Attic Grow I Need Advice Please

[numnuts]

I am so glad I found this website
I am planning a small personal grow in my attic. The attic is about 12' x 24'. It has a roof exhaust fan to remove humidity and heat from attic. I also live in a an area that is cold or cool for most of the year except June, July, August. Summer usually Does not get over 88 degrees outside

I am thinking of using a Grow Lab tent GL80 that is 31"x 31"x 5"11" inside the attic. I can vent out through a bathroom exhaust duct that goes outside the house if needed. I am hoping that during the cooler months I can exhaust the air out of the tent into the attic to keep the area warm and let the roof exhust fan remove the excess heat when it gets too hot. That way I can heat the attic in the cooler months to keep the air warm.

I will be using a 240 HPS light with 4" can fan and Can Fan filter for odor control. I will be using soil Scrog method with two 12" square pots.

I would appreciate any advice I can get for growing in an attic. I would be considered a medical marijuana patient (MS) in california but I live in a state that has decriminilized possesion but no medical marijuana laws so I must be discreet.
Please give advice on these questions
1. I need a quiet light. Should I get a light with a built in ballast or remote ballast. Which one is quieter?
2. Should the light be air cooled? How do I vent the light.

3. Do you think I will need to vent outside or can I vent the tent into the attic and let the roof exhaust fan remove the heat. I plan to grow durring the cooler months but not the cold months like December, January, February.

Any Advice would be apreciated.

 

[ezmoney]

dont use the tent box i am from pennsylvania and have done a few attic grows get the built in ballast hps get to hot for a grow tent in a attic and put in line fans to vent and help cool i used a air conditioner to keep temp and humidity down so you dont get mold the attic shuld be vented from the roof so your good there and its up high so it wont be smelt out side if i can help any more message me

 

[Screwnuts33]

I am currently doing a tent/attic grow. Check out my journal.

 

[ezmoney]

i see your from oregon its not as hot or humid nice grow though

 

[Screwnuts33]

My current tent temp ranges 75-80 depending on the ambient air temp I draw from outside. Humidity is right a 40%. I can do a spring grow but no chance of running anything in the attic during summer. We get too hot.

 

[numnuts]

does a remote ballast light make as much noise as a light with a built in ballat?
Any ideas as to how to reduce noise and vibration?

I used a light with a built in ballast and I could hear the hum in the room that was directly below the grow area.

 

[numnuts]

PS. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Screwnuts33]

does a remote ballast light make as much noise as a light with a built in ballat?
Any ideas as to how to reduce noise and vibration?

I used a light with a built in ballast and I could hear the hum in the room that was directly below the grow area.

My digital remote balasts are silent. I cannot hear any hum at all.

 

[numnuts]

I read a few descriptions that indicate that digital ballast do not send out the correct light for blooming. If the digital ballast works as well as HPS lights I would probably go that route.
How is the yield with a digital Ballast? Is it as good as a Regular ballast?
Thanks

 

[ezmoney]

i like the digital havent notice a difference between em just watch your heat and humidity i was in c town and it was a hot summer was 120 in my attic with 100% humidity it became mold city thats why i would stay away from the tent box and run a a/c unit but i would go with the digital there nice

 

[Screwnuts33]

I read a few descriptions that indicate that digital ballast do not send out the correct light for blooming. If the digital ballast works as well as HPS lights I would probably go that route.
How is the yield with a digital Ballast? Is it as good as a Regular ballast?
Thanks

Digital balast can run either MH lights for veg or HPS for flower. They are more efficient than magnetic balasts.

 

[Damian Thorn]

sounds good..use a large 6 by 6 or 8 by 6 tent..or frame off an area and make your own tent... use the cool air outside to aircool the lights and then vent it back out side...if u do it right and seal it ....you should be able to keep the air sealed in the vent ducts only soo no smell willl get out..then have another fan blowing cool air only into the tent to control the temps...u have any pics?

 

[numnuts]

Thanks for the replies.
I will be using a digital ballast.

I have a new question.

For a scrog grow do you think it is more important to have adequate height or is the width of tent more important?

I am leaning to a tent for ease of removal if neccessary.

The area in the attic that I can grow in has a limited area that has a maximum height of 91" because of the roof pitch. The wider the area I use the less height I have to grow.
31" wide tent I can get 85" height.
36" wide tent I can get about 75" height
The wider the tent the less height I can use.

I was planning on a 31" wide tent because I could get 71" height from Growlab GL 80 tent.

Thanks

 

[Screwnuts33]

Height is usually the biggest limiting factor. Although if you go real wide one light won't cover it very well.