light leaks from air intake /air flaps of homebox ?

[charlesweedmore]

hi folks

i use only 1 fan as extractor ,i use passive air intake /air flaps of homebox for intake ( negative pressure )

but there are many light leaKS from air flaps to inside of homebox.
how can i use air flaps of homebox ?
or must i use an activa intake ?

thanks .

 

[bombbudpuffa]

I duct taped all of the flaps and use the duct hole at the bottom for a passive intake. Works well for me.

 

[WeedHopper]

Like this Bro.
This is what I use to use in my other growroom for just that reason. That was the door to my last smaller growbox. See how I built a box around it the intake vent.

 

[ArtVandolay]

I have passive intakes as well. I use 4 inch ducting elbows spray painted black on the inside.

 

[JBonez]

first off, if you check out my journal, you will notice that i use a XL homebox for a bloom room, and a S homebox for veg.

These things are not light proof.

They have small pin holes from the factory. Aside from the flaps, these pinholes need to be addressed first. In a dark bedroom where the homebox is, turn on your HID and close up the tent. Anywhere you see pinholes of light coming through, cover with tape, i use aluminum tape since its light proof.

as for the flaps. My homebox is in a bedroom, with a huge black curtain that blocks light coming in from the door and renders the homebox "cant see your hand in front of your face dark".

Hick tried to tell me that if it aint 100% light proof, then hermies will be soon to follow, so use your judgment and make sure that NO LIGHT can get in, i use passive intake as well, but the bedroom that my homebox is in is pitch black.

i didnt listen to hick the first time and found out the hard way.

hope this helps, Charles, i will take pics later to show you how to light proof a bedroom, or at least your homebox. gl

 

[Mutt]

cowboy and artV both have what works best IMO.
Yes light=herms. I know i shouldn't say this
but as long as the lumens that reach the plant are miniscule such as incadescent 8' away won't herm a plant IME. and I'm on my.....**** i don't know what # grow Im on LOL. I've had tiny light leaks from like a crack in the door. but adjoining room was dark except 16=32w CFL in light 10' away. no worries. but pitch dark is best and what you want to strive for. but it takes a certain amount of light to trigger photosynthesis. so there is a min. amount req. to get the plant to wake up so to speak.
I've only ever had 1 herm. and that was from hermd genetics not light leaks or stress.

 

[zipflip]

wat u all mean by passive intake? is that without any sort fan blowin outside air into the box?

 

[JBonez]

passive intake means, one fan pulling air into the tent or grow room and expelling it,

while active intake means a fan is pushing air into the grow room while another fan extracts it.

hope that helps

active intake is preffered, as it allows the grow room or tent to be virtually light proof,

i have however noticed that light can travel through the inside of reflective ducting. This is why i use ducting that is black on the inside.

i use a fan to pull air from outside the tent, through the tent, through the light and out through the other side of the tent. I use another fan inside the tent, that pulls air in through my carbon filter in the tent and expels the air into my attic, the negative pressure pulls air into the tent through the passive intake flaps. my room is 100% light proof, so no light leaks into the flaps and into the tent.

click my grow journal in my sig, it shows exactly what im talking about.

 

[JBonez]

cowboy and artV both have what works best IMO.
Yes light=herms. I know i shouldn't say this
but as long as the lumens that reach the plant are miniscule such as incadescent 8' away won't herm a plant IME. and I'm on my.....**** i don't know what # grow Im on LOL. I've had tiny light leaks from like a crack in the door. but adjoining room was dark except 16=32w CFL in light 10' away. no worries. but pitch dark is best and what you want to strive for. but it takes a certain amount of light to trigger photosynthesis. so there is a min. amount req. to get the plant to wake up so to speak.
I've only ever had 1 herm. and that was from hermd genetics not light leaks or stress.

Mutt, you are correct, light does equal herms. And again, you are correct, a plant wont recognize light that doesnt meet the requirements of sufficient lumen output need for photosynthesis. But, the line is very fine between what is an acceptable lumen output and what will trigger photosynthesis.

basically, the more lightproof, the less your odds of triggering the hermetic syndrome.

This genetic malfunction is a direct response to photoperiod integrity, undesirable yes, but otherwise due to light.

After my studies, ive concluded that its impossible for a plant to engage in hermetic behavior due to stressors other than light. Light is what signifies the changing of the season, this is why the plants produce male flowers, they are triggerd into thinking that the nights are becoming shorter and they react by producing male flowers so that asexual reproduction can pick up where failed pollination threatens its genetic future existence.

i have yet to have this "theory" challenged by those more informed than myself.

 

[JBonez]

i also find it funny that im growing a strain that is NOTORIOUS for hermetic flowers (Nirvana NL) late in bloom, yet i have none since modifying my grow room into a light proof bloom tent.

hmm...

 

[charlesweedmore]

guys the room, where homebox is in it, always illumination. so i must keep the homebox 100,& light proof.there are plenty light leaks from passive air intakles.i went in homebox and closed all zips by my buddy,and i saw inside is almost daylight..when i close air flaps,there was almost full darkness( there was still leaks from pinholes but that is not a big deal )

I duct taped all of the flaps and use the duct hole at the bottom for a passive intake. Works well for me.

I have passive intakes as well. I use 4 inch ducting elbows spray painted black on the inside.

please add picture of your tent guys.

@JBonez,

you are right,they are not light proof.i have homebox silver ( there is mylar inside ). and it is brighter than usual homebox,i think.

your tent is in a dark room and it is ok for you. but i have no so chance.my tent is an bright room.

i think the easiest way is to add an active intake and close all air flaps .i dont want to buy any extra thing.if i close all air flaps and i add a duct to right bottom of tent as passive intake,it would work ,or must i add an extractor ?

 

[JBonez]

dude, cover those pinholes immediately. They can and will cause problems.

you can also have a passive intake with the flaps closed, just run a length of ducting out of one of the available portholes in the bottome of the tent, make it long so light cant travel through it.

the fan will work harder and be less efficient by pulling through one piece of ducting compared to the intake flaps, but you can tape the flaps closed ensuring more lightproof integrity.

i would def get another fan, active intake is the best for your situation, but not a must.

did you check out my tent in my sig?

 

[ArtVandolay]

...
the fan will work harder and be less efficient by pulling through one piece of ducting compared to the intake flaps, but you can tape the flaps closed ensuring more lightproof integrity.

...

I ended up adding a second 4 inch intake because the exhaust fan moves so much air. It runs quieter now and it's cooler in the box.

 

[JBonez]

thats what im talking about art!

my house is so cold that if i went active intake, my temps would be lower than what the acceptable temps should be, 78 degrees, this is the optimum temp for maximum transpiration provided RH is between 40-60%.

 

[charlesweedmore]

JBonez,i am trying to look your journal but i am getting " server is too busy " error.but i will look .

my plants are 20 days old from seeds and light leaks wont be problem during vegatative growth.i will add a fan for active intake before going flowering period.

my house is so cold that if i went active intake, my temps would be lower than what the acceptable temps should be, 78 degrees, this is the optimum temp for maximum transpiration provided RH is between 40-60%

in winter,my house is too cold as well.is there a cheap way to heat the tent up ?
temp is not a problem at daytime because of HPS,but night temp will a problem in winter.

PS: i have 10 fem and 3 regular plants in my tent ( homebox XL with 600W dual spectrum HPS ) . i just transplanted them from 1L pots to 6 litre pots.do you think 6 litre pots will be enough untill finish ?

thanks guys.

 

[ArtVandolay]

I flower at night because of the temps

 

[charlesweedmore]

@ArtVandolay

so do you have 2 fans now ? 1 for active intake and 1 for exhaust ?

 

[ArtVandolay]

@ArtVandolay

so do you have 2 fans now ? 1 for active intake and 1 for exhaust ?

No, I have 1 exhaust fan and 2 passive 4 inch ducting elbows (that get air through a door window in my garage). And then another small fan to move air inside the box - it blows over the top of the plants.

 

[charlesweedmore]

thanks guys ,i covered air flaps with black thick pantyhose and there are no light leaks now !

i will also add a duct pipe on bottom right of homebox tomorrow.thanks for tips !