I need an ac unit, I’m having trout keeping the heat down. Does anyone have a recommendation on one. 4+4+80 tent.
I found the portables to be too expensive and a hassle. I installed a window unit at a much lower cost and ran a hose to it through the intake fan to cool things down. To do this I had to pull out a crank sash window and create a frame to mount the A/C. In short try hard to adapt a standard window unit. Much cheaper. Also don’t get a bigger unit than the room needs. (Assuming you can go this route).
Energy use is going to hurt though.
4 Likes
Perfect answer from @Reticence
I’ll just add one thing: Before you pursue an air conditioner, are you sure you’ve done everything possible to address your heat issues? Like - air cooled reflector (if using HID lighting), inlet and outlet fans of the appropriate size and flow rating, ensuring your carbon filter isn’t clogged, etc?
4 Likes
Good point @TommyBahama. Sometime folks put exhaust fans inside the tent and they generate heat too. Move them out of the tent. (I do keep two 4" fans in the tent hung under the SCROG for circulation and a 10" at the top of the tent for additional circulation).
3 Likes
I also make sure my intake is low and on one side of the tent, and the exhaust is high and on the opposite side in order to encourage crossflow.
4 Likes
All good points. Also an exhaust fan tied to a thermostat and venting above the lights can do wonders for your temps. It’s best to optimize your heat management BEFORE adding a/c simply to reduce your electrical demand. If that’s not an issue then your job is easier.
6 Likes
Thanks all, I do have fans and an exhaust fan but it’s inside so I plan on moving it outside the tent. I also have no input fan, I’m just freflowing the air input. I have a input fan in the way.
2 Likes
Placing you exhaust directly over your lights is the best as @Myfriendis410 mentioned this will draw the heat out of tent before it can build up to much
Also running a second intake fan will help constantly feed the tent with cooler air if at that point if you can’t keep temps in a acceptable range you should cool room off tent is located in using a ac unit and allow cool air to be pulled into tent
Temp and speed controls are always a plus
4 Likes
This is the one i am looking at if decide i need it. Wasn’t going to grow in the Desert in the summer but since i had to delay my grow i might need it in June.
I am controlling temps and Rh with two Inkbird controllers, a speed controller for exhaust, humidifier and also a small mister for when i need more RH, Have a inlet fan on standby also. Dual stage timer. I opted to prolong my grow by dialing everything in and so glad i did. I had germinated some flower seeds andd tomato seeds and had problems. Three days ago i put 4 seeds in water. Next day i put them in paper towels. Was shocked that within 24 hours i had tails. Put them in my tent under a T5 6500k grow light and viola this morning i have 4 new babies growing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W2KG92Y/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mgi-equip-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00W2KG92Y&linkId=6035f206872b1ab89bc6fb39f9a40eba
2 Likes
I vented my exhaust fan to the attic and added an input fan. We’ll see what it does. Also I’ll have another QB light tomorrow, I think the vipraspectra light I have puts off a tremendous amount of heat. I’ll also move my exhaust directly over my lights. Thanks all for the suggestions. I can’t use a window unit. No windows that I can get too.
Reason why i was considering that A/C was because i am thinking it is so small it will fit into the tent no problem or set it outside the tent by a vent and use that inlet fan to suck the a/c into the tent. Not into a window. JMO
How are you planning on exhausting the condenser air, they put off a lot of heat.
1 Like
Not sure @Magilla12 what to do there because right now it’s exhausting everything back into the garage. Was thinking about that more today because of your thread here. Not that crazy about running it up into my attic. Mainly because of my age factor and lack of knowledge. Right next to my tent is the water heater and i see it vented threw the ceiling? I guess most vent it up into the attic and attic will vent everything out? If so i would be okay with that as long as i don’t have get up into the attic.
1 Like
A lot of garages were required to have vents near the floor to vent gasoline fumes. Perhaps run the exhaust out through one of those? That window a/c is going to be nothing but trouble in your situation. You have to get a room unit IMO. I know they’re more expensive but you can actually use it, assuming you can vent it.
Have a energy efficient house @Myfriendis410 with no vents in the garage. Found that strange at first all my other homes had them. Spent sometime researching venting into attic/outside etc. Also checked into June temps here and last year in June half the days were over 100 degrees. So big problem. Thinking about postponing my grow now. Suppose i could force them into flower after 30 days? Decisions decisions
1 Like
I use a window A/C unit I bought from walmart for $100 it gets the 8x12 room my tent is in super chilly to a point where I have to turn it down within 10 minutes of turning the thing on.
@Dutchem do not put Ac in tent with exhaust fans running you will just pull the air out as fast as unit can provide cool air
5000btu is good for around 150-200 square feet of space with no extra heat load which you have
You’ll prob want a little bigger unit
And place in widow of garage or room tent is located in
2 Likes
Window units Have a double shafted fan motor, basicly they are designed to be in a window so the evaporator (cold air) and condenser ( warm air) can be separated and warm air discharged to the outside. The water heater is venting flue gasses thru the ceiling and out the roof. I agree with @Countryboyjvd1971 that putting it in the tent won’t work very well. We just have to try and keep the room our tents are in cool. I live in a double wide trailer that has ac vents in the ceiling but I put a new system in the floor, so I was able to go thru a vent into the attic with my exhaust air. My attic has vents on both end.
2 Likes
On a side note, cheaper isn’t t always better, I’ve seen a pallet of window units on display for sale and half of the units were upside down which is very bad.
2 Likes
@Countryboyjvd1971 my garage is 16’ by 22’ which is i think close to 350 sq ft. Seeing how i already have the seeds sprouting two days in i might just try vegging them for two to 3 weeks and then go into 12 hr on and 12 hr off light cycle to force flowering. Read that some just do the 12hr on 12hr off cycle from germination. Smaller yield but something to try and learn from? Wondering what you think and others? @Myfriendis410 @blackthumbbetty @Bubblehead @MattyBear @dbrn32 And maybe i can get this all done b4 the June heat hits
1 Like