Heating a grow box questions

[First Time Caller]

My grow box is subject to overnight temps which are much too cold for my white widows, which are currently nearing two weeks in flower. I brought the plants into the controlled temp house last night (lights on during the day, off at night) to test putting a ceramic heater in the grow box. For various reasons, I did not have the option of lighting during the night, and colder hours.

The heater, when it comes on glows a very low orange (problem with light messing up the 12 hours of total darkness) and the temps fluctuated between 62F & 79F using the thermostat on the small heater.

With winter coming up, I need to properly heat this grow box and would like to keep the temps more stable.

How's anyone else dealing with this heat issue?

 

[degenerative_disc]

Hey First time!

I use a little space heater that has temp control or thermastat on it. It cost me about $20 bucks and works great for me. It also has a red light that comes on but I covered it with black tape. Be carefull though because if your box is to small you could cause a fire with a space heater. Use caution my friend.

Cheers!!!

 

[BlueNose]

can you keep the heater in the room rather than the growbox? It will be heating the whole room which will help to keep the growbox temp. lower.

 

[First Time Caller]

Hey First time!

I use a little space heater that has temp control or thermastat on it. It cost me about $20 bucks and works great for me. It also has a red light that comes on but I covered it with black tape. Be carefull though because if your box is to small you could cause a fire with a space heater. Use caution my friend.

Cheers!!!

Will do on the safety thing. I went to Wally World and picked up a cheap $25 ceramic heater that does not glow like the forced air one I used last night. Thanks for the tip on the red light........duct tape to the rescue

can you keep the heater in the room rather than the growbox? It will be heating the whole room which will help to keep the growbox temp. lower.

Yep, but it is a big room....like big enough for two cars I switched over to HPS yesterday and am still working on getting the grow box temps actually high enough. High enough at the cola is too low down low...ifin ya know what I'm saying with this buzz:hubba: I'm going to try firing up a kerosene heater tonight, just to knock the chill off.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Hi,

The worst thing about small heaters imho is most of them have unreliable thermostats and since the questionable thermostat is mounted right on the unit the sensor is always near the heat source. What I prefer to use is a plug-through thermostat that can be located away from the heater. Here's a link to a few models. You can get some that plug into the wall outlet for around $15 and some models with cords that are more pro and reliable for $34.

hXXp://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/controls.shtml#2

All you have to do is put your heater on max and plug it through the inline thermostat and it will control giving the heater voltage when the thermostat trips.

Peace!

 

[brushybill]

another handy little gadget i like is an indoor/ outdoor thermometer, you can put the outdoor probe right in your plant and get a very accurate reding where you need it.
+- $20.00 at radio shack

 

[First Time Caller]

another handy little gadget i like is an indoor/ outdoor thermometer, you can put the outdoor probe right in your plant and get a very accurate reding where you need it.
+- $20.00 at radio shack

Yep, I use one just as you describe. I put the probe near the cola and the unit on the grow box floor so I can see the difference in temp. Thanks.

Hi,

The worst thing about small heaters imho is most of them have unreliable thermostats and...What I prefer to use is a plug-though thermostat that can be located away from the heater.
hXXp://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/controls.shtml#2

All you have to do is put your heater on max and plug it through the inline thermostat
Peace!

Thanks, DOS. I did see you at Lowes in the attic cooling section for something like $25. The temp difference between down low and the top of the plants was my concern. I heated up the garage last night and was able to keep the temps between 74F & 79F. I would rather just use the little heater so I think a trip back to SLowe's in in order for that therm.

Thanks man.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Temp controllers...I use a small heater in my 3x3 box and temps are constant 85 lights on..and 70 lights out...keep working with it my friend..You will dial it in..Take care and be safe

 

[Droopy Dog]

Yep, but it is a big room....like big enough for two cars I switched over to HPS yesterday and am still working on getting the grow box temps actually high enough. High enough at the cola is too low down low...ifin ya know what I'm saying with this buzz:hubba: I'm going to try firing up a kerosene heater tonight, just to knock the chill off.

+1 on the kero heater for the whole room. A side benefit is the CO2 the kero puts out. It also doesn't add to your electric bill. This is what I use. Plenty warm enough, and the heater is well away from anything that might catch on fire.

MUCH safer than ANY heater inside a grow box. :shocked: That sounds like a fire waiting to happen.:holysheep:

DD

 

[First Time Caller]

...keep working with it my friend..You will dial it in..Take care and be safe

Hey thank smoke, yep I got the combination of kerosene heater and the small ceramic heater dialed in last night. The girls are liking the stable temp and HPS.

Hey Droop, the kerosene heater is turned on just enough to take the chill out of the air. The combination of the heat generated from the HPS with the ceramic heater as a backup is working well. The ceramic heater is a very small one and really doesn't put out that much heat, again, just enough to keep the temps from dropping below 70.

Uh.....this growing is addicting

 

[fleshstain]

enough for two cars

if your grow box has an air intake you could place the heater outside the box near the intake and let it suck in the warmer air.... if you did that you could possibly eliminate the kerosene heater....

 

[First Time Caller]

if your grow box has an air intake you could place the heater outside the box near the intake and let it suck in the warmer air.... if you did that you could possibly eliminate the kerosene heater....

Thanks man. All thoughts are appreciated. The girls love the HPS.....buds-a-formin:hubba: