Guides for Environmental & Ventilation Systems for Cannabis Grow Room YOUR GROW ROOM NEEDS AIR CIRCULATION
The reason for ventilating a grow room is simple; Plants housed in an indoor grow space are much more susceptible to tiny fluctuations in climate. Without proper airflow, these spaces can experience rapid changes in humidity, as well develop pockets of CO2 depletion, neither of which are good for plant growth. CO2 depletion can lead to nutrient lockout, and areas of high humidity are prone to pest infestation, mold, or mildew. To mitigate these potential issues, creating sufficient air movement is imperative. The ultimate goal of using air circulation and ventilation is to create homogenous airflow throughout the entire grow space. This helps regulate CO2, relative humidity, and also air temperature.cannabis plants need fresh air. Therefore, every grow-op requires air exchange. That means cool, fresh air in, and stale, hot air out. Too many growers get ventilation wrong and encounter all kinds of problems later in the grow. Bugs, fungi, and mould love a hot, humid environment with poor airflow. Like it or not, ventilation is essential to cannabis cultivation. Outdoors, the wind naturally circulates air so cannabis plants can grow healthy and strong. A light breeze strengthens stems and helps plant leaves transpire. Plus, it makes it that much more difficult for creepy crawlies to take up residence in the cannabis garden. If you are growing indoors, you must control airflow and maintain air exchange artificially.
Heat One of the main functions of an extractor fan is to remove heat that accumulates rapidly in indoor growing situations. Ideally, the temperature in your grow room should range between 72-82°F when the lights are on. You should aim to reduce this temperature by 10°F at night. You may seriously damage the health of your plants if you allow the temperature to exceed or drop below this range. Tip - A heater is essential to keep the temperature around 70°F during cold winter nights.
Humidity
You should aim for 50-75% humidity in your grow room when your lights are on. A high temperature and too much air flow can both affect the relative humidity (RH) in a grow room. Generally, when growing indoors, a high temperature lowers humidity - creating a poor environment for plant growth. This is a common problem in summer, so additional moisture may need to be introduced via a humidification system. Tip - Continually check the humidity level of your grow room with a hygrometer. If humidity in your grow room drops very low (below 40%), it may cause the young leaves of your plants to become smaller, whilst older leaves may simply curl at the margins, appear burnt and drop off. It is important to note that such stresses tend to stunt plant growth. This is more apparent when plants are very young. Large, mature plants naturally raise humidity. Tip - Use a humidifier when the humidity level in your grow room is too low. During the winter months, you are more likely to need an extractor fan to replace fresh CO² rich air and for dehumidification (removing moisture), rather than reducing temperature. Grow room air is not exchanged as frequently in winter, and this enables plants to naturally maintain higher grow room humidity without the air being exhausted. Tip - A ventilation fan helps to promote healthy growth by constantly replenishing air. However, too much humidity can create a perfect environment for fungal diseases. Your plants are particularly vulnerable when you switch your lights off and the temperatures drop when the humidity increases. In fact, inadequate ventilation is the root cause of most fungal diseases; where fungal spores thrive in humid, stagnant air and jeopardize entire crops. But if you keep fresh air flowing, then mold can be a
Extractor fan The extractor fan is the most critical fan in the growing area. It is capable of removing heat and moisture from the grow room. Remember, both heat and moisture accumulate rapidly in indoor growing situations. Tip – An extractor fan is also known as an exhaust or ventilation fan. However, you must make sure you have the correct size fan to get the most out it. Most growers also require a ventilation system capable of dealing with outside summer temperatures.Each fan has a rating that tells you how many cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) it will move. When dealing with above average temperatures you will want your fan to exchange the grow room air 3-5 times in one minute, so for a room that is 40 cubic feet, a fan that is
capable of moving 120-200 cfm (cubic feet per minute) is recommended. If you only want to replace depleted levels of co2 and are growing in a closet using fluorescents, one room change per five minutes (divide room size by 5) will be adequate. To calculate your room size, multiply Width by Length by Height, this will give you the CFM rating required for one room change per minute. If is often not feasible to have openings for intake air. We recommend that you use an intake fan as well as an extractor fan. An intake fan is, quite simply, an extractor fan turned around so that it forces air in (rather than expelling it outside). This is referred to as ‘active ventilation’. When sizing an intake fan you should input 15% less than the actual air flow rate to maintain a negative air pressure. This ensures all air departs the room through the carbon filter. Follow the steps below to work out your intake fan size. Other ways to improve ventilation You can reduce ventilation requirements by making some small modifications to your grow room. For example, using air cooled lights will help to prevent heat generated by HID lighting from entering your grow room. They'll also reduce "hotspots", allowing for closer light to plant tolerances. Your plants will also be able to use C02 much more efficiently.
Intake Fan Air should be exchanged every 1-2 minutes in order to maintain optimal temperatures and humidity. The aim is create negative pressure or suction. So you want to see the walls of the grow tent sucking inward when your ventilation system is up and running. Your intake fan needs to be positioned near or at ground level to connect to the hole in the bottom corner of the grow tent. Keep that ducting straight and use duct tape to secure in place. Again, the external ducting must connect to a source of fresh air, ideally a vent or window. Later, we explain how to do this discreetly.
Odour Control The tried and trusted trio when it comes to eliminating cannabis odours are hands down the intake fan, outtake fan, and carbon filter combination. If you are already investing in fans and ducting, it makes sense. For the grower that wants to be certain that odour is under control, this system is the best.
However, some promising odour-eliminating devices that can dispense neutralising agents round the clock are on the market. That being said, they are currently unproven technologies. There is also plenty of snake oil out there, so do some research and be shrewd. Installing Air Exhaust Systems Air replacement is just as important as airflow to the overall health of an indoor garden. Air exhaust systems create a slight negative pressure in a grow by removing hot air and bringing in fresh cool air. These systems typically include an exhaust fan, filter, and ducting to direct airflow out of the area, and a complete air exchange throughout the entire grow space should occur once every minute or so. YOUR GROW ROOM NEEDS AIR CIRCULATION The reason for ventilating a grow room is simple; Plants housed in an indoor grow space are much more susceptible to tiny fluctuations in climate. Without proper airflow, these spaces can experience rapid changes in humidity, as well develop pockets of CO2 depletion, neither of which are good for plant growth. CO2 depletion can lead to nutrient lockout, and areas of high humidity are prone to pest infestation, mold, or mildew. To mitigate these potential issues, creating sufficient air movement is imperative. The ultimate goal of using air circulation and ventilation is to create homogenous airflow throughout the entire grow space. This helps regulate CO2, relative humidity, and also air temperature.cannabis plants need fresh air. Therefore, every grow-op requires air exchange. That means cool, fresh air in, and stale, hot air out. Too many growers get ventilation wrong and encounter all kinds of problems later in the grow. Bugs, fungi, and mould love a hot, humid environment with poor airflow. Like it or not, ventilation is essential to cannabis cultivation. Outdoors, the wind naturally circulates air so cannabis plants can grow healthy and strong. A light breeze strengthens stems and helps plant leaves transpire. Plus, it makes it that much more difficult for creepy crawlies to take up residence in the cannabis garden. If you are growing indoors, you must control airflow and maintain air exchange artificially.
Heat One of the main functions of an extractor fan is to remove heat that accumulates rapidly in indoor growing situations. Ideally, the temperature in your grow room should range between 72-82°F when the lights are on. You should aim to reduce this temperature by 10°F at night. You may
seriously damage the health of your plants if you allow the temperature to exceed or drop below this range. Tip - A heater is essential to keep the temperature around 70°F during cold winter nights.
Humidity You should aim for 50-75% humidity in your grow room when your lights are on. A high temperature and too much air flow can both affect the relative humidity (RH) in a grow room. Generally, when growing indoors, a high temperature lowers humidity - creating a poor environment for plant growth. This is a common problem in summer, so additional moisture may need to be introduced via a humidification system. Tip - Continually check the humidity level of your grow room with a hygrometer. If humidity in your grow room drops very low (below 40%), it may cause the young leaves of your plants to become smaller, whilst older leaves may simply curl at the margins, appear burnt and drop off. It is important to note that such stresses tend to stunt plant growth. This is more apparent when plants are very young. Large, mature plants naturally raise humidity. Tip - Use a humidifier when the humidity level in your grow room is too low. During the winter months, you are more likely to need an extractor fan to replace fresh CO² rich air and for dehumidification (removing moisture), rather than reducing temperature. Grow room air is not exchanged as frequently in winter, and this enables plants to naturally maintain higher grow room humidity without the air being exhausted. Tip - A ventilation fan helps to promote healthy growth by constantly replenishing air. However, too much humidity can create a perfect environment for fungal diseases. Your plants are particularly vulnerable when you switch your lights off and the temperatures drop when the humidity increases. In fact, inadequate ventilation is the root cause of most fungal diseases; where fungal spores thrive in humid, stagnant air and jeopardize entire crops. But if you keep fresh air flowing, then mold can be a
Extractor fan The extractor fan is the most critical fan in the growing area. It is capable of removing heat and moisture from the grow room. Remember, both heat and moisture accumulate rapidly in indoor growing situations.
Tip – An extractor fan is also known as an exhaust or ventilation fan. However, you must make sure you have the correct size fan to get the most out it. Most growers also require a ventilation system capable of dealing with outside summer temperatures.Each fan has a rating that tells you how many cubic feet of air per minute (CFM) it will move. When dealing with above average temperatures you will want your fan to exchange the grow room air 3-5 times in one minute, so for a room that is 40 cubic feet, a fan that is capable of moving 120-200 cfm (cubic feet per minute) is recommended. If you only want to replace depleted levels of co2 and are growing in a closet using fluorescents, one room change per five minutes (divide room size by 5) will be adequate. To calculate your room size, multiply Width by Length by Height, this will give you the CFM rating required for one room change per minute. If is often not feasible to have openings for intake air. We recommend that you use an intake fan as well as an extractor fan. An intake fan is, quite simply, an extractor fan turned around so that it forces air in (rather than expelling it outside). This is referred to as ‘active ventilation’. When sizing an intake fan you should input 15% less than the actual air flow rate to maintain a negative air pressure. This ensures all air departs the room through the carbon filter. Follow the steps below to work out your intake fan size. Other ways to improve ventilation You can reduce ventilation requirements by making some small modifications to your grow room. For example, using air cooled lights will help to prevent heat generated by HID lighting from entering your grow room. They'll also reduce "hotspots", allowing for closer light to plant tolerances. Your plants will also be able to use C02 much more efficiently.
Intake Fan Air should be exchanged every 1-2 minutes in order to maintain optimal temperatures and humidity. The aim is create negative pressure or suction. So you want to see the walls of the grow tent sucking inward when your ventilation system is up and running. Your intake fan needs to be positioned near or at ground level to connect to the hole in the bottom corner of the grow tent. Keep that ducting straight and use duct tape to secure in place. Again, the external ducting must connect to a source of fresh air, ideally a vent or window. Later, we explain how to do this discreetly.
Odour Control The tried and trusted trio when it comes to eliminating cannabis odours are hands down the intake fan, outtake fan, and carbon filter combination. If you are already investing in fans and ducting, it makes sense. For the grower that wants to be certain that odour is under control, this system is the best. However, some promising odour-eliminating devices that can dispense neutralising agents round the clock are on the market. That being said, they are currently unproven technologies. There is also plenty of snake oil out there, so do some research and be shrewd. Installing Air Exhaust Systems Air replacement is just as important as airflow to the overall health of an indoor garden. Air exhaust systems create a slight negative pressure in a grow by removing hot air and bringing in fresh cool air. These systems typically include an exhaust fan, filter, and ducting to direct airflow out of the area, and a complete air exchange throughout the entire grow space should occur once every minute or so.
Controllers Using CFM ratings is a good way to figure out how much power your exhaust system will need to create negative pressure in the grow area. However, finding hardware that will give the exact output you’re looking for may be difficult. Fan speed controllers allow for minute changes in airflow, letting the grower fine-tune the exhaust system while providing a margin of error that allows for inefficiencies in hardware. Furthermore, hotter and more humid grow environments will need a higher CFM, and having the ability to adjust fans can save a lot of time, energy, and money.
Controllers Using CFM ratings is a good way to figure out how much power your exhaust system will need to create negative pressure in the grow area. However, finding hardware that will give the exact output you’re looking for may be difficult.
Fan speed controllers allow for minute changes in airflow, letting the grower fine-tune the exhaust system while providing a margin of error that allows for inefficiencies in hardware. Furthermore, hotter and more humid grow environments will need a higher CFM, and having the ability to adjust fans can save a lot of time, energy, and money.