17 Sq' Oxyponics - 1KW AC - 1st Grow

I'm having trouble keeping the humidity inside the grow tent low during flower. I'm running the dehumidifier function of my two-hose ac unit, but it only gets it down to 65%rh. There's simply not room inside for a regular dehumidifier also. Closed up the tent runs 90%rh, door & windows open runs about 80%rh.

How important is lower humidity during flower, and how low?
 
For flower you ideally want the RH 65% or below. As the buds get bigger and fill out then the chance of bud rot increases. If you can keep the RH at 65% with your AC unit you could be ok if you've also got good air circulation in the tent and the air's moving, but if you can get it a bit lower that would be ideal. 90% and you'll be risking bud rot later down the line. I got bud rot years ago and it's really shit - you have to cut out anything affected and bin it, and you can lose a lot of your crop as a result. It can also be quite hard to spot as can affect buds from the inside out, so by the time you see it on the outside of a bud the inside is already mushy goo and you've lost it. So keep the AC dehumidifier running, make sure you've got a few fans so the air is moving all the time, and keep a very close eye on all your buds. If you can't fit a regular dehumidifier in can you upgrade your extraction so you're taking more of the humid air out of the room?
 
Running the AC's dehumidifier function AND running the exhaust fan & filter... I'm down to 55%rh with the lights on (when the humidity is the highest).
 
After my last post two hours ago I turned off the exhaust fan and opened a small side vent in the tent... still at 55%rh (lights on).

Maybe I was just making the AC work too hard (without the tent vent open)? The tent was nearly caved in on itself due to the negative pressure.
 
Four hours later, lights still on, and still at 55%rh. I guess opening a tent vent really did make a 10% difference in RH.

(It's difficult to keep RH low with giant buckets of bubbling water in a tent.)

Side note: I trimmed the roots on the cuttings in the cloner today, they had completely enveloped the sprayer on the pump inside the bucket.
 
You should get a much better through flow of air with the flap open; with it closed you create a vacuum if the rest of the tent's air tight and the extractor fan has to work harder to extract the air because there's less there to extract. Less air can also hold less water so the humidity will get higher quicker. With the flap open fresh air with a lower humidity will replace the humid air that gets sucked out. As long as the fan runs all the time to ensure air is continually being sucked in through the vent then you shouldn't get any problem with smell, but if you turn the fan off then smell may start to escape through the vent
 
Good news, AZmeds... I've got my humidity down to 55%rh using EITHER the dehumidify function of the a/c OR the exhaust fan. The reason my humidity was so high is that I wasn't properly venting the tent.

I plan on using the fan instead of the ac, just to preserve the ac for summer use.
 
AZ, you wouldn't be able to see the forest for the trees if I took a new picture. Here's my old pics. Nothing has changed, actually.

The exhaust filter & fan sit in the back right corner.
The ac is hooked up with its intake hose connected to a filter and its exhaust hose going out the tent.

IMG_20120816_092221.jpg
IMG_20120816_092235.jpg
 
Well, one thing has changed. I added a stand up oscillating fan in the back next to the exhaust filter, always on.
 
Thanks Bunches, glad to hear your getting dialed in. Where I am going to use it I wont have to worry much about the smell as its going to be on my super remote 40 acre ranch where the closest neighbor is close to a mile away. I will still control it the best I can cause who knows there has been people lost coming up there in the past and its best they dont know. I have to drive over 16 miles on a dirt road to get there, its lonely being out there but I love the fact there is power and nobody to F with me. :)
Its to bad we couldnt have a huge 420mag party there one day. Probably not good for security reasons
 
AZ, I agree: You're gonna run exhaust anyways, may as well stick a filter on it.

Security Breach... Security Breach... Security Breach
 
I have in the past but before this coming spring I have to finish my 20' by 25' by 12 ' deep underground grow pit. I was going to and still might build an underground greenhouse. I want to start making a batch of soil so it can cool down over the winter. Just not sure how I want to do it. Yeah 40 acres and all the Juniper trees that look similar gives me plenty of places to grow, only problem is the Ranch isn't fully fenced yet and the cattle are allowed to free graze any land that isnt fenced. They love ganja plants, so do the rabbits. I will fence of an acre and grow out 12 monsters this year, unless my back fusion surgery happens late and im laid up at the right time :(
I want to be able to grow indoors and outdoors there. So far I have been growing outdoors in the Summer and indoors in the Colder months cause I didnt have the equipment needed to keep the temps in check, hopefully soon I'll have enough of what I need. The only downside is being alone for so long kind of gets to me after about 20 days lol
 
Ya I can imagine it would get kinda boring all alone out there, but I envy the amount of land you have, the possibilities are endless!
 
Okay guys, take it to another thread please.
 
day 51 ... (day 21 of flower) (day 01 was from clone, not seed)
flush and fill
1/3 nutes (good or bad idea?)
IMG_20121207_072023.jpg
IMG_20121207_072038.jpg
IMG_20121207_072111.jpg
 

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