How to vent my tent?

[Wonderon]

I have a secret jardin 150 and I'm trying figure how best to vent it. It's in my basement. I was getting mold issues in the coco without venting even though the dehumidifier says its 40% humidity and its very dry (newer basement). So I need airflow. Trying to avoid venting outside for security reasons. I have a vortex 6" inline fan not being used so that's what I'm planning on. I have a heat vent above the tent that I was considering unhooking and tapping into. If I go that route should I pull air into the tent from the vent or pull it from the tent and out the vent. Also I have a large carbon scrubber that I plan to use later once its needed so gotta figure out how to fit that into the equation.

 

[Wonderon]

Should I pull air from the duct or push air to the duct?

 

[budderfly]

My exhaust goes into the hot/cold air supply for the house, and my intake comes from a main duct return branch (with a Phresh intake filter where it enters the room). So you'd probably want to push your filtered exhaust into that heat duct.

You can run too much and cause moisture problems through out the house, I've found about 1kw per 1000 sq ft is the limit at least in my climate. Running a dehuey in parts of the house where moisture collects can help a lot, but its usually a spring/fall problem as summer the central ac acts as a dehuey and in winter its dry anyway and the heat is recycled.

It looks like with a Jardin 150 you'll probably run 1200w or less so unless it's a tiny house I'd say you'd be fine.

 

[Wonderon]

Gonna run a 1000w and the house is around 1800sqft. I was thinking of pulling air from the vent for now so the tent gets fresh flow and down the road I will buy a 2nd vortex and pull air from the tent on the opposite end through a scrubber which will naturally exhaust through my basement hopefully containing the smell for the most part.

 

[budderfly]

The only thing about pulling air into the tent from the duct is that when the house's heat is running you'll be blowing hot air into your tent, which I can't imagine you'd ever want.

Why not just intake air from the room the tent is in?

 

[Wonderon]

I could do that but like I said its a basement and was giving mold spore issues. If I could figure out a way to install a hepa filter in the intake I would be good I think.

 

[midgethorse]

Address the mold issues first and formost, or it will haunt your grows at the worst time.
Your humidity is at 40% what are your temps?

Just re-read your post. I would pull through carbon filter then out the top of your tent.
Open your flaps on the bottom and keep fresh air going to the basement


Midgethorse

 

[Wonderon]

Re: How to vent my tent?

I had a braingasm. I'm not even sure its mold at this point but I did have mold and root rot down there a few years back when I had about 10 aquariums running and my dehumidifier craped out, humidity was over 80%. I haven't tried growing down there since. Right now tanks have been gone for over a year and the temps are high 70's and the humidity is around 40% but temps are due to drop once colder weather comes low 70's because it is heated. I did a thourough cleaning including wiping all surfaces with a bleach and water mix a few months ago. It's very dry and I'm ready for another try. I don't fully trust the air quality down there yet though. Im at work thinking and what if I didn't vent it through the duct at all but instead built a filter box to fit a regular household heat hepa filter and hooked it up to one of the bottom tent ducts. Then I can pull air from the tent from the top using the vortex. It would keep temps much cooler using basement air anyways and help keep smells contained. Also it would be a filter for the basement air as well, kinda dual purpose. What do you think?

 

[budderfly]

Much easier way to filter your intake - http://www.phreshfilter.com/products/phresh-intake-filters.aspx

• Removes 99.9% of bugs, molds, pollen and dust.
• Use for intake filtering, scrubbing and low intensity exhaust filtering.
• Ultra light filters use advanced nano carbon felt technology.
• Patented pleating for massive surface area and high air flow.
• Maintains 90% of air flow.
• 100% Recyclable / Made from 90% recycled materials.

 

[Wonderon]

I see the intake filter 6" 450cfm for $84.95. Is that the right size for my 6"vortex 452cmf? Not a bad price if I can find somewhere to buy it. Any recommended dealers?

 

[budderfly]

http://www.hydroponics.net/c/703

The 6" looks about right. It would be nice if they had a bit longer 6" that was maybe 500-600 cfm or something (I always aim for 150%-200% cfm on filters).

I'm actually getting that 6" one to use with a Solar & Palau TD-125 for intake into a 4'x6' room.

Just be sure you have more exhaust than intake to keep negative pressure and all air going through a carbon filter on the exhaust.

 

[touringfunkband]

Why not just run a passive system with the vortex you have - connected to filter and hang it above your reflector.

I also find it surprising your getting mold at 40% humidity.. Got any pics of the mold?

 

[Wonderon]

Thanks budderfly for the link.
I dont understand the passive system, can you elaborate please?

This was what I had a few years back when the humidity was 80% during my aquarium days and having the dehumidifier crap out.


Here is what I got recently, I posted pics and some people said mold others said not mold. I dont want to chance it. Need to filter the air one way or another. No more tanks, and the humidity is at a constant 40%, dry as a mofo for sure thanks to a good dehumidifier. Been that way for almost 2 years.

 

[vein5]

go to home depot and get a mold test. I would get the mold problem squared away, not just for the plants but for your health

 

[Wonderon]

Im gonna listen to you guys. I bought a phresh filter yesterday, should be here next week. But before that, I went to depo and bought a mold test kit. If it test positive I'm gonna call a specialist to have it dealt with. Thanks ill update.

 

[vukman]

Heya...easiest way is just to show you pics of my set up...If you're running it through a hood, then easy enough to route it through the hood too....

I hope those help...Oh yeah,, my tent is a 2.5' x 4.5' x 7'....Sun Hut..I should've gotten the Jardin but.......

 

[Red Fang]

what sort of exhaust fan you using vukman? and also, don't know if that family pic in the background can be blown up and analyzed but prob a good idea not to have that visible.

curious, what security issues by venting outside? Also curious what is that bush outside? I was going to say that a good carbon filter should take care of any odor issues, but I guess if growing the stinkiest of strains in populated areas, paranoia could get one to worry that the smell may not be fully gone. Or in the event the filter isn't working for some reason like if a power failure and no generator. Anything I am missing? I have a tent in an area where I am isolated a pretty good distance from neighbors. Not total desolation wilderness boonies like I'd imagine northern Maine would be, but a smallish rural town with still a few active dairy farms. I am wondering if I should not be exhausting outside (up a chimney) for some reason. I have a very bad memory and don't know the model of the tent but it is 5 x 5 Jardin, and don't recall the size of the fan or filter, just know it is 6 inch and the air intake is from the sides of the tent in a basement more humid than yours and I have not had many mold issues. what I did have was probably the result of no circulation during a power outage before I had a generator, even then it was just a tiny percentage of the crop, and the humidity can reach 80% at times with no humidity control on hot days. have a dehumidifier now and that can bring it into the 50's in the larger part of the basement, sometimes can't get it lower than upper 60's on humid days, but I have gotten the tent into the mid 40's and it usually is somewhere in the mid to upper 50's. I hope that helps you somehow! peace

 

[habeeb]

vent your tent,

with a blower, that sounds like a mower,

then rest easy at night, with your babies under artificial light,

nice little breeze going in the tent, while your out making the rent,

 

[vukman]

what sort of exhaust fan you using vukman? and also, don't know if that family pic in the background can be blown up and analyzed but prob a good idea not to have that visible.

curious, what security issues by venting outside? Also curious what is that bush outside? I was going to say that a good carbon filter should take care of any odor issues, but I guess if growing the stinkiest of strains in populated areas, paranoia could get one to worry that the smell may not be fully gone. Or in the event the filter isn't working for some reason like if a power failure and no generator. Anything I am missing? I have a tent in an area where I am isolated a pretty good distance from neighbors. Not total desolation wilderness boonies like I'd imagine northern Maine would be, but a smallish rural town with still a few active dairy farms. I am wondering if I should not be exhausting outside (up a chimney) for some reason. I have a very bad memory and don't know the model of the tent but it is 5 x 5 Jardin, and don't recall the size of the fan or filter, just know it is 6 inch and the air intake is from the sides of the tent in a basement more humid than yours and I have not had many mold issues. what I did have was probably the result of no circulation during a power outage before I had a generator, even then it was just a tiny percentage of the crop, and the humidity can reach 80% at times with no humidity control on hot days. have a dehumidifier now and that can bring it into the 50's in the larger part of the basement, sometimes can't get it lower than upper 60's on humid days, but I have gotten the tent into the mid 40's and it usually is somewhere in the mid to upper 50's. I hope that helps you somehow! peace

Hiya:

First off, I have to say thank you for your concern for my safety and security. It's so damn nice to see that people actually care about one another instead of only their own little section of the world..THANK YOU....

With that said my friend, I am fully legal and I live in a high rise so the window view is actually looking out onto the neighbouring property from an elevated position. Also, being fully legal, I don't worry about the odour issues but even so, I do have a Mountain Air filter which is only a few months old. The fan is a German made "Max-Fan" model EL 005 E2S. It's a 3 speed and I never run it on anything but the first speed/setting.. It's around a 420cfm full out. On setting one, around 200 give or take and when I close the tent, the negative pressure is such that it sucks the sides in quite significantly. So much so that as I mentioned.. only first gear for this baby in this tent...heheh.

The people in the pic...one is my grandmother who recently died. I should use proper terminology and say 'passed' but whatever..Death is a part of life...and the other people are friends of hers who were here for the wedding. They are back home in the 'old country' now.

Thank you again for caring man.....

 

[Red Fang]

thank you for your great post as well! It is nice to find someone who appreciates someone who cares for a change! I wish you well man!