CO2 is it worth it or not?

[ubet28]

I am having a hell of a time with keeping my levels right and my temps are hitting 90. I am running a cap gen2 5 burner with a ppm1 and co2-4 for controllers. I have set point at 1500 but to fight temps i have to exhaust all the time, i am also going through a propane tank every week.

So i am at the point is the cost worth the benefit can someone please help me out with deciding if i should just sell my setup and ditch the co2 or keeping tweaking and try and get it write? So i far i have about 40 hours in trying to dial this fucker in. Comments advice anything as of right know i am ready to pull my fucking hair out fighting this.

 

[00420]

I am having a hell of a time with keeping my levels right and my temps are hitting 90. I am running a cap gen2 5 burner with a ppm1 and co2-4 for controllers. I have set point at 1500 but to fight temps i have to exhaust all the time, i am also going through a propane tank every week.

So i am at the point is the cost worth the benefit can someone please help me out with deciding if i should just sell my setup and ditch the co2 or keeping tweaking and try and get it write? So i far i have about 40 hours in trying to dial this fucker in. Comments advice anything as of right know i am ready to pull my fucking hair out fighting this.

shit can exhaust buy a/c

or

shit can burner buy 50 pound tank/reg

 

[Sauron The Blue]

you already spent the cash, so you gonna lose more by selling it for less, than if you made it work.

co2 is one of the last things to add to a garden.

Unless you have everything else absolutely perfect, or better than perfect, there is no benefit to running high levels of co2. Plants get pretty darn huge pretty quickly outside with much lower than 1500 ppm of co2 in the air.

Best bet would be to get an ac and mount it high up in the room, or make a lung room if you have the room to do so

 

[Mr Celsius]

Fact of the matter is, increasing your plant count should always be priority over co2, if you're looking for yield increase.

Lets say I'll get a 25% increase in yield from using Co2. Lets also say that I yield 2oz a plant averaged.

I have 60 plants, thats 120oz. Multiply that by 25% and we have 150oz. If I add 30 plants instead of using co2, I suddenly have 180oz. Once I have that room dialed, then I will add co2.

Ditch the burner, add a couple lights and increase your yields that way. IMHO, the ONLY way to do Co2 is with the proper sized A/C unit. Otherwise its a waste of time/money. You aren't even getting 25% increase in yields because you're venting your co2 constantly.

 

[ubet28]

Thanks for the quick reply you guys. As for the ac i really don't wanna pull 9.5 amps to run one if i was to do that i might as well add another 1000. I have no way of putting a window unit in so i am limited to a portable. I just sat in the room for a 1/2 hour and could only get the ppm to around 1200 and was hitting temps of 91 with no exhaust. I don't know if this matters in the decision but i am pulling fresh out side air in so the exchange in the room is good.

Can you tell me what i am gaining buy keeping the co2 i mean you here 30 to 40 % bigger yields and cut down flower time. I mean is the co2 really doing all that for me?

 

[ubet28]

Fact of the matter is, increasing your plant count should always be priority over co2, if you're looking for yield increase.

Lets say I'll get a 25% increase in yield from using Co2. Lets also say that I yield 2oz a plant averaged.

I have 60 plants, thats 120oz. Multiply that by 25% and we have 150oz. If I add 30 plants instead of using co2, I suddenly have 180oz. Once I have that room dialed, then I will add co2.

Ditch the burner, add a couple lights and increase your yields that way. IMHO, the ONLY way to do Co2 is with the proper sized A/C unit. Otherwise its a waste of time/money. You aren't even getting 25% increase in yields because you're venting your co2 constantly.

I am starting to think forget the co2 but like was stated i have already spent the money and i am also not one to give up on things. As for not using co2 i am averaging 5 to 7 oz a plant so yea my thought is just keep doing what i am doing and fuck co2 and worry about temps and control.

 

[littlebud]

i use no co2 supplementation

 

[Sauron The Blue]

pictures speak a thousand words! ^^^^^ nuff said.

nice pics/grow lil'b.

ubet28, your heading in the right direction, 5-7 oz is very good per plant #'s with no co2! are your lights on their own seperate vent/duct that doesnt pull air from the grow chamber? How much wattage are you running and what size fan? what is the intake air temp compared to the exhaust temp? If there is a huge10-20degree difference between those numbers then you should work on your vent setup a little more, see if you can make it more effective.

 

[ubet28]

pictures speak a thousand words! ^^^^^ nuff said.

nice pics/grow lil'b.

ubet28, your heading in the right direction, 5-7 oz is very good per plant #'s with no co2! are your lights on their own seperate vent/duct that doesnt pull air from the grow chamber? How much wattage are you running and what size fan? what is the intake air temp compared to the exhaust temp? If there is a huge10-20degree difference between those numbers then you should work on your vent setup a little more, see if you can make it more effective.

Once again thanks guys for the comments and replies. I just added two 1000's and they are a in single hood with a 8 inch max can fan pushing the heat out of the reflector i could go and lick the dam thing it stays so cool this air is directly foced out my chimney and out of the house. I have a 6 inch booster drawing from the outside and a 6 inch eco pulling out of the room no co2 and shit my temps are 77-80. As for the temp of the intake air i would say around 65 and my exhaust air is around 80.

I am hoping for a huge increase in yield as the 5 to 7 oz were done under a 400 and two 6 tube t5s for vertical in a home box.

Here is my diary link to my present grow.
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=97217

These pics are of the home box setup.

 

[lvilledanksta]

wow man thats a pretty good yield. how many plants u fit in there. im debating using co2 in my new room. i always used tanks and the crappy valve with no environment controls. i want to use a burner but now im kinda turned off. my room is 9' x 11' and im going to corner off about 20 plants. i dont really have many options to run exhaust out of my basement. i was planning on just letting my cool tube exhaust from my room into the basement. (i have a room inside the basement)

stuck between a rock in a hard place....

 

[ubet28]

wow man thats a pretty good yield. how many plants u fit in there. im debating using co2 in my new room. i always used tanks and the crappy valve with no environment controls. i want to use a burner but now im kinda turned off. my room is 9' x 11' and im going to corner off about 20 plants. i dont really have many options to run exhaust out of my basement. i was planning on just letting my cool tube exhaust from my room into the basement. (i have a room inside the basement)

stuck between a rock in a hard place....

I had four plants in the homebox the strain was NL and they all were close i had 2 5 1/2 oz one was 6 and one was 7.. As you can see from the post know i am fighting the co2 my room is now 8x5x6.5 and i am ditching the co2. I have two controllers and still cant get it right. So fuck it i am not loosing anymore sleep i have been up the past two nights all night trying to get it right and no success. I am hoping to pull a pound a plant out of this run probably not gonna happen without co2 but will see,ill be happy with 12 oz's a plant.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

why are you using ventalation with CO2???
CO2 is for sealed rooms where no means of new CO2 can be found. i.e. intake/exhaust holes/vents/fans/etc if you have a hole for your hoods to get cool air from, and a a/c in the window, theres no need to have an exhaust fan/hole etc then co2 not only becomes an option but a requirement.

if you cant control the temps switch to TANK co2. the burner is creating alot of heat.
you cant have a 90+ room without extra co2.

 

[ubet28]

Thanks Hippy. I was running the intake and exhaust to fight the heat. As far as the temps in my opinion 94 with all the exhaust and stuff off is to hot. I have always thought that 85 to 88 was ideal with co2. Can the temps be higher? What do recommend go buy a AC and dial it in or just get rid of the co2?

Also anyone else please give your thoughts on what you would do and what you feel would be the benefits of running or not. I am looking to get as much info as possible before i truly decide what to do.

 

[badmf]

I always always add CO2, it is the balance to what makes big azz yields, without it you are middlin' sorry all youse that think otherwise. But 2000ppm during budset is the way to go. Then no co2 last 2 weeks.( I do have high ppms, and loads of light per sq ft)
Now to your issues, a lot depends on "where" you take your temp readings(try plant top height, not right under the bulb) first off with any burner you will need a/c, period, but a portable won't do the trick! You need aprox 4-5kbtu's per lite if air-cooled, with the burner. Without it and tanks >3500 btu's per lite. Use an osc. fan between the plant tops and the lites to control "hot spots". Add a bit of ducting to ther rear of the fan to suck up "ground" air, as CO2 is heavier than air it stays on the bottom of your room. Along with re-circulating the cooler co2 air, check for room leakage. Wall sockets, cracks and poor reflective sheeting seals are often the culprits.
To give you an example,in one room I have 3-1k's air cooled in a 4x8 space, co2 tank, a/c at 72f room stays at 84f no sweat. And my intake air is ambient, usually 85f! Plants are within 7" of the lite.
If you can't sell the burner for enough, hold it for possible future use. A tank, used runs 65$, regulator/timer on Ebay for 125 if you shop it. Put a hose on the back of your osc fan and voila!! Oh and the a/c unit from Sears 12k btu was 280$ with a remote. Just another angle! But I had to defend my Co2, lol!!

 

[ubet28]

Hey thanks for the input bad. I am with ya on the co2 being in the garden. I am just at a breaking point of the time and money on tanks i am spending and i am still not keeping a constant ppm of 1500. As always comments and input welcome.

 

[Mr Celsius]

ubet28, just do it right or don't do it at all.

Get an A/C unit in there or don't do it. There are a lot of threads on this site as to how to make an A/C unit "portable" so that you don't have to mount it into a window. Electricity gonna go up... but o well.

 

[Iluvtomatoes]

I turn my pilot burner off in the summer. In the Winter the pilot light keeps the ambient co2 levels at 400-650ppm depending on how many people are in the house. Without it, it'll drop to 150-250ppm and if nobody is there.

It will increase your yield, but there it depends how much you are willing to spend on refuels/refills monthly. Personally I don't like to spend more than $20/month for additional co2, If i'm venting it too much because of temps, just a waste to me.

I settle for 500-950ppm in the cooler months, the burner isn't on for more than 5-10minutes an hour, which is usually the recommended time to avoid overheating the burner unit. I see about a 10-20% yield boost versus the the non-co2 summer runs.

Btw, my garden air is recycle with the rest of the house 24/7 via CF filter/hvac system fyi- air cooled lights as well on external run.

 

[DeebeeAhhSee]

That 5 to 7 oz number is kind of inflated... not that you don't get it, but its quite an unreasonable number for people who grow more than 4 plants. If the norm or acceptable norm is a lb per light and most have 12-16 plants per light (1K) then an OZ and just over is the applicable norm.
If people got 4 ozs of that 5 to 7 seven you speak of, then we have enormous yields per 1k light, some where in the area of 50- 64 ounces per light which is unheard of on a flat grow, or just about anywhere else.

Using Co2 is not just for sealed rooms... I think I just read that.
Is co2 worth it? It can be, it just depends what the circumstances are.
I would definitely make sure sure i knew the ins and outs of my room and plants before I added Co2.
Its seems to me that you are a bit ovewhelmed by the burner, which is not uncommon, but i wouldn't quit on it. When in doubt throw more money at it . Get a bigger fan to pull and push ( Vent the lights so your other fans don't come on as often.) And if you don't have one get a controller.
Also I have read that some think a 100 degrees is as high as you want to go.
What are your light run times? 8pm-8am? The coolest part of the 24 hour day cycle I would suppose?
There are so many variables but you should be fine with a little work and patience.

 

[ubet28]

Thanks for the input. I have already ditched the co2. My room is not sealed enough for it. But as for the 5 to 7 oz what do i have to lie or exaggerate about? The grow turned out great. The last grow was not that well i only pulled 4 oz a plant and that was under 1000 and a 400.

My goal this time is 1lb a plant under 2000 so will just have to see. I will be happy with 12 oz a plant.

 

[devilgoob]

na, the co2 needed for respiration is there.

co2, sunlight, water. you need more light to use up that co2.

spend the money or time on something else.