Venting and Grow Room efficiency ( get your Ducts in a row)

subcool · #1 02-15-2008, 02:28 PM

People that haven’t been trained simply don’t understand Air and Cooling so I am going to attempt to help out.
First some things I see commonly done wrong by growers.

A window unit goes into a window. It is not designed to be ducted with cardboard or vented into a garage. These things work marginally at high temps and without proper air flow all they do is use energy. I was at a grow this weekend that’s improperly vented and the power bill is 600 where it should be 300. That’s 3600 a year wasted that could go to making it work properly there fore saving money every year.

That will pay for a mini split that uses ½ the electricity as a window unit.

Think Green in your grow room!

Moving Air is a lot cheaper than chilling it so if your hoods are hot then your venting system sucks. You should be able to hold your hands on your hoods and glass and not have to move them. If they are generating heat then your now paying to Chill the room and that cost a lot more.

A 1200 CFM vortex uses like 1 amp a 10,000 btu ac uses like 8

Air is a Fluid! Think of it as water. Everyone go look at there venting flex if water was running through it would it cavitate and restrict and all those bends without elbo’s? So does air you just cant see it. Air has friction and just like any fluid just less but its still a huge factor in venting.

Lets look at the proper way to vent a closed system.

Lets explore

WE want to install a hard pipe system as our main trunk line this will prevent friction flex is used only as short connecting tubes.

Ok I cut a 8" Dryer Vent in and tore off the flapper and cover.

We then attach a 8" elbo and a 7 foot section of pipe to go from down low to up high.

At the top of the cieling below the plate we come through with the 8" duct using an elbo 8"

As this duct passes through MzJill's hydro room we chop in a 4" hole to provide fresh air for her hood. Being close to the intake it will get lots of good clean fresh air and stay cool even with the smaller duct.

subcool · #2 02-15-2008, 02:30 PM

We now enter the main bud room with the 8" pipe all joints are sealed and taped as were using co2.

Using a factory 8x6x6 Wye fitting I terminate the fresh air intake feeding each hood with a very short piece of 6" flex but I use elbos at the fittings to reduce friction and turbulence.

I properly vented movable hood using 6" flex and an elbo and a long sweep. No short hard turns to restrict air flow.

The new hood straight through these hoods are cool to the touch.

subcool · #3 02-15-2008, 02:32 PM

This side of the trunk is powered by a 1200 cfm Vortex tied in with 10" hard pipe and elbos. It feeds a 12" phat filter mounted in the attic above this room.

You can see the new hood tieing in up high with no restrictions.

Now you can see a few connections on the exhaust trunk one goes over head to a vent that pulls any dank smelling air out of the common room and through the filter.

Another 6" tap travels into the veg room to vent the 1000 MH hood notice I used hard rigid flex to reduce friction I am a good ways from the main trunk at the end of the run its always good to go big on the last run.

subcool · #4 02-15-2008, 02:33 PM

Finally Jills new hood tied in but without elbos I will pick some up in the morning.

Dont cut corners venting you rooms it will cost you on your power bill. Multiply energy waste by 12 thats what it cost you per year.

Dont try and convert a 125$ window unit into something it wasn't designed for.

I hope this helps guys.

Sub

squishdoggydog · #5 02-15-2008, 02:41 PM

I have a decent intake and venting scheme, but damn. You need to get your ass to my house and get to fuckin' work!!!

I take it your in the HVAC trade?

LoudBlunts · #6 02-15-2008, 02:42 PM

subcool.... what if im trying to give my plants plenty of fresh air.... and i decided to run some ducting to my plants under the canopy while poking holes to deliver the air to the canopy...

if i did that....would it be okay to have a higher cfm fan for my intake? since it will be loosing alot of pressure?

or would that still be bad because regardless the exhaust will still pull air thru those ducts under the canopy if you understand my question?

subcool · #7 02-15-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoudBlunts

subcool.... what if im trying to give my plants plenty of fresh air.... and i decided to run some ducting to my plants under the canopy while poking holes to deliver the air to the canopy...

if i did that....would it be okay to have a higher cfm fan for my intake? since it will be loosing alot of pressure?

or would that still be bad because regardless the exhaust will still pull air thru those ducts under the canopy if you understand my question?

Before I answer how would you filter this air of pest and spores??

What is the source of the air?

Sub

subcool · #8 02-15-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squishdoggydog

I have a decent intake and venting scheme, but damn. You need to get your ass to my house and get to fuckin' work!!!

I take it your in the HVAC trade?

Yeah I am third generation HVAC good call

Sub

squishdoggydog · #9 02-15-2008, 02:49 PM

it shows. that's some quality work you have.

LoudBlunts · #10 02-15-2008, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subcool

Before I answer how would you filter this air of pest and spores??

What is the source of the air?

Sub

i have a hepa air filter on my intake. source of air? um air? it comes from the outside, but not like you would think. it still lingers in the room...... but i put a window fan in the window to create air exhanges in the room. that is independant from the cab's ventilation as i dont want to be exhausting and intaking the same air...so i thought the window fan would work

i grow in a cab. about 71.5" h 59" w and 20" d

the cab is broken down into different areas. i have supreme ventilation (so i think) but i want to increase the airflow to make sure there wont be any possibility of mold due to the fact that im sog'n and place anywhere from 8-16 small single cola plants in a 40" x 20" space (flower chamber).

i have a 6" exhaust fan in the flowering room. the exhaust and the scrubber also hooks to the mother and daughter chamber.

i want to get a bigger fan (my intake is currently a 4") and possibly route more air under the canopy.... will my bigger intake create smell problems and other problems for my exhaust fan?