how to control envirnoment w/ constant air flow

[awdaddict]

my exhaust is: carbon filter>air cool lights>exhuast out of room

my intake is another fan blowing fresh air in, on a fan controller, so constant negative pressure.

both fans run 24/7


i would like to be able to have full control of the environment, but i don't understand how to do that if my fans are always blowing. but then if i turn off the fans, the plants won't be getting fresh air.

 

[Bruce_Lee]

I'm all ears too. I'm dealing with mass condensation build up coming out of the porta-air conditioning unit. So much so it's making it ineffective.

The A/C wont cool the room bec. the compressor gets weighted down w/ moisture (or makes it turn off/on, or something to that effect / Im not techie/mechie guru dude)

Been trying to research what to do:

Dehumidifier?
Better CFM Exhaust or Better CFM Intake fans?
Phason VTC-1D fan speed controller for temperature control of intake/exhaust?
Better A/C unit?

I just read that maybe by not air- cooling the hoods, the heat from them would burn off the moisture??

AHHHHHHH

What to do???

As for what I'm running - 10wx17dx8h room:
(3) 600W
(1) 6" vortex fan air cooling hoods (routed: fresh air in, thru hoods, exhausted outside)
(1) 4" vortex intake (filtered)
(1) 6" Vortex carbon filter exhaust (pulls ambient room air out)
(2) Upright Fans: 16" WIndchaser, and an upright Vornado fan
(1) 12k btu porta a/c

; )

 

[Hydro-Soil]

my exhaust is: carbon filter>air cool lights>exhuast out of room

my intake is another fan blowing fresh air in, on a fan controller, so constant negative pressure.

both fans run 24/7


i would like to be able to have full control of the environment, but i don't understand how to do that if my fans are always blowing. but then if i turn off the fans, the plants won't be getting fresh air.

You need another fan.

Run your air-cooled lights on their own fan at full speed.
(Edit: Best case is in from outside and then back outside or into the attic/etc.)

Run your second vent fan through your odor-scrubber and then outdoor.

Change your intake to passive and make sure they're large enough and filtered for bugs/dust.

Make sure your air-cooled fan is blowing hard enough that air leaks are leaking fresh air into the stinky room, not the other way around. Seal them up as well as possible too.

 

[Philosophelon]

Bruce_Lee --

It sounds like you are air conditioning AND exhausting your room. That means that the air conditioner can't work because you are always blowing the cool, dry air out.

If you are running intake and exhaust fans, you can't really use an A/C in the room.

If you want to use A/C in your room:

Seal the room
Install CO2 enrichment equipment
Install a dehumidifier

If you simply want to exhaust hot air, you don't need the A/C.

 

[wickedpete66]

You need a dual fan setup. where one fan is cooling the lights and and the other is exchanging air back into the room.

What I did is seal off the intakes on the hood and exhaust this to the outside.This will exhaust the heat but it doesnt bring fresh air into the room. That's where the second fan comes in. Use this fan to bring in fresh air and circulate air in the room. This way you are recirculating the air conditioned room without your ac'd air going out the exhaust.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

You need a dual fan setup. where one fan is cooling the lights and and the other is exchanging air back into the room.

What I did is seal off the intakes on the hood and exhaust this to the outside.This will exhaust the heat but it doesnt bring fresh air into the room. That's where the second fan comes in. Use this fan to bring in fresh air and circulate air in the room. This way you are recirculating the air conditioned room without your ac'd air going out the exhaust.

????? Tell me you're stoned and just worded that weird, 'cause it sounds like you're sucking your outside air into the room and exhausting through your hoods. That's not going to "recirculate" the A/C in the room at all. (It will keep a nice cool stream of air coming OUT of the A/C though)

Listen to Philosophelon as they're right on the money with their advice. ;D

 

[Bruce_Lee]

OK to I'm going to try swapping the 6" vortex carbon filter fan, and bring fresh air into the room with it instead!

I have a C02 bottle & timer, but dont have a meter/controller, or dehumid. Will see what happens with the condensation build up w/ no exhaust fan on.

Thx you two!

 

[Philosophelon]

Unless I misread what you are going to do, that is not a good idea. If you have an intake fan with no exhaust, it will create positive pressure in your room, and smell will leak out all the cracks.

Basically, if you want to use an A/C in your room, the room must be totally sealed.

If you don't want to seal your room, and you must use A/C, then you will need to build a lung room.

Most growers don't use sealed rooms, they just exhaust the hot, depleted air and intake cool, fresh air. Unless your intake air temp is too high, that should work just fine for you without A/C, especially if you're using air-cooled hoods.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Unless I misread what you are going to do, that is not a good idea. If you have an intake fan with no exhaust, it will create positive pressure in your room, and smell will leak out all the cracks.

Basically, if you want to use an A/C in your room, the room must be totally sealed.

If you don't want to seal your room, and you must use A/C, then you will need to build a lung room.

Most growers don't use sealed rooms, they just exhaust the hot, depleted air and intake cool, fresh air. Unless your intake air temp is too high, that should work just fine for you without A/C, especially if you're using air-cooled hoods.

I don't think they're comprehending what you're saying. This is exactly what you explained before. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[swordfish]

seal the room and add co2 watch the exposion in yields

 

[bongoie]

my exhaust is: carbon filter>air cool lights>exhuast out of room

my intake is another fan blowing fresh air in, on a fan controller, so constant negative pressure.

both fans run 24/7


i would like to be able to have full control of the environment, but i don't understand how to do that if my fans are always blowing. but then if i turn off the fans, the plants won't be getting fresh air.

not sure whot u dont understand . is it heat problems . thermostat speed controllers can run 2 fans @ diff speeds kicking them upto full power when ur temp setting is reached . great 4 summer

 

[cali mike]

not sure whot u dont understand . is it heat problems . thermostat speed controllers can run 2 fans @ diff speeds kicking them upto full power when ur temp setting is reached . great 4 summer

which thermostat speed controllers are you referring to? The only one i am familiar with is the Phason VTC-1D which can only had one output to control one fan. Im always down to discover new equipment.

 

[bongoie]

which thermostat speed controllers are you referring to? The only one i am familiar with is the Phason VTC-1D which can only had one output to control one fan. Im always down to discover new equipment.

high mike , using a brand called primair with a 150mm {6inch} exaust on a carbon filter through a cool tube with 600W electronic ballast and a 100mm intake = that i redirect depending on time of year + outside temp / needing an oil filled radiator over winter
http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk...rol-236/Primair-Fan-Speed-Controller-104.aspx . remember i'm in europe and our mains voltage is different . also RUCK brand do inline fan'z with temp sensors and variable speed controle that detects the airflow temp rather than ambient http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk...108/RUCK-Temperature-Controlled-Fans-1250.asp never tried them but love my acoustic lined ruck fan box .

 

[wickedpete66]

????? Tell me you're stoned and just worded that weird, 'cause it sounds like you're sucking your outside air into the room and exhausting through your hoods. That's not going to "recirculate" the A/C in the room at all. (It will keep a nice cool stream of air coming OUT of the A/C though)

Listen to Philosophelon as they're right on the money with their advice. ;D

Haha ya that is not worded the way I was trying to explain it. Let me try again

Basically its hood > fan exhaust outside. All the intake vents on hood are sealed so no air can circulate through the hood, only heat is being sucked out.

I have second fan that draws air in from the passive intakes and gets pushed through carbon scrubber out side of cabinet, but still in the same room So heat is being sent outside and air conditioned room air is being recirculated. so air comes through intake, passes through fan out of exhaust port, into carbon scrubber.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Haha ya that is not worded the way I was trying to explain it. Let me try again

Basically its hood > fan exhaust outside. All the intake vents on hood are sealed so no air can circulate through the hood, only heat is being sucked out.

Hrmmmm..... Unless there's some way for air to come IN through the intakes (preferably outside non-smelly air) on the hood and then OUT through the ducting and the fan, you're not sucking any heat anywhere. It would actually be preferred to blow the outside air through the hood and back outside. That way any air leaks go into the smell room instead of sucking smelly air outside.

I have second fan that draws air in from the passive intakes and gets pushed through carbon scrubber out side of cabinet, but still in the same room So heat is being sent outside and air conditioned room air is being recirculated. so air comes through intake, passes through fan out of exhaust port, into carbon scrubber.

Once you fix the hood issue your temps will drop dramatically. As long as the passive intake air is A/C cooled like you say, you shouldn't have any further issues. Make sure your passive intakes are free flowing enough that you only have a slight pull on your doors when closed.

Maximum airflow for maximum cooling pleasure


Edit: What wattage are you dealing with? You're talking about a Cabinet in a room, right? There's no way to run ducting from outside/attic for the cool-tube? It will always be to your advantage if you can keep that intake/exhaust separate from the A/C room air.

 

[Bruce_Lee]

Hydro: I unplugged my exhaust/carbon filter. Temps are good now. (got my hoods fresh in thru, and back out again)

My question is.... I've got a port for the portable A/C (blowing the units hot air out, through it) & a 4" vortex bringing air into the room (on a timer), and now I've got my CO2 on a timer, so that at the top of the hour it blows C02 for 15 seconds (no co2 ppm meter), and :45 mins after the fresh/in 4" turns on and brings in fresh air.

What should I be worried about, or looking for?

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Hydro: I unplugged my exhaust/carbon filter. Temps are good now. (got my hoods fresh in thru, and back out again)

My question is.... I've got a port for the portable A/C (blowing the units hot air out, through it) & a 4" vortex bringing air into the room (on a timer), and now I've got my CO2 on a timer, so that at the top of the hour it blows C02 for 15 seconds (no co2 ppm meter), and :45 mins after the fresh/in 4" turns on and brings in fresh air.

What should I be worried about, or looking for?

I'm seriously glad you've gotten the temps fixed.
Unfortunately (for me to be able to give advice) you've stepped beyond my comfort barrier here.

I would suggest looking up other folks running this kind of setup to tweak it to optimum At least now you're not fighting temps and your girls will be able to grow without stress.