MY NEW ROOM - How do i cool it?

So i just moved into an apartment and have a closet thats about 4x4x8. Its a pretty big area, especially in comparison to my "stealth" grow in my closet at my parents house.

So anyways, here is my main question. I have been using cfls but just purchased a 400w HPS light to replace it. This room does not have any windows or any actual way to exhaust the air. How is this done in a room like this? The door to the closet MUST stay shut.
Right now I have a couple of fans in there, plan on getting some more, but is that the only real option? a portable ac unit wouldn't work because it needs a window exhaust.

So what would be the best way to keep temps down in a room set up like this?
Any suggestions?
Thanks

go to your home depot and buy a cheep replacement door that you dont mind cutting 2, 4 inch holes in the bottom and placeing a wall vent over the holes so it looks like a vented closet. hook up your intake and exhaust and wahla. now when its time to move out youll have the old door to put back on and make it seem as nothing ever happened.

thats actually a really good idea. And if i put a large enough carbon filter in there the smell shouldn't be an issue then.

Any other ideas? or is this my only real option? I'm trying to be discreet in the sense that I don't want guests and visitors to undoubtedly realize whats going on behind the locked door.

I will still consider the cheap door for an exhaust. Thanks.

The only other option really is to cut a hole in the ceiling and vent to the attic, unless there are people living above you.
Plants need fresh air and the co2 it brings, you can't get fresh air into the room unless you get rid of the stale air. If you exhaust the hot, stale air from the top of the room, and leave somewhere that air can enter near the floor, the air will flow in as fast as it goes out.
If you can't vent through the walls, ceiling or door, then the closet is not a good growing area, especially not for a hps light.

i had your situation. mine was a top floor flat.

i thought to hell with it, bought myself a jig-saw and went mad, i took it to the walls, the cieling, the door, the flat. exhausts into attic now, best option by far, with hidden air intakes just above floor level.

landlord will NOT be happy when they find out, but what're they gonna do about it, i'll be gone gone gone by the time they find out, and i don't plan on leaving anyways so they'll nevvvvver find out

Most likely I will have to go with the exhaust on the door.

So lets see if i UNderstand this correct.
I take an inline fan, attach it to a duct near the top of the room, and send the exhaust out into the hall (after being filtered for odor). Then, I have fans blowing around the room and near the lights?

Also, on a 400w hps, about how high above the plants should it be?

Can you duct it to an attic space? ie cool tube or something similar.
I would hesitate even having your own door with holes in it if a maint. guy should happen to see it might be a problem. If you can cover the holes, think about having an intake in the ajoining wall drawing air from outside the closet, throught the cooltube and out another area (attic).

does a portable ac definitely need an exhaust? i thought you could just pop one in the room and let it cool away...?

Trunk5 said:

go to your home depot and buy a cheep replacement door that you dont mind cutting 2, 4 inch holes in the bottom and placeing a wall vent over the holes so it looks like a vented closet. hook up your intake and exhaust and wahla. now when its time to move out youll have the old door to put back on and make it seem as nothing ever happened.

Click to expand...

I gotta agree. Im in the same situation, when I was just using CFL's heat wasnt an issue. I added a 150 watt HPS and the heat jumped higher than expected...right now i crack the door but that isnt gonna last long

+ rep.

If I put a hole in the wall it would lead to another smaller closet, so I don't know if that would work exactly the way I want. The ceilings off limits because I have neighbors living in the apt above me.

If you are on the top floor, definitely vent into the attic. If not, vent into an adjoining room, just be sure to have some furniture hiding the exhaust hole. And make certain you have carbon filters to 86 the smell.

When it comes time to move out just hit up a Home Depot or Lowes and tell someone that you kicked a hole in a wall and need some drywall repair supplies. Surely there will be someone there that will point out everything you need and might even explain how to do it. It shouldn't cost you more than $60 to repair a few four inch holes.

You could draw air in from ouside the closet (door hole) run a cool tube and exit into other closet. Kind of a closed air loop.

sophanox said:

does a portable ac definitely need an exhaust? i thought you could just pop one in the room and let it cool away...?

Click to expand...

No an ac is simply a heat exchanger, it cools the air by taking the heat from it and blowing the cold air out one way, and the hot air another way, so yes it needs an exhaust, or it will just sit there wasting electricity.

look this over.

it's a bit diff but may help.

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/167842-air-handling-4x4x8-430watt-flower.html

wow that looks super complicated. right now i'm thinking about knocking a hole in the wall into the other closet, which i will leave slightly open, so that the hot air is pushed by an inline fan into a carbon filter then into the other closet, where i hope i can vent the hot air out into my main living area. will post pics soon.

so i have an air filter, which i realizes take in whatever air is in the room and exhausts cold air, as well as eleminating odors. I may try using this with a dehumdifier before i put holes in the wall, but i do have a venting kit and exhaust fan ready in case thats my only choice.