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If you’re a small time marijuana grower, using an AC unit to cool your grow tent can become an expensive affair. Instead of splurging unnecessarily, here are some other alternatives for a cooler grow tent:
*Fans
It’s important to have proper airflow within your tent for proper marijuana growth. In fact, fans are an affordable yet effective way to cool temperatures without splurging on an expensive AC system. Growers can select from three different ideal fan types:
Inline Fans- These fans are installed inside of ducting to take care of air exhaust and intake. They work tirelessly to expel hot air and intake the cooler air. Usually, these inline fans circulate the air within the tent and exchange it every minute or so.
Exhaust Fans- These are the perfect fans to improve moisture levels within the tent while also removing odors. If the room is already equipped with an air conditioner, you can vent the exhaust fan inside of the room. In the off chance that this isn’t a viable option, make sure to vent the exhaust fan through a window or opening in your tent that’s away from the grow area. Before venting it outside, however, do make sure to attach a carbon filter to remove the smell of weed.
Oscillating Fans- These fans can help constantly circulate the cool air that’s already present inside of a tent. However, the downside is that you may need more than one of these tents depending on the size of your crop. These fans can help ensure no mold grows on your marijuana.
Regardless of which fan you select, make sure to carefully consider placement. Installing your fan in the wrong area will cause you to keep circulating hot stale air versus fresh cool air.
If you want more info you can also check out this article on how to cool grow tent.
*Swamp Cooler
Swamp coolers are a unique way to cool your tent and doubly more effective than traditional air conditioning. In fact, these coolers can also help increase humidity levels within your tent if that becomes necessary. Swamp coolers work to cool your tent by evaporating cold water into the air.
*Dry Ice
Using dry ice eliminates the need to invest in any type of new equipment. This is an effectively low maintenance and natural way to cool your grow tent. To store your box of ice, you can take an easy DIY approach by using supplies you already have at home.
One method of using dry ice is to place it inside of a bucket and put an oscillating fan near it to help remove the warm air and make the ice more effective. Another great thing about dry ice is that it produces CO2 that helps plants grow and thrive at higher temperatures.
*Reservoir Chillers
If you have a hydroponic set up to grow your plants, you will require the use of reservoir chillers. However, by placing your chillers outside of the tent, you can help eliminate excess heat buildup. The problem is that using reservoir chillers inside of your tent can raise temperatures above 70 degrees which can make it easier for harmful algae growth to take over the water supply.
*Water Chillers
Water chillers use electricity to remain effective and actually serve a dual purpose to deliver cooler temperatures. They absorb moist vapors while allowing the much needed humidity to remain, but they also help cool the air inside of the tent. Water-cooled and air-cooled chillers are both available options that perform their jobs well.
There are also a few other options worth consideration. Though they don’t directly cool the air, they do help avoid excess heat generation.
Smart pots are made from textiles and are able to help plants generate oxygen from their roots. Using smart pots for your marijuana helps you avoid heat generation and the plants will remain much cooler as there’s less water evaporation.
Certain supplements and nutrients can also make your plants more resistant to heat and they will also recover much quicker from heat exposure. There are many companies that produce these supplements and nutrients, but do make sure to purchase your supply from the same source.
Make sure to use the dimming feature on your grow lights to help limit the heat exposure for your plants.
Reflector hood lights are air-cooled reflectors that can help reduce the amount of heat present in your growing tent. They work by running air through the reflector using a fan and use an air or exhaust vent. Reflectors also take the light from the grow lights and focus them on the plants for successful photosynthesis.
