Large Cabinet Design

[WaterFarmFan]

Greeting fellow growers. I am getting ready to build a large cabinet for my next grow. I have 6 successful runs under my belt, but I have always grown indoors in modified closets with a 1K. Circumstances require that I setup in an outdoor shed. Stealth (visual) is not my primary concern.

The cabinet I am looking at from Ikea (PAX Wardrobe) is 92x40x24. Here is a diagram of what I am thinking:



Since I already have 1K gear, would it be complete overkill to use or should I move down to a 600?

Many thanks to those that reply.

WFF

 

[WaterFarmFan]

No suggestions or comments???

 

[FreezerBoy]

50 watts per sq ft is considered minimum. 100 watts the point of diminishing returns. A 400 would be fine, a 600 approaches overkill. In an outdoor shed you'll have enough heat problems with out going to 150 watts per sq ft.

I'd lower the intake as far as possible or raise it completely outside the shed. Inside the shed, the air above your head could be 10-20º hotter than the air at your feet.

 

[camo]

Looks great, I ran a 400 in a space that sized and it was almost overkill, the 1k is gonna fry unless youve got some insane ac. Only problem i see if your strange odor controll/cooltube design.
1. get rid of the fan on the carbon filter and connect it straight to the cooltube. Then you will be pulling through the filter like you should be and not pushing through. Plus it'll save you a fan in your box. You want extra plants in there not extra fans.
2. To make the light adjustable you can use flexible tubing. And some kid-swing chain going down the sides of the boxes make an easy way to move it up and down a bit if u need it. Else use the solid duct you know it doesnt leak as bad.

 

[WaterFarmFan]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

FreezerBoy - I am not going to start the run until Fall, so high temps in the shed are not really a concern. I will also be running 12/12 at night to help with the heat. I am trying to avoid adding AC to the room if possible.

I agree on the intake height. My initial thought was to make the intake duct longer to prevent light from entering the cab during the dark phase.

Camo - I am pretty set on using a 600 as I am a big believer in having lots of light. I have a friend that will swap me a 600 setup for my 1K. I am trying to use as much of my existing equipment as possible.

I already have more than enough fans from my previous setup. My thoughts behind the design was that the scrubber on the light exhaust might hinder the airflow through the light and raise temps. Is this not correct?

Thanks.

WFF

 

[hoosierdaddy]

The setup you show will allow the lights fan to help pull through the carbon filter.
The system will be efficient, providing that 1) you have sufficient air coming into the cab 2) your light duct and fixture needs to be super tight and leakproof to insure you don't suck unfiltered air after the filter.

 

[WaterFarmFan]

Hey Hooiser. I can definately get the light and ventilation sealed. I could also add a small inline fan to the intake duct to ensure that enough fresh air is coming into the cab.

Thanks for the comments.

WFF

 

[hoosierdaddy]

The fan won't help much CFM wise if there is not enough opening. All it can do with a restricted flow is increase the pulling pressure, but the velocity of the air will remain constant. Open up the hole and use the fan elsewhere. Using it to create turbulence within the grow would be a better use of it.

 

[WaterFarmFan]

OK. I was a little concerned about getting an air tight seal on the cab. So, I did a little more reading about cabinet design and I made some tweaks to the setup:



I took out the top chamber and added a louver at the bottom. Will the vortex create enough air movement in the cab so that i do not need an oscilating fan?

Any comments or suggestions would be great!

Thanks.

WFF

 

[JustanotherDave]

Any reason you couldn't put a 4x4, 4x5 or 4x6' cabinet/box in the shed?

 

[Work2much]

It would be wise to go with the larger size darkroom louvers, a single 8x8 isn't going to be enough and will allow temps to increase. Two 8x8's side by side would be nice, they can be purchased in pairs for a slightly cheaper price.

Nice simple cabs are the best, yours is on that path.

 

[WaterFarmFan]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Dave - I could certainly get a tent or build a bigger cab, but I grow just for myself and give out some to friends. I should easily hit a pound with this setup - So two runs over the fall and winter will last me all year.

Work - I will add the second louver to the setup. Do they need to be side by side? I want to stagger the waterfarms from front to back to allow space for fan pointing up to help stir up the air. This will also let me train each plant in a single direction to help fill up the SCROG screen. If so, I would like to put the louvers on opposite sides of the back wall to maximize air flow.

WFF

 

[WaterFarmFan]

This is the spacing that I was talking about:



Does the height of the louvers matter? Should they be above or below the SCROG screen?

WFF

 

[JustanotherDave]

Hmmm, alright, I feel ya Dude

I was just askin' cuz that's the size you'd typically need for a 1K...and that's what you have.
What you do have tho is head room. You could run the 1K but keep it high enough over the plants so you don't torch'em.

 

[samba]

50 watts per sq ft is considered minimum. 100 watts the point of diminishing returns. A 400 would be fine, a 600 approaches overkill. In an outdoor shed you'll have enough heat problems with out going to 150 watts per sq ft.

I'd lower the intake as far as possible or raise it completely outside the shed. Inside the shed, the air above your head could be 10-20º hotter than the air at your feet.

same...

 

[samba]

Get a tent IF you have the money,easy setup...