Here’s an odd idea. For indoor grows, we’d like to have added CO2. But it’s not cheap to set up. And, if you vent your grow space, it’s wasted.
Industrial grows use a propane flame to generate CO2 because it’s efficient. Many of us have access to gas flame already near a grow space … in a water heater. If you ducted the vent from your water heater to the grow box, you would feed it CO2 and not much else.
It’s kind of a crazy idea. And it would add some heat that you’d have to deal with. But it would be free CO2.
I don’t mean to go against your post but I’d be really careful ducting an appliance exhaust into your house. For sure have CO2 detectors around. Plants aren’t worth dying for.
Yeah my wife might take it personal if I start venting potentially harmful gas into the house with the family because my weed likes it nope. Great idea for someone who can insure people wont be effected but thats not me
I’m not encouraging the idea, especially if your grow box is indoors. But for anyone with a blower, there’s no reason the exhaust from the grow box couldn’t continue outside and never enter the house. My box is under the house next to the water heater. Two years ago I discovered that the vent pipe for the water heater had been clogged with sloppy cement when the house was built in 1966. My heater had never vented, and there was no harm. I looked up the products of combustion for natural gas, and the vast majority of it is CO2 and water. That’s why they use open flames in greenhouses to generate CO2. It’s just a topic for conversation.
@ProctorPot I agree @Matthew420 but there is an even BIGGER danger and that is CO (Carbon Monoxide) that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It is a by product of combustion of natural gas. It can kill you before you know anything is wrong. NOT a good idea to use in a house where someone is living.
Being in the commercial HVAC industry for the last 25 years I do not recommend anybody take the flue gas from thier boiler or water heater and pass it through your tent
There is a difference between carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide
The flue gases coming off you heating equipment is deadly and will kill you your pets and any other living thing in your home
You would not put the exhaust from your car in your tent would its the same gasses coming off your water heater @ProctorPot I’m only giving the advice because I’ve seen the damage of improper venting of heating equipment
Sorry to step on your thread but this is just not good advice
Sorry bud @Matthew420 is correct
Happy growing
There is a difference but it’s your life if you’d like to gamble with it im not arguing with your point but from a professional stand point it’s not recommended to even play with your venting on natural gas or propane fired appliances If your not properly trained on the equipment
Combustion gasses are DEADLY PERIOD and that’s why every local jurisdiction has codes in place when dealing with them again it’s your life to gamble with @ProctorPot
Other than one is designed to be ventless and one is designed to be vented out. And the heater may have an automatic stop if CO reaches a certain level.
It’s true there are vent free heaters and fireplaces but they are almost 100% efficient so there is no toxic exhaust.
It’s too easy to add CO2 in ways that seem much less dangerous than to risk carbon monoxide poisoning.
I would just hate for someone to try this and die, don’t mean to bash any ideas.
I wouldn’t suggest venting gas water heater exhaust into the house, either. The plants are no good to you if your dead.
Also, the exhaust is meant to exhaust freely. With the suction of tent exhaust fan, it is likely to extinguish the flame in the water heater. When i had a gas water heater, years ago, a strong wind across the top of the vent would knock out the pilot light.
I have rebuttals for the arguments, but I will not post them. Clearly the consensus is that this a bad idea. I encourage everyone to chalk this up to a “hair brained” scheme.
Still, one wonders about the agricultural CO2 generators that burn propane.
@ProctorPot
Again coming from 25 commercial HVAC experience this is not advised
they get away with those because they are being used in a green house which has plenty of fresh air being located outside and having windows or roof vents that open
They also use 100% outside air as combustion air so it bringing in fresh air as it runs
I’m sure they have safties also built in should levels get to a dangerous level
You are not wrong on how they work just that it’s not advised in a closed environment like your home weather it’s your basement or bedroom it just not safe with all do respect my friend
I would also advise having chimney inspected and repaired if you have not done so already
“Hold my beer… watch how these ladies take off”. Is what comes to mind. Sounds good (not really), but in practice I’d be real hesitant. My family is worth more than a couple ounces more at harvest.
Hell I can’t even maintain correct temps and humidity, much less worrying about a colorless, odorless, poisioness gas being vented into my grow tent.
I have read that CO2 injection will increase yield. I can imagine that this becomes a greater issue with an indoor grow, where the air may be confined and the plants may use up the CO2. No one adds CO2 outside, and plants do great. I wonder if an indoor grow box that has a steady injection of fresh outside air has no need for CO2 injection anyway.
If you want to add Co2 you could did it safely with a co2 regulator and tank with a timer my friend
Look into that should you want to add it into your grow
Or other dyi options
Green house essentially are not considered out doors they are considered closed even though they have ventilation sky lights and what not
I’ve done work on commercial green house Enviromental systems my friend and commercial grower will use these techniques you speak of but only with safely and professionally set up equipment
