Warming up your tents 4x4 & 2x4

[The70’s]

Hello growers! My basement where my grow space resides is about 65° F on most days, if the central ac is really crankin in the house it may get a little lower

Whats a safe way to warm my 2 tents, im just cracking seeds now so they have a heat mat at 80° while the seeds are germinating

Thanx !

 

[SmokingWings]

I have seen messages where growers have found small electric heaters which are either on timers or controlled by a thermostat.

It is possible that during the day or lights on period the light fixtures will produce enough heat, maybe too much, so the electric heaters will only need to come on at night.

 

[The70’s]

I have seen messages where growers have found small electric heaters which are either on timers or controlled by a thermostat.

It is possible that during the day or lights on period the light fixtures will produce enough heat, maybe too much, so the electric heaters will only need to come on at night.

Yup, thats my thought too

 

[013]

Hey what’s up The70’s??

Basement gardener myself and these 2 factors helped improve my setup.

the floor is always the coldest point in any room…. an indoor or covered concrete slab stays about 55 degrees all year long and only changes 1 or 2 degrees from winter to summer. Even with plastic vapor barrier under the slab there is a constant movement of invisible water vapor rising from the ground below up thru the concrete slab. This is why building codes require attics to be ventilated, it’s not so much to retain the heat or insulate from the cold but the main purpose is to allow water vapor to exit the dwelling- otherwise the attic space would develop black mold.

even inside a tent the temp can vary a few degrees from floor to ceiling. 1) Elevate your tent above the concrete with a pallet or two and 2) maybe slip a piece of construction styrofoam under the tent.

even inside the tent, don’t place your babies on the tent floor, improvise- use a table or chair something heck anything to raise them up

 

[bluter]

i use a small space heater on a thermostat for my spaces. make sure to keep an eye on them. i just replaced mine, the fan gave out.

if you are on concrete get a piece of carpet under your tent, or use some foam board insulation and place the tent on that.

runaway rh will be something you need to watch for in a basement. basements are the best place in the world to grow bud rot and mold. your best bet to combat it is make sure you have a proper exhaust from the tent vented direct to outdoor.

 

[SmokingWings]

My basement where my grow space resides is

I have found that if the tents are sitting in the basement they often have more of a temperature problem than if they are in a room in the basement. While we are trying to keep the insides of the tent at a certain temperature the tent walls are constantly loosing heat to the entire basement space which is naturally cool.

If the tent or tents are in a room in the basement everything seems to be easier. The tents will loose heat but it becomes trapped in the room. The room's temperature might go from 65 up to 75 and hold there during the lights on hours as the lights heat up the tent. Then when the lights are off the tent cools off but not as bad as before because there is heat trapped in the room helps maintain a constant temperature in both the room and in the tent.

 

[bluter]

it also helps to use some floor paint on the concrete. raw concrete is harder to maintain an environment over.

 

[SmokingWings]

it also helps to use some floor paint on the concrete. raw concrete is harder to maintain an environment over.

Plain ol' concrete is somewhat porous and will slowly allow moisture through further complicating humidity issues often found when growing in the basement.

 

[bluter]

Plain ol' concrete is somewhat porous and will slowly allow moisture through further complicating humidity issues often found when growing in the basement.

more than somewhat. i can pour a bucket of water on a concrete warehouse floor here and never need to mop it. the concrete here just sucks it in unless it's been treated or painted.

 

[The70’s]

i use a small space heater on a thermostat for my spaces. make sure to keep an eye on them. i just replaced mine, the fan gave out.

if you are on concrete get a piece of carpet under your tent, or use some foam board insulation and place the tent on that.

runaway rh will be something you need to watch for in a basement. basements are the best place in the world to grow bud rot and mold. your best bet to combat it is make sure you have a proper exhaust from the tent vented direct to outdoor.

Yeah i vent directly outside ( no filter, no resistance) after the first grow, i have 4” inlines, and ended up running em in pairs push/pull. I just ordered a couple infinity 69 wifi controllers. Humidity is in no shortage on my grows.

 

[bluter]

Yeah i vent directly outside ( no filter, no resistance) after the first grow, i have 4” inlines, and ended up running em in pairs push/pull. I just ordered a couple infinity 69 wifi controllers. Humidity is in no shortage on my grows.

are you running extractor snails or just those fans inside a small piece of duct work ? i run carbon scrubbers and have no problem moving enough exhaust with my extractors.

my flower room snail is super over kill, it was old equipment from a much larger grow. you could do the whole basement with it if you had a similar one.

 

[The70’s]

are you running extractor snails or just those fans inside a small piece of duct work ? i run carbon scrubbers and have no problem moving enough exhaust with my extractors.

my flower room snail is super over kill, it was old equipment from a much larger grow. you could do the whole basement with it if you had a similar one.

Im using the infinity inline cloud T4’s one on the input one on the output.

On my little tent theres no filter cause theres no smell, its a cloud T4 also, blue tooth is spotty, thats the reason for the wifi controlers that are on their way

 

[srfr]

You could build an enclosure for your tent with building insulation boards such as Kingspan. I've seen this done to great effect. Put one under the tent too. Search building site skips for offcuts. Guerilla all the way!

 

[Jamesbon]

Hello! If you need to warm up your grow tents in your basement, there are a few safe and effective methods you can consider:

1. Thermal Insulating Paint: There are paints available on the market that have insulating properties. These paints contain materials like ceramic microspheres or other insulating additives that help reduce heat transfer. By applying thermal insulating paint to the walls of your grow space, you can create a barrier that helps retain heat.
2. Ceramic Heaters: Ceramic heaters are another option to warm up your grow space. They are known for their energy efficiency and even heat distribution. Again, make sure to choose a model with safety features.
3. Heating Mats: Since you mentioned using a heat mat for seed germination, you can also consider placing heating mats inside the tents. These mats provide consistent heat to the plants from below and can help maintain a suitable temperature.
4. Insulation: Proper insulation of your grow tents can help retain heat. Consider using reflective insulation or adding additional layers to the walls and floors of the tents to minimize heat loss.
5. Ducting and Ventilation: If your central AC is causing the temperature to drop too low, you can try adjusting the ventilation system to limit the cold air intake from the basement. Using ducting and fans, you can control the airflow and regulate the temperature more effectively.