Cold air from crawlspace???

[Dubbydubdubs]

After lurking OG for years and I've been here ever since they fell. years of studying and thinking. I'm finally get to fed up with shitty swag.

Designing my first grow. Temps are going to be a very big issue.

Attic Grow in the dirty south during July and August is gonna be some fun shit. 100f during the day. Gonna fire up the bloom room from 9pm-9am to help combat temps.

So then plan is starting with 1k in a cool tube. Then adding a second light after first harvest. and so on expanding to 3-5k max, a few grows down the road.
Taking baby steps now.

I want know if anyone has ever drawn cold air from a crawl space under a house to the attic. I'm hoping to pull thru the chimney. since it already exists and is non functioning. and then vent into already blazing hot attic.

I'm sure I'm not the first to thunk of this. Do you think it would keep temps in line. I really don't want to run ac. and think with a cool tube and cooler air from under the house it might be ok.

Any advice or opinions is great appreciated.


Thanx,
Dubs

 

[InNvBoarder]

No way you keep it cool w/ out a a/c. I have 400 and get lucky to keep 75f with a/c
Unless lower air is way cool 1000 runs way hott. Just my opinion dude hope it works out good for you!!! Grow on

 

[Guest]

Ditto on the need for ac thing. You could draw cool air from the crawl space but the volume of air you'd need to pull through will be a problem. The hot outside air will slowly heat up the crawl space and you'll lose the cool buffering effect it will initially provide.

 

[Dubbydubdubs]

Just what i didn't wanna fuckin hear.

thats what i thought.


thanx,
Dubs

 

[NorCal]

fuck it, get 2 of the 4' 8 bulb t5's from bghydro for 289.95 and its almost like a 1000 but w/ no heat, keep that thing right on the plants and you should be able to pull off some great herb

 

[MTF-Sandman]

T5's put off just as much heat as HIDs (actually more)...it's just spread across a larger area. He's still gonna have to cool that air somehow no matter what lights he's using. Attics commonly get up to 120f in summer, so you're gonna need some kind of active cooling to get that space down to a usable temp.

Do you already have an insulated room built in there? It's gonna be mandatory to have any chance at controlling the temps.

 

[Dubbydubdubs]

NO i have nothing but a couple beans germin right now. My plan was an 8x8 room probally gonna have to insulate that bitch too. now if i draw my ac from my central heating and air, how would i maintain negative pressure, or even a sealed room. I'm on a tight budget. hmmmmm think i should move back to the north again. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm




Thanx,
Dubs

 

[Guest]

For a sealed you you must use an ac to regulate temps. You need to draw air from outside the room through ducting and out to cool a light but you'll still need an ac for the room itself. You could do an open system and just draw air from the house through the flower room and out a carbon scrubber. Off light temps will be close to whatever the house temp is and I'd recommend running the lights at night. You might be able to use outside air to cool the lights as opposed to using house air IF you start the light cycle later at night when the temps have dropped...maybe.

 

[InNvBoarder]

Cut in to your central air and run a duct into your cab. 8x8 is a big area maybe downscale a bit I have a 4x4 it stays way cool! If you dont want to downscale then you must find a way to run cool air through that 1000 there hottttttt!

 

[Guest]

I would not cut directly into the central air, just my preference. I think it'd be better to take air directly out of the living place somewhere. The temp and air pressure would be more consistent. When the central air comes on you've got much colder air pumping into your room making temp regulation a little more difficult IMO during those cycles. Since this air is also 'pressurized' I wonder if you'd have air/smell leakage if you're exhaust fan is pulling out less cfm than the central air system is pumping in?

 

[HighonthePrize]

if you don't mind putting a hole in the chimney, why not draw your air from the room with the fireplace?

 

[mtnjohn]

fuck it, get 2 of the 4' 8 bulb t5's from bghydro for 289.95 and its almost like a 1000 but w/ no heat, keep that thing right on the plants and you should be able to pull off some great herb

flouro's of any kind , will never be like a 1000watt hps...never..not yet anyway

it might still be great herb ..
i have to ask though...you must be growing to sell with plans like you have
..mutiple kw setup= way too much to smoke yourself

if so the price of ac shouldnt be much of a consideration
mj

 

[NiteTiger]

Ahhh, another southerner signs up!

Welcome to IC Dubby!

Now, onto your question.

An attic grow down here are just beggin' for problems. You are going to have wickedly high temps in the summer, as you've pointed out. Winter, it gets real cold.

First thing to ask would be, can you relocate the grow? Even an outdoor shed that is insulated would be better.

If not, yeah, you're gonna need to do an insulated room with A/C in the summer, and heat in the winter. You can feed off your central air and still maintain negative pressure. In my last grow, my only air in was a central vent, and even with my fan speed controlled all the way down, it still maintained negative pressure.

I'd be really leary about pulling from a non-functioning chimney. Even if it's sealed up inside the house, it probably isn't from the outside, which means you'll be pulling that nice hot outside air in. Even if it is open inside, if you're in the attic, you'll get most of your air from the outside, just because it's a shorter route. Plus, you've got all that creosote, dust, ash, and, in an unused chimney, old nests, heck probably even new nests, with the associated parasites. I'd just avoid that altogether. Maybe as an exhaust, but never as an intake.

But, if you have absolutely nowhere else (not even a cab in the bedroom?) but the attic, ya gotta go with what you've got. I definitely would not vent hot air back into the attic. Go ahead and run the extra few feet of duct and exhaust it straight through the roof vent.

As far as A/C, a portable would be your best bet, as you could direct the exhaust out the roof vent as well. A window style A/C is gonna put hot air back into your attic, plus you've got the drainage to worry about. I'd go bigger, just because of the temps you'll be dealing with. If you insulate well, it won't really matter, but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Hope that helped some!

 

[HighonthePrize]

the chimney is a bad idea.

if you don't already have one, you will want to put an exhaust fan in the attic. i have worked in a lot of attics in the south, and can tell you they help immensely. they by no means make it a suitable temp for the plants, but they can reduce it by 10-20 degrees. this will help the a/c not work so hard. this, along with a/c directed to your sealed room, should be good for you. it's definitely not the easiest way to grow, but i believe it can be done.

http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/ventilation.htm

 

[Dubbydubdubs]

At first I said I was only gonna go personal. But I'm a greedy lil son of a bitch and anywhere from $350 upto 800+ for some dank purple kinda makes me wanna go larger.

Who knows I honestly would be happy with a fine tuned 150 watter in a dresser. Which would be cheaper. easier. and still make me happy at the end of the day.

I'm the guy that always wants more. And i know in this game it could bite me in the ass..


Who knows what i will do. I really think i should stay personal...... Ahhhhhhh the inner battle is tough.

Thanx Guys...


I still want my 1k......


L8r,
Dubs

 

[NiteTiger]

I can settle the inner battle for ya -

Grower's don't sling eighths. Or quarters. Hell, most don't go under a pound.

If you're growing, you're not retail, you're manufacturing. You're not looking at $350 a zip, you're looking at about $218/oz ($3500/lb). Maybe $4k, but you'll have to have your shit dialed in.

Now, who do you know that can pick up that weight, that you trust with your life, literally? Gotta have that in place before you grow it.

You start moving eighths, you're just begging for prison time. Practically advertising. Guy moving $350 zips is only looking at possession with intent. You're looking at possession, intent, and manufacturing, and that's a whole different ball game.

Stay personal. You're not ready for commercial. I'd recommend staying personal period, but hey, that's your call. But first grow? Nah, stay personal.

Go take a look at the 150w Club, the 400w Club, and the 600w Club.

These guys are pulling pounds off of 400w lights in cabinets.

Do you really need to go through all that hassle in the attic? After all, you're just growing for personal, right? :wink:

 

[Dubbydubdubs]

Yeah I never said i was ready for commercial. But its so tempting. Who knows I may burn a 150 or 400 the first couple rounds and then make the move. Connections are already in place, i wasn't really worried bout that. hell at 4k a pound, sure as hell could beat the hell out of my salary with 2k burning. I'm not that greedy. I just got bills to pay down. Debt Sucks
Thanx for the advice tiger. i may just pick up a 400.

L8r,
Dubs

 

[NiteTiger]

Debt Sucks

Ain't that the damn truth.

I just keep reminding myself that debt isn't as bad as prison

 

[Dubbydubdubs]

LMAO


L8r,
Dubs

 

[InNvBoarder]

Hey dude I grow so I dont have to buy it. I never sell a nug but buy not buying it im saving $$$$$$$ If you look at it that way ?