? he getss 2gpw, more even lighting is the main advantage with cfls, so i'd ditch the power strip and go with real bulb sockets and screw them to the wall, the most impotant thing is the ventiation tho, buy a good quiet fan , then buy the rest

 

[Topper51]

mrred I appreciate the help but this is a small stealth setup in a dresser. I'm going for being able to make it look like weed was never grown in there when I go away this summer and when I go to college. Again thanks for the help guys I didn't know I could get an inline duct fan for cheap.
How much noise can I expect an inline duct fan to make btw?

 

[ItsAllOver]

Wow, ambitious plan for a snoopy mom to be around, but I support it. I like your design, and I believe that everyone has hit the nail on the head so far. Honestly, though, you're going to have to cut holes in some shit, and the fan is going to be audible.
Think this way. You might be able to remove the back board on the dresser temporarily, replace it with some cheap cardboard, and cut it up as you please, replacing the old backing when the time comes. It might be easier to do than you think. You need to remember you are going to have stink, so a carbon filter is key. For this grow, I would ditch the CO2. CO2 is best left to sealed environments with air cooled lights, and you won't be able to do this because of heat building in the grow area due to inability to AC it.
Don't worry about it, and use it when you get your first place, of course it should be a house.
So yea, look into DIY carbon filters, duct fans, and replacing that back plate on the dresser until it's time to move. Don't forget about light proofing!
Also, you are a badass. Also, don't get your parents caught!

 

[Topper51]

Wow, ambitious plan for a snoopy mom to be around, but I support it. I like your design, and I believe that everyone has hit the nail on the head so far. Honestly, though, you're going to have to cut holes in some shit, and the fan is going to be audible......So yea, look into DIY carbon filters, duct fans, and replacing that back plate on the dresser until it's time to move. Don't forget about light proofing!
Also, you are a badass. Also, don't get your parents caught!

Thanks man, I was thinking I would be safe cutting up the back a little bit and how audible are we talking? will I be able to cover the sound with one of those oscillating fans or the TV on top of the thing? And yeah I'm willing to shell out 100$ for the whole setup it will just be a little longer. One thing for AC I was thinking was just covering the heater vent to my relatively small room which will keep it cool enough and will compensate for the energy my mom is spending on the lights.

My plan is to fill like 9 20oz bottles with some organic soil and then I will worry about nutes after a couple of weeks and just not giving a fuck about measuring ph or humidity just temperatures with my little gnome thermometer lol. thanks for the help guys!

 

[ItsAllOver]

Hmm.
1) I've never heard one of these particular types of fans (maybe some one will chime in), but I assume there is whooshing involved. An oscillating fan will probably work, and the TV definitely will, that's for sure. So if those things will make it work on the noise front, and you know the answer to that, not me, then you're a go.
2) You might need more than $100, but if you were clever, that might be just enough!
3) Heater: Your mom will still be heating your room, it will just be less efficient if you cover that register up because the hot air will be coming from registers in other areas of the house. The room is still going to be kept at about the same temp (as long as your door is open), just in a different way (air going under the door crack), follow? Don't be upset, though, you've probably cost her a quarter mill up to this point in your life (and here comes college!), so another $50 total for a grow light bill won't be significant to her, I'd say. See if you can be sneaky and turn the heat down a bit. If the heat is keeping the house at room temp, that will be a fine starting temperature for your grow op. Those CFLs won't be creating too terribly much heat. If you get the venti system set up right, it should be ok. But yea, I guess you might as well cover up the register. Might help a lil
4) Go to Dr. Bud Greengenes about the soil set up and all that.

Best of chance and skill to you.
I hope you're 18, I shouldn't be talking to you. Not that it matters.

 

[mrred]

goto the organic forum, organics for beginners, lc mix#1 and recipe #1 is what im using, i boughht evertyhing or less than 50, you can also buy certain premixed soil that doesnt need nutes, just water, lc mix#1 and recipe#1 had everything you need in it,

S&P TD series are pretty quiet i hear, and panasonic whisper fans, theres also a beginners guide to pc fans on here somewhere, check that out, some are real quiet

 

[Topper51]

yeah I'm 18, also im not going to spend too much on anything, I'm going for cheap cheap cheap cause I don't plan on selling much if any. I don't even know how much I can expect, hopefully more than 2 ounces. I'm just using regular non-mg soil and some nutes.