Sealed C24 Cab Idea with CO2, Need input

[tasteez]

Alright I've got a cabinet from Lowes, it's the new C24. Just a big white wardrobe cabinet with 2 big doors. 4' wide, 20" deep, 6' tall

It's in my bedroom, I can keep the temps in check during summer by using a window AC unit.

However this poses a problem if I want to use CO2. I obviously can't fill the entire bedroom with CO2, this just isn't practical for a small cabinet grow, and the window AC unit will vent all the CO2 out of the room anyways.


So here's my idea... I have a 400w HPS in a cool tube. I can setup the cool tube with a vortex in the cab, so no air is exhausted out of the cab through the cool tube. Making it a "sealed" cabinet. I can then poly plastic all the cabinet walls to make it nearly air tight.

Then we rig up a CO2 tank and regulator to dispense CO2 inside the cabinet once or twice an hour. I will have an exhaust fan + carbon filter exhausting the old air from the cabinet right before the CO2 tank turns on.

So the CO2/Exhaust schedule would look like this:
1:00 PM: Exhaust
1:15 PM: CO2
1:30 PM: Exhaust
1:45 PM: CO2
2:00 PM: Exhaust
2:15 PM: CO2

Is dispensing CO2 twice an hour too much? Should it only be once an hour?
I read the plants use the CO2 around their leaves within minutes, so I figured dispensing CO2 twice an hour would be the best choice, but is that too much?

Do you think this would work?

Any tips? Ideas? Anyone see any problems?


Edit: And please don't reply saying, CO2 isn't needed, blah blah, you won't see the effects unless your grow is perfect.
Well guess what, that is NOT true, and I am sick of people passing around mis-information.
If you think that way, you are partially true.
In our atmosphere we have about 300 PPM of CO2. Plants like 1500 PPM for optimal growth, however, all other limiting factors need to be perfect for the plant to use 1500 PPM.
So, what I think a lot of new CO2 growers should do, is just raise their CO2's PPM to about 1000... this way it will have increased growth compared to no CO2, and you won't be wasting the CO2 by trying to raise it to 1500 PPM, which the plants won't even use unless everything else (temp, humidity, nutrients, and lights) are perfect.

So yes, your right, 1500 PPM is pointless because it needs to be a 100% perfect setup for the plant to use it, but raising the CO2 slightly, to 800-1200 PPM will increase growth and not over do it.

I'm right, admit it.

 

[250wscrogger]

Try it that way and run into tons of problems because you dont have a proper aircooling setup for that cooltube. For co2 you NEED sealed intake/exhaust ducting that comes from/goes to the outside of the cab/room for a proper aircooled setup. No cab air will be sucked out by the vortex if done properly so the co2 will last and temps will stay under control.
Co2 IS a great thing if you run 2 or more lights in a proper sealed room but for a 400w cab grow I think you'll find that its more trouble/money than its worth unless you plan on running a sealed room with multiple lights in the future.

 

[tasteez]

So here's my idea... I have a 400w HPS in a cool tube. I can setup the cool tube with a vortex in the cab, so no air is exhausted out of the cab through the cool tube. Making it a "sealed" cabinet. I can then poly plastic all the cabinet walls to make it nearly air tight.

I guess you didn't read that part?

I don't see how CO2 could be a waste, the average PPM of our atmosphere is 300-500, they need 1000-1500 right? Why would adding a little CO2 hurt? It would only help the growth speed and yield.

 

[250wscrogger]

I never said co2 would hurt...I just said that you need to keep temps under control with a sealed aircool setup to make it worthwhile. Where is the hot exhaust air going? It should NOT stay in the cab.

 

[NorthernKronic]

ahhhhemmmmm.... window ac, doesn't exhaust any air..... so dont worry about losing C02 or smell out of the ac.. just doesnt happen.

What everyone is saying is not that it wont work... IMO it will not be effective when you look at time and costs involved. To make CO2 effective, levels have to be CONSTANT, ie. any running of exhaust fans will change and lower the CO2 level. This is why almost everyone that uses CO2 effectively has a large sealed ROOM that is cooled with a window AC. They also use CO2 controllers and monitors so that the CO2 level is kept constant.. almost none use cyclestat systems like the one your talking about.. But in your case that wont work because the AC wont cool the cab unless the A. the fan is on and your setup wouldnt be really sealed in the first place.. Meaning that you would have to have passive intakes or HOLES in your cab so that the cool air could reach the plants where its needed or B. the doors to the cab were wide open so you'd lose all the CO2 that way.

SO that means your going to have to buy...
20 lb c02 tank..... $ 50-100
Regulator....$150-200
C02 Monitor and controller...$400-600
another vortex fan to exhange growing area air..$150

then you gotta keep filling up that damn tank, paying for you stupid window ac, and thats almost a G on CO2 equip that wont even work for your setup. If I were you I would pick up a 4x4 hydro hut($250) and a 1000 watt hps and sick silverstar AC hood($250 if you get a build-your-own ballast kit..) Now thats half the price, and you will yield more than twice what you would out of that C-24....

Now I understand that a 1000 watter is just way to big for what some people want. If your just trying to maximize what you already have. I would say just forget about CO2 for the time being.. I know that may not be easy but just bare with me here. Setup the cooltube so you have nice average temps77-78f, running at night during the summer will help this.. or if its really hot turn on the AC.. Then just run your cab with about 30 plants in a SOG style grow.. or about 4 with a large SCROG. That will help you get all you can out of your C-24.

I hope you dont think I was hating on your idea. I was into the same line of thinking last spring. It just wont work out well for how much $$$ you would have to spend to get it to work correctly..

And if you really still believe in the bottom of your heart that you need added CO2.. I wouldnt waste a G on all that equip for only 400 watts of lights on buds.. I would grab a CO2 Boost for like 120 and then figure out that I need more lights.. but thats just IMO.

Good luck bro.. Hope your summer bring plentiful headies!!!

-N.Kron

 

[tasteez]

I never said co2 would hurt...I just said that you need to keep temps under control with a sealed aircool setup to make it worthwhile. Where is the hot exhaust air going? It should NOT stay in the cab.

Man, I hate to be rude... but are you even reading what I am writing?
Could you do everybody a favor...and stop replying?

My original post explains that the lights will be air cooled, and they will be vented outside the cabinet, without exhausting any of the air inside the cabinet, therefor leaving the co2 inside the cabinet, making it a sealed environment.

The room the cabinet is in will have a window AC...

Now if you had just taken the time to read my post, you wouldn't be wasting everybodys time by making them read it twice.

 

[tasteez]

ahhhhemmmmm.... window ac, doesn't exhaust any air..... so dont worry about losing C02 or smell out of the ac.. just doesnt happen.

What everyone is saying is not that it wont work... IMO it will not be effective when you look at time and costs involved. To make CO2 effective, levels have to be CONSTANT, ie. any running of exhaust fans will change and lower the CO2 level. This is why almost everyone that uses CO2 effectively has a large sealed ROOM that is cooled with a window AC. They also use CO2 controllers and monitors so that the CO2 level is kept constant.. almost none use cyclestat systems like the one your talking about.. But in your case that wont work because the AC wont cool the cab unless the A. the fan is on and your setup wouldnt be really sealed in the first place.. Meaning that you would have to have passive intakes or HOLES in your cab so that the cool air could reach the plants where its needed or B. the doors to the cab were wide open so you'd lose all the CO2 that way.

SO that means your going to have to buy...
20 lb c02 tank..... $ 50-100
Regulator....$150-200
C02 Monitor and controller...$400-600
another vortex fan to exhange growing area air..$150

then you gotta keep filling up that damn tank, paying for you stupid window ac, and thats almost a G on CO2 equip that wont even work for your setup. If I were you I would pick up a 4x4 hydro hut($250) and a 1000 watt hps and sick silverstar AC hood($250 if you get a build-your-own ballast kit..) Now thats half the price, and you will yield more than twice what you would out of that C-24....

Now I understand that a 1000 watter is just way to big for what some people want. If your just trying to maximize what you already have. I would say just forget about CO2 for the time being.. I know that may not be easy but just bare with me here. Setup the cooltube so you have nice average temps77-78f, running at night during the summer will help this.. or if its really hot turn on the AC.. Then just run your cab with about 30 plants in a SOG style grow.. or about 4 with a large SCROG. That will help you get all you can out of your C-24.

I hope you dont think I was hating on your idea. I was into the same line of thinking last spring. It just wont work out well for how much $$$ you would have to spend to get it to work correctly..

And if you really still believe in the bottom of your heart that you need added CO2.. I wouldnt waste a G on all that equip for only 400 watts of lights on buds.. I would grab a CO2 Boost for like 120 and then figure out that I need more lights.. but thats just IMO.

Good luck bro.. Hope your summer bring plentiful headies!!!

-N.Kron

Thanks for your reply, you made some good points.

I decided the extra expense isn't necessary right now, but maybe down the road I can give it a try.

But my plan was to have a sealed air cooled setup using a 6" Vortex.
Then have a 4" Vortex exhausting the cabinet, with a few passive intakes to let cool air in.

The schedule for CO2 and exhaust would go like this...
1:00 PM- CO2 on
1:15 PM- Let plants use CO2
1:30 PM- 4" Vortex exhausts cab through filter, passive intakes let cool air in
1:45 PM- CO2 on again
etc etc etc

But your right, I'd probably be wasting a lot of it, and unless the levels are kept constant it probably won't help a whole lot.