converted window unit setup ?s

[mcnasty]

I am running two rooms side by side on a flip in the basement. 4 1k lights in each room in air cooled magnum xxl 6" hoods. I run a 6 inch fan per 2 lights, intake from basement outside room exhausting outside.

In the summer the heat still got way too hot (over 100) so I ran some portable ac units. 14kbtu. It works, I sealed em up, hooked the exhaust to an 8inch fan ect. They just are inefficient.

SO, I own a 24kbtu window unit. I wanted to find out, if anyone thinks its could keep both rooms cool, and also, how would you go about doing it.

I figured I'd ask here before I went through all the work only to find its not gonna work.

Do you think i could install the unit in the ballast room and run active ducts to each grow room to suck the cool air into them when the lights are on?


I know a mini split would be better, but they are expensive, so if i can use what i already own thats great. I'm also slightly nervous about having so many ACs view able from the outside of my small house.

I've attached a rough sketch of how the rooms setup.

 

[growshopfrank]

It can be done the two big pitfalls that tend to catch folks are not enough airflow to the hot side and properly draining condensate water
Plan it all out then double the airflow to the hot side,get a quality condensate pump and you should be good

The way that everything is mounted and insulated duct can make a big difference in the noise produced quiet is king

iris damper

 

[queequeg152]

get a 1200 or 800 scfm modular blower unit.

then either build a duct board plenum and run out flex duct to each room, or build a good trunk down the middle of both rooms.

your should get return air from both rooms, and add jump ducting to balance all the rooms.

if you need to direct the airflow to one room at a time, then you will need to add a bull head type tee prior with a diverting vane. these tees are extremely high loss fittings, so be careful sizing the duct and blower unit.
you can actuate this vane manually or with a standard zone actuator, its not hard.

if you are going to air condition a basement, you should insulate and air seal this room well. the cost of doing this will pay dividends in just a few years.

 

[mcnasty]

I appreciate the responses.

My plan was, to exhaust the heat from the AC with boxing the back end like the conversion teks show, and running 1 or two 8" blowers to suck it out of the room, and just allow the side vents of the ac to suck in the coolish basement air..

Seal up the rooms with panda film, and place a few 6" passive ducts into the bottom of the flower room walls. on the far end of the flower rooms situate the carbon scrubber on an 8" fan exhausting back into the AC room..

My hope is that the carbon fan moves enough air to suck the cold ac air in, while keeping the ac room similiar temp as the flowers, so that the ac can accurately keep a temp...


queequeg im going to have to google some of the things you said, I'm not that knowledgeable about hvac.. thank you

 

[mcnasty]

quee, are you saying I should set the ac up to blow directly into the plenum, then duct the cool air into the rooms almost like a central ac?

 

[queequeg152]

quee, are you saying I should set the ac up to blow directly into the plenum, then duct the cool air into the rooms almost like a central ac?

either put two returns in, one in each room. or put one return in the ballast room, and add big jump ducts.

put the ac in the ballast room, and run supply duct into each room.


if you NEED to divert all of the AC into one room you will need to isolate the other return and supply. you can do this with the fitting i mentioned above easily.


its just a bull heat with a sheet of metal running down the center like, an air foil section attaches to this with a hing and can be pulled down in either direction diverting all of the air in one direction or another.

ill find a picture for you and post it later.

 

[queequeg152]

alternativly you could just buy circular dampers and branch fittings etc.

i prefer ductboard though. 100 bucks worth of tools, and you can make any fitting you would ever want.