The Best Grow Cab Design!!!

[Levitikuz]

A refrigerator would make a perfect grow cab...they are engergy efficient and come with a thermostat. They are all White inside so perfect for light reflection...you wouldnt need anything bigger then a 250 with every single surface white.
And refrigerators ARE light proof! And they are ventilated also!
Then to scrog, all you do is use one of the shelfs to scrog the plants with =]
If you had 2 refrigerators side by side you could have a nice perpetual going...

They would make a PERFECT grow cab...

If anyone has ever done this i would love to see results!

 

[swx2]

I've thought about it as well, but to be honest it's probably more trouble than just building yourself a custom cab or going with a C13 or something. But if the stealth factor is important than it could be worthwhile.

 

[iriebowl]

these have been done before by a bunch of people. its alot cheaper and maybe easier to build a cab then to customize a fridge into a grow cab.

check this out fridge grow cab

 

[Guest]

like irebowl said. they've been done before by at least a few people. A big problem people run into with them is that they're so well insulated that heat builds up fairly quickly in them. Don't plan on using the refigerant to cool the system because it will be the most energy innefficient thing you can do.
all the walls are a bitch to cut through and you need to make sure you won't be releasing any crazy harmful gases all over your face.

all the reasons you mentioned are great, and probably why so many people try them. You just have to look at the cons too

 

[Stoner4Life]

My fridge grow cabinet

My fridge grow cabinet

I went to a used appliance dealer & got a dead fridge for free.

I gutted everything I wouldn't need & filled it with 500 watts of 6500K for seedlings/clones/vegging in the freezer section & then put in 1800 watts of 2700K CFLs below for flowering.

You'll need to cut several holes (look at the floor in mine) & install a true 240cfm fan (mines in the freezer compartment) to exchange air & cool the cabinet, a 250watt HID will throw off even more heat than I had to deal with when using those CFLs.

 

[facelift]

The fridge is cool no doubt, but in my opinion, a well designed closet would be my chose. It's not stealthy for sure, and would likely be one of the first places the cops would search if that's what they're looking for. For sure the fridge may be passed over if it's like in the basement or even kitchen. A fridge in the bedroom on the other hand, is out of place.

Nice fridge great looking work.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

I went to a used appliance dealer & got a dead fridge for free.

I gutted everything I wouldn't need & filled it with 500 watts of 6500K for seedlings/clones/vegging in the freezer section & then put in 1800 watts of 2700K CFLs below for flowering.

You'll need to cut several holes (look at the floor in mine) & install a true 240cfm fan (mines in the freezer compartment) to exchange air & cool the cabinet, a 250watt HID will throw off even more heat than I had to deal with when using those CFLs.

1800 watts of 2700K CFLs below for flowering.
sorry but highly unlikely you would melt the fridge now maybe 45w=150w cfl's i would believe. when you have cfl's ya use the lower wattage thats the true wattage the light pulls the other figure is what the cfl is equal to. like 42w=150w 42w=200w 45w=150w 15w=60w 25w=100w nice fridge setup though

chit lol i just noticed your liquide fert in the non working fridge thats a big no no the FF Tiger Bloom will go bad real fast when not kept in cool dark place

FF Big Bloom has a shelf life of approx 3 yrs from manufacture when kept in optimum conditations, grow big and tiger bloom have 2 yr shelf life. if you shake the tiger bloom and hear little marbles rattiling around the ferts gone bad the organics have died and fert will harm your plants.

 

[PHANTOM]

Hey S4L,

That fridge setup is looking great, a friend of mine is looking at doing the same thing and your pics will be most helpfull in getting him going (its pretty much the same as yours do you think a 400 WATT HPS in the bottom section would be too hot?)

Good luck with the grow

PEACE

PHANTOM.

 

[Stoner4Life]

chit lol i just noticed your liquide fert in the non working fridge thats a big no no the FF Tiger Bloom will go bad real fast when not kept in cool dark place

Sir! Yes Sir!....... jes kiddn' bro. Yeah I thought bout that.
OK, I never keep my ferts in the dark anyway, just when the lights go out for the night & always room (66-70 for me) temp. The ventilation in that cabinet keeps it @ 70F 100% of the time, so it's sort of the same w/ the exception of light intensity which I'll admit does break down organics to some degree. I actually believe that FF labels their product in a way that purposefully blocks the light as much as possible, all their quart jugs have huge dark labels.

The fridge is cool no doubt, but in my opinion, a well designed closet would be my chose. It's not stealthy for sure, and would likely be one of the first places the cops would search if that's what they're looking for. For sure the fridge may be passed over if it's like in the basement or even kitchen. A fridge in the bedroom on the other hand, is out of place.

Nice fridge great looking work.

Thnx for the compliment, it was a first attempt with the fridge setup I'd thought about for a few yrs. I'll do an upright freezer next I think.

Not being stealthy though is the exact opposite of what it is. That is one stealthy mofo! and I'll tell ya why I know....... It's in a back room (hardly ever used by visitors and IF walked through, it's with me or by me only) it's vented up & away (odor control in attic). Every friend or aquaintence that's walked past it, have done so w/o a look or mention at it. Growers that've grown for decades have walked past it & I just laugh inside. NOTHING is more natural than a fridge w/ a motor running in it! It sits away from direct traffic in a dark corner w/ something always obstructing it slightly, a back room with some clutter. I've never shown anyone but my (blood) brother who is ultra tight lipped. And if the cops come w/ warrant in hand they'll find the grow no matter where you or I hide it. Yeah, a fridge being in a bedroom or ANY second fridge in a rented apartment would be out of place. Mine is hidden in plain sight I like to think....... I knew nobody would ever even point out that I had another fridge. One yr now & not a mention 'cept for here.

Hey S4L,

That fridge setup is looking great, a friend of mine is looking at doing the same thing and your pics will be most helpfull in getting him going (its pretty much the same as yours do you think a 400 WATT HPS in the bottom section would be too hot?)
PHANTOM.

YES, too hot imo. & overkill to boot. The (18) 100 watt bulbs I used had 28,800 lumens total, that's almost exactly what a 250watt HPS puts out. He will need to cool that (a 250watt HPS) by using a model TF-106 Suncourt Centrax fan which moves 400cfm. About $180 @ Home Depot it will adapt to 6inch ductwork. You will not be able to cool that cabinet w/o pulling a constant supply of fresh air through it. BE WARNED trying to use smaller duct type fans will not work. He'll need the power of the Centrax (centrifugal) fan for sure. And of course ducted out of any small room (or even garage) or it's only a matter of time until the exhausted warm air overheats the room/garage and COOL AIR is no longer available to be drawn into the cabinet. Yes it can get a bit complex to get it right but the results are amazing.
LowRyder2 yields are supposed to be 7-14 grams. I grew 8 fems and got this from my intense CFLs....... my smallest was 24gms, 6 plants @ 30-33gms, and a 44gm monster, that's better than triple of the breeders reported yield. Go w/ CFLs imo & it also reduces the amount of ventilation & extreme heat buildup in rooms. I honestly don't believe you could possibly cool a 400 watt HPS in such a small space.

AND be warned again....... He'll need to strip out ALL PLASTIC that might get too hot by contact or close proximity to that 250watt HPS.

I will find and post for you/your friend the lowest profile HID hood I've found, you need low profile as there's no headroom to waste in a tight cabinet, I'll post that right here.......
LINK---> THE HOOD <--- This one will accept 150-600 watt bulbs.

Very slim @ only 3.75" deep.......

If I were to use 250watt HPS I would also definitely vent directly through that reflector, that's right, lose some of the top of that reflector, pull the heat directly up off the bulb & away from the plants. Tell your friend to use an upright freezer instead of the fridge....... the damned thing is to low to work HPS....... 4inches for the bulb/reflector, keeping the tops 10inches away from that (14inches easy) & you've run outta room to grow up....... or he could go 'scrog' I guess.