Tent heater, any suggestions?

[Loc Dog]

-18c ?
How do the lights even warm that. No tent is going to hold in the warmth in a room that cold. The tent should serve to build up insulation board around it. And under it. So you can actually have heat inside, with such cold outside. You might need more than 50mm also, and consider fire resistance. On the floor you are looking at ply faced so you don't crush it.

I put heated bed blankets under grows at times, but I don't think that will be any use to you. With a proper insulated tent, you need heating on the air inlet. Perhaps duct from the inlet sock, to another box where a heater sits. I have done this with a 500w heater, but I think a number of oil rads will be needed in your case. Raising -18 air to +18 air isn't going to be easy. You will need to back off on the extract and think about a dehu~ to allow that.

Is there no way to insulate the cellar and circulate house air through it?

Might need to use HID for this. Ballasts in that box with your heaters.


It's so cold, I have to presume air from outside is coming in. That would be a good place for some pre-heating. Just to get the air above freezing.


I think you may have to insulate and heat the room, as you need to unzip that tent at times. -18 is no joke. Are you sure it wasn't a typo?

That is outdoor temp and shitty house with little insulation. I would not let basement get below 40F to prevent pipes freezing. All pipes were burst when I moved in. Will use oil filled heater or pellet stove which seems like waste of money. Will put down blanket under tent, or maybe electric blanket if I find a cheap one.

 

[Loc Dog]

tubular heaters. somewhat moisture proof. sealed and no lights. cheap aswell. have to be positioned horizontal and if you buy one with a thermostat make sure it is just a dial with no light. most don't have any lights.

That is on the short list.

 

[Three Berries]

The reflective bubble wrap insulation is very effective and easy to work with. A water bed heater makes a good long heat mat.

 

[Loc Dog]

The heater tapes at 3" or so were around $30 for material to go around 2- 5 gallon buckets. Then another dual temp controller for two buckets was $25 or so.

I kept the roots at 71F but the ambient went to the upper 50Fs.

I gave up on RWDC a few years ago. Using coco in 5 gallon air pots.

 

[Ca++]

The reflective bubble wrap insulation is very effective and easy to work with. A water bed heater makes a good long heat mat.

Not seen those.
I wonder if it's much like an electric blanket. I put them under garden trays or might think about round dinner trays. I do this because of the wire construction. The edge of a bucket could really pinch a wire, like a water mattress never would. Under blankets might be a little more resistant, but I would avoid a hard floor and pinch like loading. I use them jigsaw like rubber mats, and carpet underlay on the actual floor. The OP might want to look at such foam underlay as it's a 137cm roll. Nice for a 120cm tent to sit upon. Cheap from the right place. It might also serve as tent roof insulation. Though I find old duvets work for me. Draped down the sides I rarely/never open. A duvet has a much better tog rating. I think underlay is barely 2 tog. It does carry a rating. As does carpet. Even that 2 tog is useful though, as anyone that's walked on a cold floor knows. My ski socks are about a 1.5 tog, so every little helps. The tent wall... utterly useless really. You can feel the heat of your 600s, walking past even the best. I insulate as a matter of course. Especially in hot weather. As I want nu heat out the exhaust, not back in the room.

Insulating these things is massively overlooked.

 

[mayday]

I have my tent in an un-heated room. It's a 3x3x5,5 tent.
With autumn, almost winter, the night time temps with 24h light is too low.
I ordered a very small 500W oilfilled radiator and an extra 24h timer. As soon as it gets here, I'll find the sweetspot on the dial and then flip the light to 12/12. The radiator is about 4"x14"x10". In my small tent, I doubt I'll have to use much of the 500W.

 

[RyanR]

Buy a rinnai heater and save alot of power.

 

[Loc Dog]

Buy a rinnai heater and save alot of power.

It is for 32 square foot tent. Those are whole house heater.

 

[RyanR]

It is for 32 square foot tent. Those are whole house heater.

Yeah and your uninsulated tent's heating source is never going to shut off. It will just run and run and run and will potentially be a fire hazard. The second you open it the inside will be the same temp as the outside.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Your efforts would be best spent on heating the room and not just the tent. It's a physics issue and trying to heat only the tent is a losing battle.

 

[RyanR]

Or build a small room out of 2 inch ridgid foam and heat just that.

 

[RyanR]

Then you can blast co2, heat the minimum amount of space, dehume the minimum,etc.

 

[exploziv]

Well if co2 is involved he could just insulate the tent. But then you would also need a CO2 controller, so stuff gets more expensive to start. Itwill be cheaper to run tho, no heat going out with venting all the time. Also needs a good thermostat so you make sure temp is mantained with no chance of getting too hot in there.

 

[King's Indican]

I use ceramic heat lamps they start from even 50 watts up to 300 watts usually. so they spend really less energy compared to any other heating element especially these days energy has become very expensive. when they are not enough in cold winter i add carbon heating sheets under the surface. they spend a bit more and requires careful application and maintenance. this way i bet the cheapest.

 

[Plookerkingjon]

Any advice for small heater for 4 X 8 tent. Hopefully low wattage, small, and does not produce light.

Going to run tent in basement, and gets down to 0 F on coldest nights. Have had grows ruined by red light from power strip, so concerned that the glow from some heaters might be an issue. Wondering if anyone has found any that are good and cheap would be nice.

The first thing that comes to mind from previous experience of growing in basements that weren't dirt as like a Seedling mat that you know the little 6x18 Seedling Matt warming mats they make one for a for a little bit bigger size for your setup might be something all these tent makers want to start getting part of because it's been my experience the first thing that you want to have warmer at least not shocked by cold is the medium

 

[Hammerhead]

There are a ton of small space heaters. Just be careful not to melt the tent wall or plug them into a cheap extension cord. They draw lots of amps. Some are tiny that plug into an outlet. Pick the size you need for your space.

 

[iTarzan]

Use 2 tents. One on and one off. The one that is on vents to the one that is off and heats it while lights off. Then they switch. People use to do this in a garage grow in winter. You can do it with one ballast and a switch box.

 

[Loc Dog]

Use 2 tents. One on and one off. The one that is on vents to the one that is off and heats it while lights off. Then they switch. People use to do this in a garage grow in winter. You can do it with one ballast and a switch box.

Love that idea, but a little late for this run. Will work on clearing basement and do that next run.

 

[Loc Dog]

There are a ton of small space heaters. Just be careful not to melt the tent wall or plug them into a cheap extension cord. They draw lots of amps. Some are tiny that plug into an outlet. Pick the size you need for your space.

I have had cheap plastic power strips melt before from 2 600 watt lights. I use better power strips and different outlets now.

 

[More Overkill]

the only fan heater i would have in my tent is the one guaranteed not to burn it down.
I guess it would have to be expensive any thing cheap would be discouraging.
i use 2 large seedling mats and hang them there reasonably safe and warms the tent and removes humidity each uses 90w.