A customer has a question or concerns and I hope we can get some opinions on it, thanks
I just wanted to know will a grow box prevent thermal detection the most I’m trying to spend on 1 is 300$
Probably not. The good thing is that anything you’re doing in the $300 range most likely wouldn’t even come up on the radar
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If you lined the outside with aluminum flashing and directed the hot air of the exhaust to floor level it could look just like a space heater. It would be detected but it could look harmless in the winter time. Running a heater during the summer is going to be pretty suspicious!
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Only area of concern is the exhaust outlet in the higher temps if its particularly cold, and only if that exhaust exits directly out into the open cold air. A repurposed Fridge grow is the direction I’d go for $300… Actually I am going that direction and $300 seems to be roughly where I come up at…assuming I don’t have highest bid on all 3 LEDs I bid on drunk last night. Lol tag me in to your journal when u start one.
I would disagree. The thermal imaging camera I use at work is ridiculous, and it’s not even that expensive.
I seen the video pointing out what they look for and how they identify potential grows, and realize suspicious exhaust is one of the dead giveaways. But if anyone was looking, they could pick out a grow fairly easily.
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Interesting, I’d be interested to see it, can you remember where you saw it? Or more to the point where I could see it?
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Good clip thanks @dbrn32 got stuck watching tge next 2 vids also. I was onto not exhausting straight out into the open air. That vid made LED a lot more attractive and the exhaust into the dryer is a good idea also. I might just implement that one myself for my fridge grow, only 1 plant LED but in an otherwise heatless shed and if its vented into the dryer perhaps a carbon filter isn’t as essential. Thoughts? Also quick question. if my fridge is 517litre (1550mm x 700mm x 500mm) how big an exhaust fan would I need to not need another fan and stick with a passive vent with a 450 or 600w Led. I’m not hijacking the thread but think it might be relevant for the question asker with a $300 budget and heat detection worries. Thanks @dbrn32 I’ve read a lot of your advice/suggestions and Your the Man!
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Dryer vent! I hadn’t thought of that. Likewise, you could make it come out of a water heater vent or a furnace vent, The main thing is not to have it vent right out of a window, unless you’re legal like me.
Actually, if you mix your HID lamp exhaust with enough cold air, it won’t be visible because it won’t be hot… That’s why the video said to run it under your house. Or if you just pipe it into the rest of your house it looks like a space heater. We DO run heaters in our houses in winter.
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I think a carbon filter is necessary just for keeping the smell in check. There are potential issues with running into your dryer vent, or any other vent that needs to serve as operational for other appliances.
I grew in a small room in my basement at one time. I had intake and exhaust that were both run through dedicated dryer duct vents. Only one person in the 7 years I lived there pointed out that I had multiple. My exhaust was run right next to my actual dryer vent. And the intake was on around the corner. My story was that one of as for my gas fireplace, and th other because I had moved the dryer.
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I agree. Nothing says weed is here like the smell of flowering mj wafting through the air and tracked right back to your dryer vent!
I’m in a legal state and smelled it the other day while I was out for a walk. As a casual observer I figured out which house it was in 2 minutes. Sure it’s legal but who wants some ah kicking in your door while your out because your broadcasting that you are growing in your house. Always practice covert growing no matter how legal or illegal it is!
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Use solar board. It’s aluminum foil lined and the heat signature is almost none. Sells at most big lumber dealers
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It’s a reduced heat signature, but I wouldn’t go as far to say it’s none. We have it as insulation in one of our pole buildings at work. You can pick out a body from the inside when it’s cold out, and the heater sticks out like a sore thumb.
Even with the reduction, it doesn’t cover the warm exhaust. Which is supposedly something le agents look for more than hot spots within a home.
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Not a problem at mine. Recirculates inside. By the way why are u guys using thermal imaging.
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Checking transmission lines, transformers, and various electrical junctions. We do a few random other things with them, but that’s majorly.
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I agree with @dbrn32 the have thermal imaging as well both at work and at home you can see a change of a few degrees as stated above 300$ grow is not what they are looking for
The heat generated will not even send up a red flag
@bob31 made a good point in smell thats a dead give away and what will most likely get you caught not the heat your grow will produce
They are looking for full house grows with the imaging
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I suppose you could use all the heat inside your house in winter and then air condition the heck out of it during summer. You would spend a lot of money on air conditioning but would be pretty undetectable, because AC units can be SO very bad. Just because an AC unit is putting out a lot of heat would not be an indicator for the cops. A new AC can be 24 SEER and an old one 3 SEER. A new one could just look like an old one working very hard. They are not going to say a hot AC is probable cause in the summer.
The other thing you could do is to only grow in the winter when you can use the heat inside.