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    New grow set up advice...

    Greetings GWE community! I am new here and this is my first post but I have grown before and hopefully can share my knowledge with the community while learning a bit more myself. I am currently working on a cabinet grow system that is 48"W x 24"D x 78"H and is housed inside a locking storage cabinet and uses a DWC bubbler setup with a 600W HPS/MH light. I was hoping to get started on this already but we are in the process of moving so I figured while I am waiting on that I should try to get all the info I need ahead of time. Using the tutorial for DWC bubblers on GWE, I have all of that figured out (I think anyway) but my main question really is about the exhaust fan. I was wanting input on whether I should set it up as a push or a pull for the light. First, a bit about my system:

    Light: HydroPlanet 600W HPS/MH rectangle hood (enclosed) with 6 inch ducts on either side
    Carbon Filter: iPower 6" x 16" 1050+ IAV canister with 6 inch outlet
    Fan: Vivosun 6" 390CFM with speed control
    Ducting: All 6"

    My thought initially is to start with the carbon filter, run a duct section to the fan then to the light and from the light to the exhaust vent (standard dryer vent found on a house). However, I wanted to know if anyone felt it may be better to put the fan on the exhaust side of the light and have it act as a puller?

    In addition to this question, I had one more regarding intake air. I was hoping to make this cabinet as air tight as possible to avoid any major smell issues. The cabinet itself has several holes for shelving and other things that I plan on taping up with duct tape because I am putting two computer fans at the bottom of the cabinet to draw air in. These fans each move about 110CFM each so total intake air would be 220CFM while the exhaust airflow would be 390CFM thus creating a vacuum that has more air leaving than coming in. Am I right in this theory or am I completely off? On a side note, I also will be running two lower speed fans at the very top of the cabinet where I plan on putting the ballast and running my wires. This area however will be separated by a shelf in the cabinet. I am going to place it at its highest level (about 12" below the top and seal it off as best I can leaving me with about 44 cu. ft. of grow space.

    In case you were wondering why I am growing in a cabinet...because it is much more secure than a grow tent (IE: locking doors, steel construction). Ideally I would use a tent for the extra space but we live in a subdivision where the houses are right next to each other and you never know who may come along and get grabby!

    I can provide further details if needed but I think I have rambled on enough for my first post. Thanks in advance for any help you can give! Happy growing!
    Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
    Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

    1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

    2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

    #2
    If you're running the carbon filter before the light I would suggest pushing the air out, that way if there's any leaks in the ventilation system the small amount of air will be pushed back into the grow space. If you pull air and there's a leak at one of the joins around the light unfiltered air will be pulled out of your grow space causing smell in the room it is in.
    If you've got completely air tight seals you can do whatever works better for you.

    As for the intakes yes, you want less air going in than going out to create negative pressure to make sure no air/smell is escaping without being filtered.
    Completed auto grows 3

    2x4 Gorilla tent
    600W HPS
    Coco
    GH Flora Series trio + Armor Si, CALiMAGic, RapidStart, Liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, FloraKleen, Diamond Nectar, FloraBlend, FloraNectar (Pineapple Rush version), Dry Koolbloom + Great White mycorrhizae & Terpinator

    Grows using this setup: 1
    Largest yield from this setup: 20oz / 567g

    Previous grows:
    http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...row-first-grow
    http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...world-of-seeds

    Comment


      #3
      One, maybe two plants max in that size space. You may need to do some plant training to keep the height under control depending on what strains you choose.
      Completed auto grows 3

      2x4 Gorilla tent
      600W HPS
      Coco
      GH Flora Series trio + Armor Si, CALiMAGic, RapidStart, Liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, FloraKleen, Diamond Nectar, FloraBlend, FloraNectar (Pineapple Rush version), Dry Koolbloom + Great White mycorrhizae & Terpinator

      Grows using this setup: 1
      Largest yield from this setup: 20oz / 567g

      Previous grows:
      http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...row-first-grow
      http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...world-of-seeds

      Comment


      • OzBud
        OzBud commented
        Editing a comment
        You'd probably have better results training one plant to grow flat and wide to fill that space or two if you want to decrease veg time a bit but still fill the entire space.

      #4
      There will be restrictions somewhere in your flow path, are any of them obvious to you now? Fans tend to do better at pushing into a restriction than they do at pulling air through tight spots. It takes a lot more mechanical power to pull even a tiny vacuum than it does to build up a bit of pressure. So probably put your air moving devices at the intake end. You may need to seal the door(s) with soft foam weatherstrip to prevent odor leaks. Adding a second fan at the opposite end to make it a push-pull system can be plan B if your first setup winds up a bit underpowered.

      Also, the CFM ratings on fans are specified in free air. As soon as they are asked to create vacuum or pressure, those numbers become meaningless. The fan will spin, but how much air actually gets moved is difficult to estimate or calculate. Plan on a few cycles of trial and error, and do what works rather than what makes sense. Lastly, Amazon carries fans pre-installed in metal air ducts. Mine cost about $20 and is branded 'Vivosun', with identical items under different names also listed for both 4 inch and 6 inch ducting. 4 inchers work well with those dryer hoses. Get a roll of the sticky aluminum grade 'duct tape' which is much stronger and more permanent than the cloth stuff.

      Comment


        #5
        Thanks all for the replies! I think most likely I will put the fan before the light, after the carbon filter. So basically the order of flow would be carbon filter to fan to light to exhaust. I also plan on sealing all of the doors and the top shelf with rubber weatherstripping so that the cabinet is as air tight as possible. I think I will first start with one of the computer fans instead of both of them and see how the air flow goes with that setup. The good thing is that even if I add both, I could always block off one of them and disconnect the fan power so that only one is running. I just know that our daytime temps in summer reach 100+ plus so I am thinking I may need both for cooling purposes at that time. Unfortunately, temperature management may be my biggest challenge of all since we have 30-40 degree swings from day to night temps in the summer. I live in western Colorado so it's almost like a desert.
        Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
        Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

        1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

        2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

        Comment


          #6
          I have a number of options with this cabinet, one of which being that I can remove all of the shelves and give myself a total of 52 cu. feet versus 44 mentioned earlier (with the top shelf installed). Considering that was only going to hold the ballast and have wiring coming out of it, I could most likely just mount the ballast on the top of the cabinet and get rid of the shelf altogether. The only drawback to that is that I would need to hang my light and everything else from the top of the cabinet instead of from the top shelf. I know the shelves are rated for 400lbs of weight each but I have no idea about the top of the cabinet. I would imagine any increase in cubic foot would be smart, but then again the top may sag under the weight of the light, fan and carbon filter. Decisions, decisions.

          I was already planning on some intense training to keep the height down and will likely play with different options based on the plants. Most of my seeds are bag seed but I do have some really nice seeds from various strains I have bought in the Denver area. I will be using the bag seed first since I don't mind making mistakes with that and hopefully learn enough from that grow to be ready to grow the good seeds. I also plan on posting photos of all of this very soon in case anyone was interested in this type of setup, but I have to wait until we move to begin that project. Hopefully, if all goes well, I will be getting started in the beginning of June.
          Last edited by ellz; 05-18-2017, 07:03 PM. Reason: Added to post...
          Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
          ---------------------------------------------------------------------
          Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
          Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

          1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

          2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

          Comment


          • Zativa
            Zativa commented
            Editing a comment
            In prior years (before investing in LED grow lights) I found it helped to move the HID lamp ballasts outside my grow space so they could dissipate heat somewhere else. If you are going to need fans, ducts, etc. to keep your cabinet cool, avoid generating any extra heat in there to begin with.

          • ellz
            ellz commented
            Editing a comment
            That is a good idea OzBud...using a shelf on top of the cabinet to reinforce it. The light hood weighs about 15 lbs or less if I had to guess. This is the 1000w version of the setup I have (I have the 600W ballast and bulbs but the hood is the exact same). https://www.amazon.com/HydroplanetTM...net+light+hood
            Last edited by ellz; 05-18-2017, 07:30 PM.

          • ellz
            ellz commented
            Editing a comment
            Thank you both for your replies on this.

          #7
          This is the cabinet I am using for my grow setup: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
          Attached Files
          Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
          ---------------------------------------------------------------------
          Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
          Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

          1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

          2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

          Comment


            #8
            Should do pretty good. I did a bit of a DIY wooden cupboard conversion last grow pretty much the same size. Wasn't the best setup but I had all the bits laying around and it worked out well despite having my ballast and everything on the reinforced top shelf and having more air coming in than going out.
            Went out and bought a completely new setup and did it all properly this grow though.
            Completed auto grows 3

            2x4 Gorilla tent
            600W HPS
            Coco
            GH Flora Series trio + Armor Si, CALiMAGic, RapidStart, Liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, FloraKleen, Diamond Nectar, FloraBlend, FloraNectar (Pineapple Rush version), Dry Koolbloom + Great White mycorrhizae & Terpinator

            Grows using this setup: 1
            Largest yield from this setup: 20oz / 567g

            Previous grows:
            http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...row-first-grow
            http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...world-of-seeds

            Comment


            #9
            Just wanted to update the post to show the cabinet I am using and how the inside grow space looks with all of the shelving removed...
            Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------
            Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
            Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

            1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

            2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

            Comment


              #10
              looks like it'll do well
              Completed auto grows 3

              2x4 Gorilla tent
              600W HPS
              Coco
              GH Flora Series trio + Armor Si, CALiMAGic, RapidStart, Liquid KoolBloom, Floralicious Plus, FloraKleen, Diamond Nectar, FloraBlend, FloraNectar (Pineapple Rush version), Dry Koolbloom + Great White mycorrhizae & Terpinator

              Grows using this setup: 1
              Largest yield from this setup: 20oz / 567g

              Previous grows:
              http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...row-first-grow
              http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...world-of-seeds

              Comment


              • ellz
                ellz commented
                Editing a comment
                Thanks. Fingers crossed.

              #11
              Hello ellz. Looks like you have done your homework. Looks great.Good Luck. PEACE D.A.A.S.69
              Cfls for a week or two
              315lec for everything else
              Dug up Ms.topsoil, with perlite added
              36x36x63 inch tent.
              6inch - exaust - intake fans an scrubber
              Smart pots
              Molasses
              Autoflowers

              Comment


              • ellz
                ellz commented
                Editing a comment
                Thank you! I will certainly keep this post updated as I go along.

              #12
              Great Bro.
              Cfls for a week or two
              315lec for everything else
              Dug up Ms.topsoil, with perlite added
              36x36x63 inch tent.
              6inch - exaust - intake fans an scrubber
              Smart pots
              Molasses
              Autoflowers

              Comment


                #13
                It's been a while since I was last on here but I wanted to update my post with some pictures of my cabinet so far (it is almost done but I am waiting on one more part to come in)...
                Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
                Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

                1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

                2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

                Comment


                • ellz
                  ellz commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Thanks.

                • Aloner
                  Aloner commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Very cool

                • ellz
                  ellz commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Thanks.

                #14
                I am ready to plant my seeds now! YAY!!!!!
                Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
                Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

                1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

                2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

                Comment


                  #15
                  LOL...now I have lost power to my garage. Not sure why...didn't overload the circuit but I turned off the surge strip and all the power turned off with it. The joys of owning a home. Good thing it was at the beginning and not the middle!
                  Whoever's growing a small patch of cannabis behind the gymnasium, congratulations! You have won a cruise! Report to security to claim your tickets.
                  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Ellz GrowCam Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Z...pnwuazYQD6URA/
                  Ellz GrowCam Time Lapse Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...1nS2a9LvXEdmya

                  1st Hydro Grow: 600W MH/HPS Homemade Bubbleponics Homemade Cabinet - White Poison (White Widow x Durban Poison) COMPLETE! Final yield: 10.2 ounces off 2 plants. 124 days total from seed (34 days vegetative + 90 days flower)

                  2nd hydro - Peyote Cookies and OG Kush https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-mh-strain-tbd COMPLETE! Final yield: 11.8 ounces combined, 2.7 ounces of Peyote Cookies (150 days from seed), 9.1 ounces of OG Kush (138 days from seed).

                  Comment


                  • ellz
                    ellz commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Yeah. A breaker was tripped on an outside outlet. Not sure why. It ran fine without any issues up until I tried turning off the surge strip and I had done that a number of times without issue earlier as well so who knows what that was all about! LOL.

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