Tact
Learning Everyday
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2009
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Hey all, first time poster, and first time grower, with some questions.
I am putting together a grow in my basement (see attached pictures below), the grow area is in a cool basement, poured concrete floor, 6x6x6.5 is the dimensions of the area. Two walls are concrete (behind, and right), one is 1' partition wood (left), with the other side being open, I figured I could seal off this area with heavy plastic and perhaps Mylar to keep all the light in the grow area, cut a slit down the middle to access the grow. I live alone (except for my female Akita ), in a small 1000 square foot house. The grow will be Serious Seeds White Russian (from seeds), I have 12 seeds, plan on germing 6-8. I am going to use either a 1000w HPS/MH or a 600w HPS/MH (feedback on light size for this grow area, which do you think would be better?).
Now to my questions, if you can quote sections and respond to those, it will make it easier to follow and respond back to !
1) Either way, I am scared of heat, I am paranoid of a fire, and my subsequent arrest and seizure of my home! Therefore I absolutely plan on getting a high-quality vented hood with whatever light I get. In regards to passive/active exhaust and intake, how does this work exactly? I see that vented hoods have your typical 6'-8' flange, allowing for you to put on a (scrubber) -> Can/Vortex -> exhaust, and drive the air AWAY from the grow. How then would you be bringing air INTO the grow to cycle the air?
Is the exhaust through the hood simply to remove heat/odor, because I do not see any hoods with a second flange to bring IN air? I was looking at the 750 CFM Vortex 8' blower, this would be attached to a scrubber that would be attached directly to the hood, then I was going to drive it through an 8' (or 6' if people seem to think 8' is overkill) and into my dryer ducting that then dumps outside (see pictures for the ducting area), perhaps by putting an elbow with an additional opening to allow for another duct to be connected to the existing dryer duct work.
2) But! My dryer duct work looks like it is only 6', but when it dumps outside is actually only 4'. So would an active exhaust of 6'-8' dumping through a SHARED 4' exhaust be a potential fire hazard due to the light fluffy dryer dust that gets expelled outside through this duct work, though dryers exhaust air is hot itself..? The distance the blower would be pushing would be about 20 feet, really is quite a straight shot with minimal turns in the duct work, see pictures below.
3) Power. There is limited outlets in my basement, and the ones that are there look very very old. One near where my dryer duct work exits my house is a 3-prong, which makes me assume it is grounded, but who knows? I attached a picture of my circuit breaker box if anyone can derive any information from that. Should I expect to contact a licensed electrician, and what exactly should I tell him I need if I need to do so? I don't want to tell him "HEY MAN, GROWING WEED, HOOK ME UP THERE BUDDY", how much power would I expect to need by way of outlets with a 1000w HPS, (1-2) 6'-8' blowers, an oscillating fan to cool the canopy, etc. Again, I am very paranoid about a fire, I plan on getting a smoke detector and several fire extinguishers.
4) Slightly moldy basement. My house is older, the basement has cracks down the walls, and is generally humid with a sump-pump. Every time it rains these cracks in my walls accumulate SOME moisture, but don't ever reach the floor. This is an environment that seems prone to a bit of mold in these crack (dark, damp, etc). How much of an issue is this with the plants? I can seal off the grow area (but not air tight) by putting heavy-plastic around the 6x6x6.5 (LxWxH) area.
5) The ceiling is only 6.5" feet tall, the ceiling is also old, dry, wood. Again, I fear a fire, should I put FIREWALL (with nails) up on the ceiling and on the left 1' wood partition? I could nail it up and suspend the grow light from that, that would reduce my height to about 6".
So to recap:
How many blowers should I buy (an assumption of a 1000w or 600w), what size 6'/8'?
Is it a good idea to put an elbow onto my existing dryer exhaust and attach my grow active exhaust to that? If so, what size scrubber should I get to ensure that what dumps outside (right into my neighbors driveway) does not have a smell issue?
Thoughts on my heat/mold concerns?
How many 3-prong grounded outlets should I expect to use for this one-light grow? Do I need to get an electrician out here to drill a hole in my concrete wall (behind my grow), or through the 1' wood partition on the left (in picture #1) and make sure my circuit breaker is capable of handing the load?
I appreciate any, and ALL feedback! I have been pouring over the information on the website and in the forums but have some clarification questions, as well as specific questions regarding my grow in particular.
I am putting together a grow in my basement (see attached pictures below), the grow area is in a cool basement, poured concrete floor, 6x6x6.5 is the dimensions of the area. Two walls are concrete (behind, and right), one is 1' partition wood (left), with the other side being open, I figured I could seal off this area with heavy plastic and perhaps Mylar to keep all the light in the grow area, cut a slit down the middle to access the grow. I live alone (except for my female Akita ), in a small 1000 square foot house. The grow will be Serious Seeds White Russian (from seeds), I have 12 seeds, plan on germing 6-8. I am going to use either a 1000w HPS/MH or a 600w HPS/MH (feedback on light size for this grow area, which do you think would be better?).
Now to my questions, if you can quote sections and respond to those, it will make it easier to follow and respond back to !
1) Either way, I am scared of heat, I am paranoid of a fire, and my subsequent arrest and seizure of my home! Therefore I absolutely plan on getting a high-quality vented hood with whatever light I get. In regards to passive/active exhaust and intake, how does this work exactly? I see that vented hoods have your typical 6'-8' flange, allowing for you to put on a (scrubber) -> Can/Vortex -> exhaust, and drive the air AWAY from the grow. How then would you be bringing air INTO the grow to cycle the air?
Is the exhaust through the hood simply to remove heat/odor, because I do not see any hoods with a second flange to bring IN air? I was looking at the 750 CFM Vortex 8' blower, this would be attached to a scrubber that would be attached directly to the hood, then I was going to drive it through an 8' (or 6' if people seem to think 8' is overkill) and into my dryer ducting that then dumps outside (see pictures for the ducting area), perhaps by putting an elbow with an additional opening to allow for another duct to be connected to the existing dryer duct work.
2) But! My dryer duct work looks like it is only 6', but when it dumps outside is actually only 4'. So would an active exhaust of 6'-8' dumping through a SHARED 4' exhaust be a potential fire hazard due to the light fluffy dryer dust that gets expelled outside through this duct work, though dryers exhaust air is hot itself..? The distance the blower would be pushing would be about 20 feet, really is quite a straight shot with minimal turns in the duct work, see pictures below.
3) Power. There is limited outlets in my basement, and the ones that are there look very very old. One near where my dryer duct work exits my house is a 3-prong, which makes me assume it is grounded, but who knows? I attached a picture of my circuit breaker box if anyone can derive any information from that. Should I expect to contact a licensed electrician, and what exactly should I tell him I need if I need to do so? I don't want to tell him "HEY MAN, GROWING WEED, HOOK ME UP THERE BUDDY", how much power would I expect to need by way of outlets with a 1000w HPS, (1-2) 6'-8' blowers, an oscillating fan to cool the canopy, etc. Again, I am very paranoid about a fire, I plan on getting a smoke detector and several fire extinguishers.
4) Slightly moldy basement. My house is older, the basement has cracks down the walls, and is generally humid with a sump-pump. Every time it rains these cracks in my walls accumulate SOME moisture, but don't ever reach the floor. This is an environment that seems prone to a bit of mold in these crack (dark, damp, etc). How much of an issue is this with the plants? I can seal off the grow area (but not air tight) by putting heavy-plastic around the 6x6x6.5 (LxWxH) area.
5) The ceiling is only 6.5" feet tall, the ceiling is also old, dry, wood. Again, I fear a fire, should I put FIREWALL (with nails) up on the ceiling and on the left 1' wood partition? I could nail it up and suspend the grow light from that, that would reduce my height to about 6".
So to recap:
How many blowers should I buy (an assumption of a 1000w or 600w), what size 6'/8'?
Is it a good idea to put an elbow onto my existing dryer exhaust and attach my grow active exhaust to that? If so, what size scrubber should I get to ensure that what dumps outside (right into my neighbors driveway) does not have a smell issue?
Thoughts on my heat/mold concerns?
How many 3-prong grounded outlets should I expect to use for this one-light grow? Do I need to get an electrician out here to drill a hole in my concrete wall (behind my grow), or through the 1' wood partition on the left (in picture #1) and make sure my circuit breaker is capable of handing the load?
I appreciate any, and ALL feedback! I have been pouring over the information on the website and in the forums but have some clarification questions, as well as specific questions regarding my grow in particular.