Importance of Air Exchange in Early Growth Stages?

[Zootown68]

Hi, all. I gave myself lots of time to worry about things (and learn) before I begin my first grow on Jan 1, but have a feeling that my brain will actually NEVER stop worrying. This might be the perfect hobby for my OCD tendencies .

My tent is 32"x32"x5' and I have a 6" Hydrofarm fan with a Carbon filter in there. It's a lot of fan for that space, I know, but it was free! Using Viparspectra XS 1500 and am going to try to control heat and humidity outside of the tent for the most part, unless I can't keep temps up.

Question is at what point during my autoflower grow do the plants really REALLY start needing serious air exchange? I'm in Montana and it's just cold.... inside, outside, etc. Every time I turn that fan on it brings down temps like crazy. Wondering how long I can get away with not running that full-time. the carbon and fan were purchased entirely to minimize smells, so I could easily get a "lesser" fan to move air out and fresh stuff in.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Creature]

As someone who has more fan than necessary, I'll go ahead and suggest an inline fan speed controller. It will allow you to tame your airflow.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Hi, all. I gave myself lots of time to worry about things (and learn) before I begin my first grow on Jan 1, but have a feeling that my brain will actually NEVER stop worrying. This might be the perfect hobby for my OCD tendencies .

My tent is 32"x32"x5' and I have a 6" Hydrofarm fan with a Carbon filter in there. It's a lot of fan for that space, I know, but it was free! Using Viparspectra XS 1500 and am going to try to control heat and humidity outside of the tent for the most part, unless I can't keep temps up.

Question is at what point during my autoflower grow do the plants really REALLY start needing serious air exchange? I'm in Montana and it's just cold.... inside, outside, etc. Every time I turn that fan on it brings down temps like crazy. Wondering how long I can get away with not running that full-time. the carbon and fan were purchased entirely to minimize smells, so I could easily get a "lesser" fan to move air out and fresh stuff in.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

If you can make your lung room temperature over 72f and humidity raised over 40% then the fan through negative pressure will bring in the warm/humid air.

You should still get a fan speed controller.

 

[Zootown68]

Thanks, @Creature and @damien50. I have a controller on there as well. Low is more than enough to suck in the sides of the tent a bit.

 

[Arthur]

I don't intentionally exchange out any air for the first few weeks. Tent flap is open some, and the lower vents are as well. There's more than enough draw moving thru for sprouts & small plants in veg. If I had to put a spot in the grow that the exhaust fan starts running regularly, it'd be right about the time the plants show sex.

 

[Zootown68]

Thank you, @Arthur

 

[Radical Cannabis]

Hi, all. I gave myself lots of time to worry about things (and learn) before I begin my first grow on Jan 1, but have a feeling that my brain will actually NEVER stop worrying. This might be the perfect hobby for my OCD tendencies .

My tent is 32"x32"x5' and I have a 6" Hydrofarm fan with a Carbon filter in there. It's a lot of fan for that space, I know, but it was free! Using Viparspectra XS 1500 and am going to try to control heat and humidity outside of the tent for the most part, unless I can't keep temps up.

Question is at what point during my autoflower grow do the plants really REALLY start needing serious air exchange? I'm in Montana and it's just cold.... inside, outside, etc. Every time I turn that fan on it brings down temps like crazy. Wondering how long I can get away with not running that full-time. the carbon and fan were purchased entirely to minimize smells, so I could easily get a "lesser" fan to move air out and fresh stuff in.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I am also having a hard time keeping the heat and humidity up to snuff without turning the ventilation off. Outside our tent is in the mid50's F with RH in the mid 40's. I finally had to put a heater and humidifier inside the tent because it wasn't enough from outside the tent. I have the intake on a timer going on and off every 15 mins. and the exhaust turns off every couple hours for a half hour. The intake is set on high and the exhaust is set on low. It's staying more stable now, but there are still spikes and dips throughout the day. Not sure if that is okay? If I keep the exhaust on full time, it can only stay in the low 70'sF and low 40's in RH. Curious too if cutting off the vent to increase temps/RH is not getting enough air exchange in the tent?

 

[Zootown68]

This is my first grow and I'm a COMPLETE newb, but I've been mostly successful thus far keeping temps and RH in the zone I want by controlling humidity in the tent with a dome for seedlings and I have small radiator heater on Low. I also have a 2" thick piece of insulation in my window where the tent is. It's nearly 70 in this room 24/7 now even though it's been getting down to 30 overnight recently. When it starts getting colder again I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. My earlier comments were made when I was just testing. Now I have seedlings going... Very hands on hobby. I love it so far Puzzles are fun!