The Next Generation - Chocoloupe & Goldleaf - 3rd Grow In The GreenThunder Tent

[GreenThunder]

When I flipped to 12/12 I bumped the HPS up from 750 to 1000. I'm running the lights on at night, 8p-8a, to combat the summer heat... which isn't that high since I'm in Alaska. It's barely spring and temps in the tent reached high 80's last night. Should I be concerned? There's a 6 inch intake fan cooling the bulb and another extracting to the filter. Might I need another for extraction? I'm not sure how much air moves out through the filter. I also have an oscillating fan moving air in the tent.

 

[InTheShed]

I think 80º is about the top of the range. Is the exhaust fan on high and are those the temps at the top of the canopy? Also, is the whole intake/exhaust line dedicated to the lamp beginning to end?

 

[GreenThunder]

I think 80º is about the top of the range. Is the exhaust fan on high and are those the temps at the top of the canopy? Also, is the whole intake/exhaust line dedicated to the lamp beginning to end?

The exhaust is not connected to the lamp.... THAT'S what's wrong. But if I attach the exhaust to the lamp and the filter then it's moving through the lamp and not really filtering the tent air... so do I need another fan or can I maybe add ducting from the light out an opening? I'll try that first. Seems kinda obvious now. Thanks for always putting me back on track!

 

[InTheShed]

The exhaust is not connected to the lamp.... THAT'S what's wrong. But if I attach the exhaust to the lamp and the filter then it's moving through the lamp and not really filtering the tent air... so do I need another fan or can I maybe add ducting from the light out an opening? I'll try that first. Seems kinda obvious now. Thanks for always putting me back on track!

You're welcome but I'm not sure how I did! If you connect it to the light it still will be drawing air through the tent, over the plants, past the bulb, and then through the filter and out of the tent. Would that work without adding any ducting?

 

[GreenThunder]

Would that work without adding any ducting?

There's a glass covering the light reflector.... wouldn't that block a lot of the air? If the fan is blowing into the light then out into the filter... I don't see how it would grab the air from the tent.

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• GreenThunder
• Apr 29, 2018

Light reflector includes a glass cover

Here's where I think I need ducting....

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• GreenThunder
• Apr 29, 2018

Add ducting here to take air out

This is the exhaust fan; the filter is out of the tent...

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• GreenThunder
• Apr 29, 2018

Exhaust out of tent to filter

 

[InTheShed]

Any exhaust fan is going to pull air from the intake at the same rate as it's going out. Whether that fan is connected to your light and then out or just out at the top of the tent. Nature abhors a vacuum.

I'm not sure the difference between what you have and what you drew. It doesn't matter if the pipe goes up and out like your drawing or down and out like it is now. Exhaust is exhaust as long as the intake pipe is not also connected to the light. Then you've closed the loop off from the tent and the plants.

 

[MaddHacker]

Morning, from my side of the old rock, Girls are looking good... I find myself refreshed to see that there are still a few of the people left who try for a huge yield from each plant, instead of huge amount of plants with moderate yields... Green Days

 

[GreenThunder]

the intake pipe is not also connected to the light. Then you've closed the loop off from the tent and the plants.

The intake fan IS connected to the light... I thought that was necessary for cooling it?

huge yield from each plant, instead of huge amount of plants with moderate yields

I'd much rather water fewer plants.... and trim big fat buds!! My tent is 4.5x4.5 and I've grown 3 plants the first set and 2 in a single scrog for my previous batch. This time I planned 4 separate scrogs but one of my autos turned out to be a photo. There's 3 in there now and I'm hoping I can fit the other 2 but it'll get tight. The non-auto will be large because I wasn't paying attention to her lack of pistils and she vegged longer than I would have done.

 

[MaddHacker]

The non-auto will be large because I wasn't paying attention to her lack of pistils and she vegged longer than I would have done.

Hmmmmm. Very nice... Keep in mind that it only gets as big as ur snips let her ... MMMhmmm LOL Green Day or night..

 

[GreenThunder]

Hmmmmm. Very nice... Keep in mind that it only gets as big as ur snips let her ... MMMhmmm LOL Green Day or night..

Ah yes... the snips! Shed can confirm, I always miss the obvious and each grow is like my first. How long before I can shake this annoying noobie status? I s'pose part of the forgetfulness can be contributed to over indulgence of the previous harvest!!

 

[MaddHacker]

How long before I can shake this annoying noobie status?

After thirty plus growing myself, I find I am still a Noob... LOL... I have however attained the ranking of Captain Noob... Pay grade is the same, just eat and smoke better LMAO

 

[InTheShed]

So your intake goes directly to the light and then straight out? Then if your temps are still too high at the canopy you will need another exhaust fan.

 

[GreenThunder]

So your intake goes directly to the light and then straight out? Then if your temps are still too high at the canopy you will need another exhaust fan.

Yes, intake goes into the light then into the tent. Therein lies my problem. I want to add ducting from the light out of the tent but hubby wants to try the swamp cooler

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• GreenThunder
• Apr 30, 2018

Swamp cooler

I'll let him try once or twice, shouldn't take longer than that before he tires of freezing jugs of water

 

[InTheShed]

So your intake runs to your light and then out into the tent? I'm sure that @Guy Cavallero can give much better advice here but this is my take:

To make the best use of the filter, connect the light directly to an input tube with a fan and then out to a Y connector on the filter tube with an exhaust fan. The other side of the Y is connected to a tube whose sole purpose is to vent the ambient air in the top of the tent, drawing from an open input vent at the opposite bottom.

Doesn't a swamp cooler add humidity along with the cool air? That's no good for flower!

 

[MaddHacker]

Thought I would chime in a little... Always good policy to say thank you when someone gives you something... That Swamp cooler, interesting, going in my hard journal.... Green Days

 

[Guy Cavallero]

I didn't really go much further back than this page 3 discussion but from what I understand you are dealing with temperatures that are way above your normal. I too dealt with high temperatures and for that matter continuously do. Other than what I expect to do which is adding air conditioning in about a month. I changed a few things. My first thing was my lighting schedule. Second thing was the effectiveness of my filtration system. And the final thing will definitely be a c. That being said, if I were you. I would be drawing air through my light from the closest vent available. That being said it seems like you're fan occupies that space at this point. I would remove my fan and put it at ground level on the opposite side of the tent then use its intake to draw air through my light and then use your fans outouas the last spot the air travels through before it gets dispersed back into the room. I will draw small diagram of what I'm talking about.
View media item 1538806Crude but you get the idea. Should is completely correct that you will add significant amount of moisture to your flower Space by using a swamp cooler. I too found that out. Your fan is capable of pulling or pushing, they're good that way.

 

[GreenThunder]

Doesn't a swamp cooler add humidity along with the cool air? That's no good for flower!

I realized that as I was falling asleep last night!
This morning's reading shows temps hovered at low 80s (a little better) and humidity at 45. Hubby seems rather pleased with himself.

I will draw small diagram of what I'm talking about.

Thank you so much for the diagram!! Visuals are my friend

Is it better to pull the air through the light than to push it?
My concern is this... if the air travels straight through the light, does it really grab that much air from the tent (for filtering)? Should I remove the glass? I know it's not air tight but it seems it would block a lot. (I do have a quite simple mind, not slow just simple)

I am running lights on at night but still getting temps up to high 80s. And outside is 40-50. We're not running the furnace at all. This weekend I will reconfigure the tent.... and I will go back to planning to get an air conditioner.
Thanks so much for your help! It's greatly appreciated

 

[InTheShed]

Thanks @Guy Cavallero! I knew you'd jump in after the great post in LeftOut's journal on setting up his tent in Canada.

GT, if there's that big a temp differential, can't you just hook up a pipe from the light to the exhaust port and let it pull cold air through the tent, then through the light, and then out through the filter. That way all you need to do it open an intake vent and let the air flow! If that's too cold then Guy's diagram would isolate the light and cool it well.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

Glad to help buddy!!
Yeah ultimately that's the idea behind the Cool Tube or the closed in lighting like that. That being said, have you thought about lowering your intensity to 750 or 600W? How about full spectrum LED? It would save a pile of money over running AC all the time.
These are things that I have had run through my head for my situation as well.

 

[GreenThunder]

thought about lowering your intensity to 750 or 600W? How about full spectrum LED?

If I need to I will drop to 750. Hubby doesn't want to do that (because he wants big fat buds) but I think it's better than consistently high temps. I'm in the process of switching to led. I've got a qb in the closet but will need another to replace the HPS for flowering. Gotta either save up or receive an unexpected windfall lol

hook up a pipe from the light to the exhaust port and let it pull cold air through the tent, then through the light, and then out through the filter.

I think I know what you mean. I'm going to do some considering then will switch things around this weekend. So basically, the ducting should go from an intake into and out of the light and out thru another opening, right? And the fan should be pulling air not pushing it?