Just wondering if anyone here lives in a hotter climate and are running a ac in grow tent. Im in very hot summer atm so running a ac in my tent is necessary, and although it is set to 26degrees celsius and not directly on plants im wondering if constant running will damage or stunt plants or aslong as it does not get to cold there is nothing to worry about. Thank you.
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Youāll probably have an issue with low humidity, ac pulls moisture from the air. Can you feed it cool air from another room with a in-line fan on your tent. Feeding air from a lung room is going to be easiest Iād think. Others will have more recommendations.
A small evaporative cooler will be less costly to run. And increase humidity.
Could you run the a/c unit outside of the tent and duct it in?
The portable a/c we have produces some heat, even with it exhausted properly the machine gets warm.
On extra hot days 110F+ here I add ice cubes to the little evaporative cooler I put in the room.
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If can cool the room the tent will follow. 80-90 will grow pot just fine. Hot here in summer also. 100+. I have hit over 90 sometimes but not often. 70-78 room will drop that tent into workable range. Good air exchange and vent outside if can.
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Yes humidity has been an issue though i introduced a small humidifier which quickly replaces what the ac draws out. Unfortunatly i dont have a room to draw from, my tent is in my shed and its middle of summer(38 degrees which is your 100). I currently have three fans (two towers on ground, one on top) circulating air. A inline fan with carbon filter(though i know no need for carbon filter yet) taking out hot air and replenishing fresh air through vent. I tried the evaporative air con with ice though it just wouldnt steady the inside of the tent considering its inside the shed which on a 38degree day would be 40+degrees in shed(i beleive your 100+). So i introduced the portable ac, which is in tent and ducts out(cannot duct in) i have it set to 26degrees( your 70ish) and it does not seem to be heating, though i have to run it constantly to maintain temp condition. It worrys me because my seedlings have stunted and although it could be a couple other things im hoping it isnt the running of ac constantly. Trying to elimate my problems so i do better, just getting started.
Alright cool sounds like what im going through and doing so i must be on right path, cheers for help.
Refrigerated air works by removing moisture from the air. Humidifier and ac will be working against each other constantly. Check out an evaporation cooler. Itāll add humidity and cool it off.
I live in the Mojave desert just outside Death Valley, we have temps around 115 all summer long. Ac costs $400 a month to run on a thermostat, swamp cooler 100% full go 24/7 costs $50 a month and I donāt run an A/C so I donāt have to run a humidifier
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Grow outside would be my next suggestion.
So do you believe having the ac running and humidifier fighting each other could be damaging to plants? Electricity price is not a worry as ive bypassed. But i understand what your saying and i think your right, i will go back to using evaporative cooler and see how it goes 
Work great here in the panhandle also.
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Was trying to avoid that at this stage to justify my spends of set up haha but your right thats my next move. Thanks for taking time to help mate
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Can also place your power supplies outside tent with extensions if they are removable. Big source of heat in a confined area even with good exchangeā¦
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Yes all my power supplies (cords, boards, meters, inlinefan) are ouutside tent, only ac, 3 fans and hunidifier in tent. The tent being in my outside shed is the battle in summer and at this point in the season the ac is holding climate the most efficiently. But like @Freebirdmikes suggested i think ill go back to evaporative cooler and try managing that way.
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The trial and error is real but im learning alot haha, two fails under my belt so should be due for a sucess next go
That makes sense. Time to hit up a construction site for some scrap insulation.
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Not a bad idea there mate, old double shed here in australia so no insulation in it, deffinetly going to try that cheers
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Not damaging to the plants as long as environment isnot too far out of range. Iāve tried both ac and evap coolers in hot ass dry ass regions, evap cooling is far more effective at controlling a reasonable temperature and humidity level. Just my experience and opinion.
Controlling the climate of the shed that the tent is in and feeding that air into the tent would be my approach, a ālungā room.
My grow closet pulls air from a bedroom used for storage thatās controlled by central hvac and evaporative cooling system and exhausts out through the ceiling to an external vent in the roof.
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Thanks mate definitely given me some things to think about, on my second try and its a fail. Just have to re-evaluate for the third try, back to the evaporative seems the go.
Seal up and insulate the shed itself, then use the shed as the lung room, even if the shed is only a little bigger than the tent, I personally would recommend cooling the tentās surrounding air and pulling in cool are vs trying to cool the tent air directlyā¦
I do understand cost and spending, but in the end, insulation saves money, money that you will be spending on excess heating and cooling without itā¦
Also I have no idea what your shed is made of, but donāt underestimate how well something as simple as duct taping 1" thick sheets of foam together works, and if your shed has a āpeekedā roof installing a foam ceiling and then venting the āpeekedā roof above that ceiling will drastically reduce the thermal rise in temp during the dayā¦ Again, yes these things cost money, but you will make it back on heating/cooling savingsā¦
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Sound advice mate and i thank you for taking the time. Unfortunatley im under lease circumstances or id already be at the hardware store after your advice haha, but ive taken note of the lung room information you have all shared today, deffinetly giving me plans for the future builds, just a little limited in this current position.
The beauty of 1" foam sheets and duct tape, itās 100% removable and doesnāt even need to be attached to the shed, it can self-support just like a foam tent over your tentā¦
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