How do i cool/vent a 2x4x5 tent cheaply???

Hi everyone. I have a tent that is 2x4x5. I also have a 400w hps/mh light. I need to start to figure out how and what im going to use to vent and cool down my grow tent. The 400 watt light im using has just a standard reflector, no tube reflector or hooded reflector. All of the holes in the tent are all four inches. I have never set up a ventilation system before and have no idea what im doing, or how to do it. Other people are telling me to get inline fans and all kinds of things but all of this adds up to over 300 plus dollars. I would only have about $150 to spend. Please help! Would 2 cheap four inch duct fans work? My babies need to go into flower in the next 2 days so I really need to figure this out, any imput will help!:leaf:
 

crazy carl

Member
one blowing in and one out, it might be helpful getting a speed controller for the one blowing in to get a little back pressure.
 

WolfZen

Member
If you are going to need a carbon filter, you are going to want an inline fan. I wouldn't ever flower plants without a carbon filter (even if in a legal state). That smell permeates everything.

For $150, you could probably find a used inline+filter. That would also allow you to already be setup for an air-cooled hood if you decide to upgrade your fixture at some point.

Duct fans are cheap and would work just to move air in and out of a tent though. If you go that route, the convention is to have your fans pushing air out of the tent at the highest part and allowing cooler air to passively enter at the lowest part (most tents have vents along the bottom already).
 

crazy carl

Member
Your right on point Wolf Zen, you ‘ll have smell issues defiantly. If you going to get into carbon filters you will need a inline fan. I’m assuming you thinking of getting 2 duct boosters and no filter to cool your tent?
 
I understand that the top hole is for outtake and the bottom is for intake. A monkey would kno that.and i am a legal patient. What I was trying to ask is basicly if I was to get 2 cheap duct fans and put them in the sleeves or whatever would that cool it down enough with a 400w? OR would that make it so light gets in and ruins everything? Would the light still burn the plants? The tent is going to be in a big walk in closet in my bedroom. AND if I was to get a big can filter and fan combo how would I hook it up with ducting if my reflector is just a plain ol reflector ya kno? its not hooded or tube its just bulb exposed with no where to attatch anything I bought it on amazon for like 125.
 

crazy carl

Member
What would your monkey do?

Just hook up the filter to the fan with the ducting. Then run the ducting out the window or something like that you might wont to hang the filter above the light because heat rises. Also try to get ducting that is not see through, this will keep light out or in.
 

Catchin22

Well-Known Member
Check links in my sig. The combo of the filter and fan will pull air through your intake keeping your tent temps down. You can go for a higher CFM fan which wouldn't hurt. You should also have a few fans such as these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N5TSZM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=jbe04-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003N5TSZM

You're going to want the carbon filter and fan combo unless you want to smell like weed all the time. Even being legal, who wants everything in their house to smell like a skunk?
 
Ok so a can filter and inline fan connencted to ducting connected to a hole at the top of the tent would blow hot air out. (is this even with the type of basic reflector I have?) but also how about the intake of air? will i not need a fan at the bottom for intake or will I need ANOTHER inline fan to blow air in? A store by my house has a fan filter combo for 209.99 but is that all im gunna need, just the 1 fan n 1 filter? (and ducting of course)? and Im going to have fans blowing on the babies.
 

Catchin22

Well-Known Member
Umm if you check those links in my sig thats a combo for like $80 shipped, bit cheaper than $210! The exhaust fan hooked up to the scrubber will PULL air in from your intake. You should locate the intake on the opposite side of your exhaust so that it pulls cool air in across the plants.

If you want to cool your light down you will need a special reflector for that to hook up to ducting. I don't believe you will need this if the temperatures outside the tent are low enough. You could ALSO if you liked, add another inline fan to the intake as well.
 

crazy carl

Member
I leave the flaps open at the bottom of my tent, if you have light issues you will need to close the flaps and push air in with another fan hooked to a long piece of ducting. If its long it shouldn’t be a big issue as far as light leaks goes.

forget about the reflector its not going to hook up to any thing.
 
im totally lost. my holes are 4 inch holes. I was assuming that the inline fan sucks air thru the filter and out the ducting thru the vent sleeve at the top of the tent? is that correct? and if it is then will i need a fan to suck air into the tent? and will that keep it cool enough in the tent to not worrry wbout hooking ducting to my light? BECAUSE there is NO WHERE to hook up ducting on a standard wing reflector
 

Catchin22

Well-Known Member
Stop worrying about your light. Unless you're going to buy a cool tube for it there's no need to worry about it. YES the EXHAUST fan hooked up to the carbon scrubber will create vacuum inside the tent which will SUCK air in through the intake at the same rate it gets blown out, simple right? Air goes in, air goes out. Adding a fan would probably help so there would be less restriction but it's not needed unless your temps are still shooting up. You SHOULD have a fan inside blowing on your plants in addition either way.
 

crazy carl

Member
yea that will do it, you shouldn’t have any issues with a 400, they don’t make things too hot with good air flow. I have a dimmable and I have run it with a fan blowing in and another time with the flaps open and have had no issues with heat stress on either setup.
 
I have a tent similar in size, I have a regular fan for the intake blowing in at the bottom left of my tent. I then run a duct from the top of my light out the top right of my tent. then mount the 4 inch incline fan so it is sucking the hot air from out the top of your tent and attach about a 12-24 inch of duct into the carbon filter. I bought my stuff from htgsupply and it came out to about 150 maybe a little more cuz I got 25 feet of ducting along with my carbon filter, incline fan, and a regular 4" intake fan. This will eliminate all smell and keep the air circulating across your plants. If try shortcuts chances are you will run to hot with a 400 in that small of a tent. You really need the incline/carbon filter combo its worth every penny
 

KushisSweet

Active Member
Under $150 no problem.. effective for under $150, no problem let me show you how...

Exaust - http://forum.growkind.com/showthread.php?t=36192

http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&safe=off&nomo=1&site=&source=hp&q=stanley+blower+fan&btnK=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=stanley+blower+fan&pbx=1

Use a 6" to 4" reducer for the side and you can set it up outside the tent hooked up to 4" ducting pulling the air through the carbon filter out the tent. You don't need the rectangle register unless you have the fan inside your tent.. I use it to cool my 600W.

Intake - http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&safe=off&nomo=1&source=hp&q=4"+duct+fan&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=4"+duct+fan&pbx=1

Spend the rest of your money on a carbon filter. Goodluck.
 
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