Ventilation Question

[theratings]

I want to exhaust the heat from a 400w HPS with a cool tube in a cabinet that's 2.5 x 2.5 x 7 located within the living space like a bedroom.

My question is, if I want to exhaust the heat from the cabinet, would I have to vent this heat outside through something like a window setup or vent it into another room or into the drywall, by doing something like cutting holes in walls and running ducting?

I'd like to be able to vent the whole cabinet and cool tube without having the old air re-enter the growing space. Cutting holes wouldn't be a huge problem but I'd really rather not have to do that and would like to explore any possible alternatives.

Any help? Thanks guys.


And another question. I know it'd make matters easier if I used an air conditioner. But I know this could have unwanted effects on power consumption and cost. Has anyone had experience growing in cabs with air conditioning in their locations, and was it a good idea or not?

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

You usually can't vent into a wall because there's not much room between the studs. You can usually vent into the attic or below floor level if your place isn't on a pad. You might not have to cut holes if the room temp is low enough. If the cab is in a space you're living in I don't think you'll have to worry about stale air. Do you have central heat/air? This will circulate air throughout your place. Plan on using a good scrubber to keep from smelling the entire place up.

An ac wouldn't hurt, especially in summer. Again, plan on using a good carbon filter if you plan to exhaust air outside.

 

[theratings]

Well my idea is to exhaust the air from the grow out of the cabinet and keep the heat and humidity away from my growing area. There is no attic or anything.

Where would be the best place to vent this to? I've heard of using the sewer vent pipe before and exhausting out of windows, which I am considering.

Has anyone ever used a system similar to the way people exhaust dryers through the small basement windows with the dryer exhaust adapter? I'd like to be able to leave a cabinet next to a wall, while it exhausts like a dryer would in a basement. All filtered of course. Like this one:

Thanks for your help DiscoBiscuit

 

[thomasjones]

a 400w is not going to create THAT much heat. I personally have successfully vented a 400 directly into the ambient air of a bedroom- no need to vent outside or anyplace else. If you live in a reasonably low-humidity area, control could be as simple as cracking a window (what i used to do). Otherwise, you'll need a dehumidifier. Of course, odor control is a must via a large carbon filter. I used a can 33 but there are many to choose from. A can33 would be the cheapest option for an effective scrubber. Stay away from the cheap ones (less than $100) and go for the ones that claim to be effective for a 10-12 month minimum.

An important note- venting a humid air mass into the walls of a home is a poor idea. Doing so will cause mold issues INSIDE the walls... This could very well turn into a very expensive fix

I apologize if i misunderstood anything i'm pretty baked lol

Cheers!

 

[theratings]

Thank you thomasjones for your very quick reply!

When you vented the 400 directly into the room, did you have air conditioning at your location? I've heard from others that the heat won't be as serious as I might be making it out to be. I will test various conditions and find out how I can keep the temperatures and humidity down.

What you said about venting the air into the walls is true. Humidity and heat will build up inside that enclosed area and that's not what I want. Ideally, I could get rid of all the funky hot air directly and keep constant fresh air coming into the grow.

 

[fishheadbob]

I use a setup very much like your dryer photo, works perfectly. Because mine is around back of the house and not near any meters I can vent without filtering. I'd guess if you have a 2nd floor exhaust it would seem like you have your laundry upstairs like the new houses; you might not have to filter then either.