Fresh Air?

[simondetroit]

Hey guys. Would there be any issues if I pulled the fresh air into my grow room from the room that contains my furnace?. My grow room is right next to my furnace room and I would like pull the fresh air in from there but I'm concerned that there may be some pressure issues that would mess with my furnace working properly. I would also like to run my air out of the grow room by splitting into the furnace exhaust pipe and run everything right up the chimney? Can I split into that furnace exhaust pipe or do I have to make a new hole in the cinderblock chimney only for my grow exhaust?

 

[BWC BayArea]

As long as ur grow room exhaust fans are going 24/7 I don't see splitting the exhaust being a problem.Especially if all u have to do it tap into the furnace exhaust and install a solid HVAC Y or T connector. As far as the intake goes, what type of furnace gas, coal, wood? If the air is extremely hot I'd say don't. U'll have enough heat commin off ur light(s) I would think. What type of pressure issues are u concerned about?

 

[simondetroit]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have a gas furnace. My concern would be that the air Im stealing from "furnace Room" could possibly play havoc on the pilot/burners due to the loss of oxygen and vaccuum effect that wil be created. Maybe even possibly disrupt the venting of my gas hot water heater too thats also in the same room? I'm probably worrying about nothing. I just wanted to get a few opinions before I start spending money and put holes in the walls. As far as the venting goes ......Where can i get the adaptor Im gonna need to convert the 6 inch flex from the inline fan to the hard pipped 4inch coming out of the furnace and into the chimney? One more venting Question....I would like to filter the discharge somehow before it goes up the chimney just to play it safe. So would my combination be inline fan then charcoal filter and then a hose coming out of the charcoal filter into the vent going out the chimney?

 

[BWC BayArea]

The piece you'll need to go from 6" to 4" is called a reducer. In cali u can find them at most hydro stroes. I would imagine you may be able to find one in a hardware store or where ever u can purchase HVAC hardware. As far as the filter goes, leave it in the room with the flowering plants. Use ducting to go from the fiter to the fan's intake and run ducting for the exhaust out of the room.

 

[simondetroit]

As long as ur grow room exhaust fans are going 24/7 I don't see splitting the exhaust being a problem.Especially if all u have to do it tap into the furnace exhaust and install a solid HVAC Y or T connector. As far as the intake goes, what type of furnace gas, coal, wood? If the air is extremely hot I'd say don't. U'll have enough heat commin off ur light(s) I would think. What type of pressure issues are u concerned about?

I'm concerned that the furnace exhaust would be slowed down due to the strong exhaust coming from my 400 to 600 cfm fan causing possible CO2 dangers? I'm also concerned that once the exhaust hits the "T" or "Y" thats connected to the furnace exhaust some of the stinky air would go the wrong way and escape out of the furnace (especially when the furnace isnt runing). Have you ever had to break out a vent hole in a block chimney? It seems pretty labor intensive but not to difficult? Thanks Again

 

[BWC BayArea]

Never knocked a hole in a chimney. If ur worried about the exhaust pressure blowing exhaust into ur furnace room (where intake air is). I suggest adding a booster fan(in furnace exhaust) to equalize pressure in the exhaust ducting so u don't have to worry about exhaust being forced back into either room. I never really thought about this b4 u posed the question, but if i were my problem this is how I'd start to remedy the problem. Hope this helps.

 

[simondetroit]

Never knocked a hole in a chimney. If ur worried about the exhaust pressure blowing exhaust into ur furnace room (where intake air is). I suggest adding a booster fan(in furnace exhaust) to equalize pressure in the exhaust ducting so u don't have to worry about exhaust being forced back into either room. I never really thought about this b4 u posed the question, but if i were my problem this is how I'd start to remedy the problem. Hope this helps.

Well I wouldnt be venting into the furnace room, I would be connecting into the actual furnace exhaust. The more I think about it the 4 inch exhaust of the furnace wont be big enough to tap into anyways. Thats why I'm so adamant about creating a new hole? Thanks for you input. Great grow by the way!