Air Conditioner?

Finally got all the parts for the room. I am going to use co2, and had planned on just using the exhaust to cool the room. I have a CHHC-1 controller so it should all be automated and no problem.
But is it worth it to get an air conditioner instead? My only thought against my original plan was that it is going to go through a lot of co2 if I keep venting it outside when it gets too hot.
The room is around 30 sq feet, with 2 600W HPS/MH lights.

you'll have to do the math... calculate how much co2 ur going to go thru with out the AC...

then you'll need to figure the initial cost of the AC..... cost to run the AC.... and how much co2 you actually save.

i would think getting an AC unit is going to be much easier. not sure if its cheaper but you won't have to run your exhaust all the time and you won't be filling co2 tanks as often. (i'm assuming you're using tanks..)

A/C is a CO2 user's best friend. 1200w is a lot of heat, you'd have to be constantly pulling air and if your intake temps aren't low enough...... bad deal. Get an A/C.

If the hoods are vented with intake and exhaust outside of the room, you might be fine. Run the lights with venting, and see what the temps do over 2 days. If OK, AC may not be needed.

Can also run the CO2 for a few hours, then stop, watch temps, vent for a change over/temp drop, and repeat a few times a day.

Lots of options.

Thanks. Yea I'll be using a tank.

I don't have vented lights. The temp is a problem with just one light running, so I know I need to get one now. AC will probably pay for itself in the labor aspect of taking the tanks in to get filled repeatedly too.

i have bought 2 AC's in the last 2 months. the first one i got is a one hose design. thats bad for co2 because it creates a significant negative pressure in the room, effectively exhausting your co2 just the same as an inline fan exhaust would. i made the mistake (a 400 dollar one at that) of doing research after i bought the damn thing. so now i bought a "dual hose design" from the same company, and dual hose is supposed to leave the rooms atmosphere alone. those mother fuckers ripped me off! its the same thing as the single hose design because even though it has two hoses, the AC itself is made with plenty of vents that suck air from the room to cool the coils, and it has the same negitive pressure as my single hose AC!! so basically, its a single hose AC with an extra hose attached for looks. so what ever you do, DO NOT BUY THIS AC!! link. and for that matter, do not buy any Edgestar products because they are shit. it took me over 900 dollars to learn that, but you learn it for free. also, dont order your AC from compact appliance. they are scam artists. it took me 900 bones to learn that too!

does anyone who uses an AC know of a QUALITY dual hose AC that wont touch the rooms sealed atmosphere? thanks.

Bagelthief said:

does anyone who uses an AC know of a QUALITY dual hose AC that wont touch the rooms sealed atmosphere? thanks.

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Go to home depot and pick up a sheet metal adaptor that looks like |=o

you put the flat side against the AC... duct tape it to the face of the air conditioner...

you put the round air duct side outward and hook it up to your ducting system

i think the term is "saddle taps" (the name of the product) and it looks like:




you can find more info here at the duct shop: Saddle Taps on Flat : www.theductshop.com



hope that helped bud.

hmm interesting idea grow tech. do you mean duct the cool air into the room while keeping the AC out of the room?

you can keep the AC in the room, assuming your AC has an exhaust host like mine does (I think all portable ACs do) the cost of the whole project for you shouldnt add up to more than $30 added to the cost of the AC system. just blow cool air into the ducts, past the HPS bulbs, and out the window. Of course, a little heat DOES find it's way past the air cooled reflectors...

hmm. i think me and you are on different pages here. my problem is the negative pressure that my AC creates. so long as the AC is in the room, its creating a negative pressure because it draws air from the room to cool the coils/compressor/motor, and expels that hot air through the exhaust hose. this is not good for me because i want to supplement the room with co2.

Bagelthief said:

hmm. i think me and you are on different pages here. my problem is the negative pressure that my AC creates. so long as the AC is in the room, its creating a negative pressure because it draws air from the room to cool the coils/compressor/motor, and expels that hot air through the exhaust hose. this is not good for me because i want to supplement the room with co2.

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Well this would work even with the AC out of the room... Umm you could also hook up a duct to the air intake on the AC as well, and duct that from another part of the home, or maybe even outside (if you duct the air intake from outside you will have to empty your water res a lot due to condensation from the outside air being put through the AC.)