How to Minimize the Heat in Your Grow Tent?
Why Do Grow Tents Heat Up?
Grow tents can heat up due to many reasons. However, the most common reason is that the grow lights are overheating. Lights emit heat — and different kinds of grow lights emit different levels of heat. While LED lights emit the least heat, using an old-fashioned form of lighting such as a High-Pressure Sodium light will produce more heat. These are the biggest reasons as to why your marijuana grow tents tend to heat up. There are some grow lights which do not have a proper cooling mechanism and end up accumulating a lot of heat.
If your grow tent does not have a proper ventilation system or a good inline duct fan, there’s a chance that your grow tent will heat up. Other than grow lights, some people also tend to use heaters in their grow rooms which can also impact the temperature of the grow tent. While plants do need a little bit of warmth, excessive heat is never good for them!
Are High Temperatures Bad for Cannabis Plants?
If you are growing marijuana in an environment with high temperatures, or in an area where heat is unable to dissipate, the ambient temperatures may be much higher than the ~70 degrees Fahrenheit that your plants find comfortable, and lead to heat stress. An increased temperature can lead to slow growth, reduced harvest, and even eventual death of your cannabis plants. Heat is especially a concern during the flowering phase of the cannabis plants or for those who are growing hydroponically, where the roots are exposed (as opposed to being protected by a pot and layer of dirt). Fortunately there are a number of techniques, and supplements which can be used to control temperatures, and reduce heat damage to your cannabis plants.
Take a look at these simple steps to start reducing the heat temperatures inside of your growing area.
Choose LED Grow Lights
Your choice of grow light has a major influence on the environment inside your grow tent. Most growers opt for either HID bulbs or LED lamps.
HID bulbs can be either HPS (high-pressure sodium) or MH (metal halide) lights. Growers who use HIDs typically use MH for the vegetative phase and HPS for flower. This has been the traditional approach to grow tent lighting.
But it’s no longer the preferred option. Now, even home growers are choosing LEDs over HIDs with increasing frequency.
While LED technology is still fairly new and comes with a somewhat higher initial investment, the benefits are many. They consume about half the energy of HIDs, high-quality LEDs last around 10–15 years, and they yield a better product.
They also emit significantly less heat.
It’s true that you will have to manage heat in a grow tent no matter what type of light you choose. But LED grow lights make the task much easier. You require far less supplemental cooling when you use LEDs.
Take Care of The Ventilation
Ventilation or air exchange of a grow space is the most important environmental factor that directly affects its temperature. Lack of proper air flow will result in a constant increase in temperature, as the heat generated inside will just accumulate.
The next question popping up in your mind is what it takes to have a proper ventilation? Long story short- it means to have the same airflow that ‘mother nature’ would do if the plants were grown outside.
To have an optimal coolness for the ventilation system, do these-
First, Ensure a proper, and regulated air flow inside the grow space. To do the job, there are two kinds of fans available- Oscillating Fans and Extractor Fans. One is appointed to blow air above, under and around the plants. While the other fan cycles out old air and brings on new air from outside.
In both of the fans, there are variations in types, sizes, numbers, and position. Based on the size of grow space, a number of plants, and other environmental condition, you’ve chosen the best combination.
Second, maximize the effectiveness of the grow fans. Start with placing input ductwork in the coolest place nearby. Next on, invest some bucks after an automated controller that raises and lowers the fan speeds, based on the temperature.
ADD A BUCKET OF ICE
Desperate times call for desperate measures. If cash is tight and the heat is on, the cheapest way to lower the temperature a bit is with a bucket of ice or two.
You can simply fill up a few empty 2l plastic bottles and stuff them in the freezer for a few hours or if you have an American Freezer empty out that ice cube dispenser into a bucket and fill it up again.
DUCTING
Bends and kinks in your ducting will put a greater demand on your fans and reduces their efficiency. Smooth out that ducting and try not to have any twisting or bending. If the ducting connected to your air-cooled reflector or outtake fan is bumpy and poorly connected, heat is going to build up.
Similarly, loose fitting sagging ducting on an intake fan will reduce the volume of fresh air. Get a fresh roll of duct tape to secure connections and keep that ducting straight.
Setting Timers
Now, this is something that needs to be perfected over time — but once you understand exactly how you want to use your timers for grow lights, you will be able to provide a significant reduction in temperatures. It is essential to know that plants need not only hours of light but also hours of being in the dark. However, setting effective timers will help create this cycle of warm and cool hours which will ensure that the hot temperature doesn’t last for a long time and plants get enough time to cool down. You can also do this manually by setting alarms on your phone in case your best grow lights for indoor plants or growing setup does not support timers.
Now that you are familiar with how to set up and improve your grow room ventilation, you should have no problems beating the heat. Remember, improper ventilation and the heat from lighting are the biggest problems when it comes to excess heat. For your plants you’ll find that better fans, newer lamps, and a few climate control tips can give a refreshing break to the summer heat. For you, you’ll want a tall glass of lemonade while you’re working.