Do cheap grow tents leak air/ airflow problems??

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Caution_baking

New Member
So I was looking at the grow tent I set up the other day, bought from Amazon. When I realised there was light slipping thru the stitches everywhere, the zips stitching, ventilation holes stitching and even the side window panels it just uses velcro. Would this be enough to fault my air flow/ would duct taping everything like a mad man be best or just upgrading the fan ( I have a cheap cultiv 8 100mm in-line fan hooked up to a 4 inch carbon filter) basically what looks like a computer fan. The box says 100m3h and I am skeptic as is, so I was going to upgrade to a fan around 150-190 m3h. My tent is only small at 50cmx 90cmx 160. Any help would be much appreciated and best off luck
 
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conor c

Well-Known Member
Caution_baking said:
So I was looking at the grow tent I set up the other day, bought from Amazon. When I realised there was light slipping thru the stitches everywhere, the zips stitching, ventilation holes stitching and even the side window panels it just uses velcro. Would this be enough to fault my air flow/ would duct taping everything like a mad man be best or just upgrading the fan ( I have a cheap cultiv 8 100mm in-line fan hooked up to a 4 inch carbon filter) basically what looks like a computer fan. The box says 100m3h and I am skeptic as is, so I was going to upgrade to a fan around 150-190 m3h. My tent is only small at 50cmx 90cmx 160. Any help would be much appreciated and best off luck
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Id be more worried about light leaks causing problems vs airflow you want it dark dark for lights off
 
weedstoner420

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
I think as long as you have negative air pressure (tent sides pulled in slightly when it's closed up) you will be good. Essentially instead of having one big inlet for air, you have a big one and several small ones scattered around the tent.

The only spot I would worry about air leaks would be between the carbon filter and the exhaust fan (i.e. if the fan can pull in air that hasn't passed through the carbon filter to remove odor).
 
GangaDownUnder

GangaDownUnder

Well-Known Member
If its cheap, shiny inside, and has inlets of the correct size in conventient locations then just go for it. You've got nothing to worry about because yeah its all about negative pressure. If you're pulling air out of the tent then it doesnt matter if the inflow is a fan or passive...and if its passive it doesnt matter if its one big inlet hole or many small ones. So its all good.

And don't even worry about light leaks. Light leaks just dont cause hermies. Thats an old wives tale. I've been using the same cheap ass tent for 10+ years and have put it up and taken it down so many times that its absolutely covered in pinholes...it looks like the night sky when the lights are on. I also use a passive intake that is just an open vent where light gets in. Of the ~200 plants I've grown I've had maybe 4 or 5 hermies...and I buy cheap ass genetics. If light leaks caused hermies then every batch i do would be full of seeds, but it isnt. Clearly a myth and clearly just down to genetics. I mean, how would the moon not fuck up plants grown outdoors if hermies were because of low level light during the dark period? Myth busted, done and dusted.
 
DrDukePHD

DrDukePHD

Well-Known Member
GangaDownUnder said:
If its cheap, shiny inside, and has inlets of the correct size in conventient locations then just go for it. You've got nothing to worry about because yeah its all about negative pressure. If you're pulling air out of the tent then it doesnt matter if the inflow is a fan or passive...and if its passive it doesnt matter if its one big inlet hole or many small ones. So its all good.

And don't even worry about light leaks. Light leaks just dont cause hermies. Thats an old wives tale. I've been using the same cheap ass tent for 10+ years and have put it up and taken it down so many times that its absolutely covered in pinholes...it looks like the night sky when the lights are on. I also use a passive intake that is just an open vent where light gets in. Of the ~200 plants I've grown I've had maybe 4 or 5 hermies...and I buy cheap ass genetics. If light leaks caused hermies then every batch i do would be full of seeds, but it isnt. Clearly a myth and clearly just down to genetics. I mean, how would the moon not fuck up plants grown outdoors if hermies were because of low level light during the dark period? Myth busted, done and dusted.
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Man I hope you're right since my tent is full'o'holes too. I am patching them up today though using Gorilla Tape & liquid electrical tape. That seemed to be the consensus in my thread for patching holes.
 
GangaDownUnder

GangaDownUnder

Well-Known Member
Dude. I wouldn't even bother personally. But you do you...if it eases your mind then go for it. But if you saw mine...
 
DrDukePHD

DrDukePHD

Well-Known Member
GangaDownUnder said:
Dude. I wouldn't even bother personally. But you do you...if it eases your mind then go for it. But if you saw mine...
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Well I live in my grow room, use tvs/monitors etc during lights off. So I figure be careful? But you're saying, go ahead & install a disco ball/throw a rave in there with all the vent flaps open & (assuming my genetics are good) im all good?
 
odessa

odessa

Well-Known Member
I throw a blanket over my photo tent during lights out. I haven't noticed air leaks in terms of smells, but I know what people mean by the "thousands of tiny pinholes of light". So far the blanket has worked and they aren't stressed or hermied.
 
GangaDownUnder

GangaDownUnder

Well-Known Member
DrDukePHD said:
Well I live in my grow room, use tvs/monitors etc during lights off. So I figure be careful? But you're saying, go ahead & install a disco ball/throw a rave in there with all the vent flaps open & (assuming my genetics are good) im all good?
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No rave. Low level light...like you'd get from light leaks from pinholes and seams or through a vent or a red light on a power strip.

And my tent is in my bedroom next to a window so gets direct sun and lights at all hours. As I said, open vent, covered in pinholes and barely a hermie to be seen.

I mean, I probably wouldn't take my word for it either...but I'm me and I know my experience and so unless I'm just the lukiest guy then its clearly all bunk from my perspective.

Again, up to you...if you're that worried then tape her up and ease your mind. There's other reasons to not have light leaks coming out as i do get light projecting out of those holes onto walls and ceilings (which is actually kind of cool as sometimes it literally projects the image onto the wall like a...well a projector. I can see a few leaves of a plant fluttering in the breeze of the fan as i go off to sleep lol).

Anyways have a good one mate
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
If smells an issue then make sure you have a carbon scrubber and always have a negative pressure on the tent (slightly more exhaust than intake) to prevent smells from escaping the tent without first passing through a carbon scrubber.

As for light leaks if it's not a big hole or crack you shouldn't need to worry. I would suggest getting a good quality tent in the future if you don't have a room you can use to grow in. Gorilla Grow Tents for example are beast mode and aren't going to have the crappy issues like todays tents. I have some "Zazzy" tents I use to hang & dry cure my plants in and they've been nothing but spectacular. Very thick mylar and the zippers never failed, purchased a tent later on by vivosun and it was a complete piece of trash. Zippers barely worked and felt like they were gunna break every time I opened it.
 
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conor c

Well-Known Member
DrDukePHD said:
Well I live in my grow room, use tvs/monitors etc during lights off. So I figure be careful? But you're saying, go ahead & install a disco ball/throw a rave in there with all the vent flaps open & (assuming my genetics are good) im all good?
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Lol id keep the disco ball for when your breeding and wanna stress test your shit idk man your quote just reminded me of something dukediamond said on one of the potcast episodes
 
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Bjg

Well-Known Member
I have a brand new gorilla tent and when the tent is in the dark with the lights on its like flying over a city at night, pinholes in every seam and every bit of velcro I figured not much you can do run with it. I run lights out at night anyway so no real light leak issue for me. But I've had cheaper tents with better zippers and no light leaks so price does not always point to quality.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
Bjg said:
I have a brand new gorilla tent and when the tent is in the dark with the lights on its like flying over a city at night, pinholes in every seam and every bit of velcro I figured not much you can do run with it. I run lights out at night anyway so no real light leak issue for me. But I've had cheaper tents with better zippers and no light leaks so price does not always point to quality.
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Have you contacted their support team? I walked through one of their 10x10 at a buddies house and it was extremely nice. I would camp in that fuckin thing.
 
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Bjg

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
Have you contacted their support team? I walked through one of their 10x10 at a buddies house and it was extremely nice. I would camp in that fuckin thing.
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Mines a 5x5 and yeah made well enough but didn't expect so many pinholes in the stitching and zippers do feel a bit cheap. I also have a bright as f light which may contribute. They also dont seal completely where the zippers meet down the bottom all they have is a flap of material that velcros once over a tennis ball sized hole. I've used this gap to run feed and drain lines but otherwise I'd think you'd want to block it properly somehow.
 
DrDukePHD

DrDukePHD

Well-Known Member
Bjg said:
I have a brand new gorilla tent and when the tent is in the dark with the lights on its like flying over a city at night, pinholes in every seam and every bit of velcro I figured not much you can do run with it. I run lights out at night anyway so no real light leak issue for me. But I've had cheaper tents with better zippers and no light leaks so price does not always point to quality.
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Not the first time I've heard that a $300+ gorilla tent has plenty of leaks. Apparently no matter how much you pay for a tent, they come from the same 1 or 2 manufacturers & the quality varies wildly. I'm on my 3rd $180 tent, all of them full of holes, weak zippers. I have a 4th replacement waiting ill put up next grow but i suspect it'll be just as bad.

I guess the moral of the story is, buy any tent you want/can afford & add a roll of black Gorilla Tape to your cart.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
DrDukePHD said:
Not the first time I've heard that a $300+ gorilla tent has plenty of leaks. Apparently no matter how much you pay for a tent, they come from the same 1 or 2 manufacturers & the quality varies wildly. I'm on my 3rd $180 tent, all of them full of holes, weak zippers. I have a 4th replacement waiting ill put up next grow but i suspect it'll be just as bad.

I guess the moral of the story is, buy any tent you want/can afford & add a roll of black Gorilla Tape to your cart.
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Moral of the story is build your own grow space/room and don't waste money on tents.
 
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