Controlling Tent Humidity & Smell - How?

[CharlieWaffles]

Good day folks, I hope everybody is high and happy
I hope someone on here with a bigger brain than mine can help me out. I have a 4x4 tent, set up with a ViparSpectra KS3000, a cheap 100w additional blurple LED for additional reds, a 6" stealth exhaust fan running on low 24/7. I have 2 fans in the tent circulating air and blowing on the plants plus an oil heater to maintain a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius (68 deg Fahrenheit). I have a 5L (1 gallon) humidifier in the tent with the idea being to maintain 50% humidity during veg and I'd like to achieve around 35% humidity during flower (without the humidifier running, in my locations current climate, my tent humidity is around 20%). I have discovered that I either need to upgrade to a much much larger humidifier as the 5L are gone within hours or I am doing something incorrectly. I'm guessing because the exhaust fan is running all the time, even if it's only on low, the humidifier can't keep up. I would have to be filling the tank every 4-5 hours with my current set up. I don't want to add a timer so the exhaust fan only comes on every so often, like once per hour for 15 minutes, because when I do this the smell starts to escape the tent and it stinks everything up and I can't have that. So, am I doing something incorrectly or am I right when I say a larger humidifier is the only way to fix my issue. Thanks for any and all input.

 

[lootznbootz]

Have you tried to maintain the temps outside of your tent!
I put my heater dehumidifier humidifier etc all outside of my tent then dial in my tent to do what I want it to
It’s easier to maintain the tent when you know what the environment outside the tent is.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Have you tried to maintain the temps outside of your tent!
I put my heater dehumidifier humidifier etc all outside of my tent then dial in my tent to do what I want it to
It’s easier to maintain the tent when you know what the environment outside the tent is.

Hey thanks for the reply. I understand what you are getting at. What I don’t understand is how I’m going to achieve it. The environment outside of my tent is very similar to the environment inside of my tent except for the heat. My tent is in my shed and the heat is maintained in the winter to about 12°C. The only way for me to get it warmer in the tent, is to have the heater in the tent. I don’t have any way to heat my tent other than inside of it. I use the oil heater so that it’s not actually blowing out hot electrified air which would probably make it even dryer inside.
Thanks for the thoughts : )

 

[lootznbootz]

I have to say I’m a little spoiled in the fact that I use my ac infinity controllers to dial in my environment both outside and in.

The controller keeps the fan running on 1 always and cranks up to vent heat and humidity as needed. This way I’m always scrubbing the air.
There’s a slight smell when you enter my garage but I also have 3 or 4 tents operating m. Opening the tents tho is another story.

Idk if you use a controller but it would help.

Ac isn’t a sponsor but @VIVOSUN is and they have a controller that allows you to dial up the stage you want and it will keep your environment dialed in.

I would consider giving that a look if you haven’t already.
Sorry I’m not much help environment is my weakest area because I’m so spoiled with controllers…

 

[Keffka]

Good day folks, I hope everybody is high and happy
I hope someone on here with a bigger brain than mine can help me out. I have a 4x4 tent, set up with a ViparSpectra KS3000, a cheap 100w additional blurple LED for additional reds, a 6" stealth exhaust fan running on low 24/7. I have 2 fans in the tent circulating air and blowing on the plants plus an oil heater to maintain a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius (68 deg Fahrenheit). I have a 5L (1 gallon) humidifier in the tent with the idea being to maintain 50% humidity during veg and I'd like to achieve around 35% humidity during flower (without the humidifier running, in my locations current climate, my tent humidity is around 20%). I have discovered that I either need to upgrade to a much much larger humidifier as the 5L are gone within hours or I am doing something incorrectly. I'm guessing because the exhaust fan is running all the time, even if it's only on low, the humidifier can't keep up. I would have to be filling the tank every 4-5 hours with my current set up. I don't want to add a timer so the exhaust fan only comes on every so often, like once per hour for 15 minutes, because when I do this the smell starts to escape the tent and it stinks everything up and I can't have that. So, am I doing something incorrectly or am I right when I say a larger humidifier is the only way to fix my issue. Thanks for any and all input.

Ok so I was in the same boat as you. You can control the humidity a few ways, increasing the air flow or increasing the heat will decrease your humidity. Decreasing air flow or decreasing heat will raise rh. In a dry, low temp environment like yours, these aren’t really options for you. To achieve what you’re attempting to achieve without a timer or huge changes, you’ll want to add either a second humidifier or a substantially larger humidifier. My recommendation to you based on this exact issue that I had is to add a second larger humidifier.

If you keep both humidifiers on you can turn them both down which will allow you to keep your RH up without affecting your fans, and this will allow you to change your tanks less. I keep two 4L humidifiers in my room.. You may need as many as 3 if it’s really that arid.

Turned to the max my 4Ls need to be replaced every 8-10 hours. With multiple humidifiers running I can turn them down to halfway, keeping my rh where I want it and I only have to replace my tanks every 24-36 hours. This problem is solved much easier with multiple humidifiers instead of just one big one. This will give you the flexibility of increasing or decreasing anything you want without worrying about how to offset it.

Humidifiers are marketed horribly. They tell you the tank will last 4 days but they don’t tell you that 4 days is based on you running it at the lowest setting. If it says 4 days then you can assume at its highest setting it’ll actually only last 12ish hours.

You’re not doing anything wrong. You just need more. RH is one of those things that can vary wildly based on ambient environments. It’s much easier to have the ability to increase your RH on its own without having to mess with your airflow and temperature to reach your desired level.

 

[lootznbootz]

Ok so I was in the same boat as you. You can control the humidity a few ways, increasing the air flow or increasing the heat will decrease your humidity. Decreasing air flow or decreasing heat will raise rh. In a dry, low temp environment like yours, these aren’t really options for you. To achieve what you’re attempting to achieve without a timer or huge changes, you’ll want to add either a second humidifier or a substantially larger humidifier. My recommendation to you based on this exact issue that I had is to add a second larger humidifier.

If you keep both humidifiers on you can turn them both down which will allow you to keep your RH up without affecting your fans, and this will allow you to change your tanks less. I keep two 4L humidifiers in my room.. You may need as many as 3 if it’s really that arid.

Turned to the max my 4Ls need to be replaced every 8-10 hours. With multiple humidifiers running I can turn them down to halfway, keeping my rh where I want it and I only have to replace my tanks every 24-36 hours. This problem is solved much easier with multiple humidifiers instead of just one big one. This will give you the flexibility of increasing or decreasing anything you want without worrying about how to offset it.

Humidifiers are marketed horribly. They tell you the tank will last 4 days but they don’t tell you that 4 days is based on you running it at the lowest setting. If it says 4 days then you can assume at its highest setting it’ll actually only last 12ish hours.

You’re not doing anything wrong. You just need more. RH is one of those things that can vary wildly based on ambient environments. It’s much easier to have the ability to increase your RH on its own without having to mess with your airflow and temperature to reach your desired level.

what don’t you know
I have a whole page on my computer of gems I take from you

This wasn’t even my question but I learned something

 

[AgedMaster]

Good day folks, I hope everybody is high and happy
I hope someone on here with a bigger brain than mine can help me out. I have a 4x4 tent, set up with a ViparSpectra KS3000, a cheap 100w additional blurple LED for additional reds, a 6" stealth exhaust fan running on low 24/7. I have 2 fans in the tent circulating air and blowing on the plants plus an oil heater to maintain a minimum of 20 degrees Celsius (68 deg Fahrenheit). I have a 5L (1 gallon) humidifier in the tent with the idea being to maintain 50% humidity during veg and I'd like to achieve around 35% humidity during flower (without the humidifier running, in my locations current climate, my tent humidity is around 20%). I have discovered that I either need to upgrade to a much much larger humidifier as the 5L are gone within hours or I am doing something incorrectly. I'm guessing because the exhaust fan is running all the time, even if it's only on low, the humidifier can't keep up. I would have to be filling the tank every 4-5 hours with my current set up. I don't want to add a timer so the exhaust fan only comes on every so often, like once per hour for 15 minutes, because when I do this the smell starts to escape the tent and it stinks everything up and I can't have that. So, am I doing something incorrectly or am I right when I say a larger humidifier is the only way to fix my issue. Thanks for any and all input.

Do u have a carbon filter on your extractor fan that helps with smell u could also have a pipe pulling in air from outside that will raise your humidity and save u money using humidifier

 

[Keffka]

what don’t you know
I have a whole page on my computer of gems I take from you

This wasn’t even my question but I learned something

I read and tinker, a lot. A lot. If I’m not reading I’m tinkering, if I’m not tinkering I’m reading. If I read something I have to try it/mess with it/tinker with it. If I tinker with something, I have to read about it. It’s a whole thing my wife prefers I find one thing and stick to it, it’s cheaper

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Ok so I was in the same boat as you. You can control the humidity a few ways, increasing the air flow or increasing the heat will decrease your humidity. Decreasing air flow or decreasing heat will raise rh. In a dry, low temp environment like yours, these aren’t really options for you. To achieve what you’re attempting to achieve without a timer or huge changes, you’ll want to add either a second humidifier or a substantially larger humidifier. My recommendation to you based on this exact issue that I had is to add a second larger humidifier.

If you keep both humidifiers on you can turn them both down which will allow you to keep your RH up without affecting your fans, and this will allow you to change your tanks less. I keep two 4L humidifiers in my room.. You may need as many as 3 if it’s really that arid.

Turned to the max my 4Ls need to be replaced every 8-10 hours. With multiple humidifiers running I can turn them down to halfway, keeping my rh where I want it and I only have to replace my tanks every 24-36 hours. This problem is solved much easier with multiple humidifiers instead of just one big one. This will give you the flexibility of increasing or decreasing anything you want without worrying about how to offset it.

Humidifiers are marketed horribly. They tell you the tank will last 4 days but they don’t tell you that 4 days is based on you running it at the lowest setting. If it says 4 days then you can assume at its highest setting it’ll actually only last 12ish hours.

You’re not doing anything wrong. You just need more. RH is one of those things that can vary wildly based on ambient environments. It’s much easier to have the ability to increase your RH on its own without having to mess with your airflow and temperature to reach your desired level.

Thanks so much for the answer. You pretty much summed up what I was thinking. The only way this is going to happen for me is a larger or a second humidifier. I guess I'll have to get a second one which is what I was hoping to avoid lol. I was hoping I was doing something wrong but apparently not. I certainly do notice also that when the heat is lowered the RH def comes up. Unfortunately for me at this time of year I need the heater on. Of course in the summer I have the opposite problem and have to use a dehumidifier. Each season changes my humidity needs drastically. Thanks again for the great response!!

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Do u have a carbon filter on your extractor fan that helps with smell u could also have a pipe pulling in air from outside that will raise your humidity and save u money using humidifier

Thanks man. I use a 6" charcoal filter on my exhaust fan for the smell and fresh air is piped in from outside steady. But it's winter here now and there is no humidity in the air.

 

[AgedMaster]

Thanks man. I use a 6" charcoal filter on my exhaust fan for the smell and fresh air is piped in from outside steady. But it's winter here now and there is no humidity in the air.

I see in the uk the humidity is around 80 to 90 percent during winter its now spring here

 

[Keffka]

Thanks so much for the answer. You pretty much summed up what I was thinking. The only way this is going to happen for me is a larger or a second humidifier. I guess I'll have to get a second one which is what I was hoping to avoid lol. I was hoping I was doing something wrong but apparently not. I certainly do notice also that when the heat is lowered the RH def comes up. Unfortunately for me at this time of year I need the heater on. Of course in the summer I have the opposite problem and have to use a dehumidifier. Each season changes my humidity needs drastically. Thanks again for the great response!!

Yeah the heater is where it got real rough for me too, but there’s really no way around it if you’re gonna grow during those times. I also wanted to avoid the second humidifier and also have the opposite problem in the summer lol.

I don’t like spending money unnecessarily and thought I could get around it but the heater is devastating to the RH and I couldn’t even keep up with the humidifier at max changing the tank every 4 hours. The second one is a game changer though and makes everything much easier and gives you a lot of room to mess with your temperature and air flow without losing rh. You also don’t have to do as many tank changes, and if for some reason one of them runs out before you get to it, your RH won’t bottom out on you.

If you’re in the USA, The cost to run them is negligible as well.. running 24 hours a day at max for a month costs about 2$ or so, so two of them at half strength for the same amount of time is still 2$, there’s just your initial equipment cost. However my mind and body are both thankful that I no longer am constantly checking to see if they need to be refilled.

 

[AgedMaster]

Yeah the heater is where it got real rough for me too, but there’s really no way around it if you’re gonna grow during those times. I also wanted to avoid the second humidifier and also have the opposite problem in the summer lol.

I don’t like spending money unnecessarily and thought I could get around it but the heater is devastating to the RH and I couldn’t even keep up with the humidifier at max changing the tank every 4 hours. The second one is a game changer though and makes everything much easier and gives you a lot of room to mess with your temperature and air flow without losing rh. You also don’t have to do as many tank changes, and if for some reason one of them runs out before you get to it, your RH won’t bottom out on you.

If you’re in the USA, The cost to run them is negligible as well.. running 24 hours a day at max for a month costs about 2$ or so, so two of them at half strength for the same amount of time is still 2$, there’s just your initial equipment cost. However my mind and body are both thankful that I no longer am constantly checking to see if they need to be refilled.

did not realise they use such little electric i just worked it out with my electric cost and its £2.67 a month to run im gona get one now thanks

 

[Keffka]

did not realise they use such little electric i just worked it out with my electric cost and its £2.67 a month to run im gona get one now thanks

A cool mist humidifier is pretty cheap to run, especially for the amount of control over the plants transpiration you get. A warm mist costs a little more (it has to heat the water), but I prefer the cool mist anyway as it helps amplify the humidifiers ability to raise rh, and makes controlling temperature a little easier.