Manage heat.

[Carecrab]

Hey ya'll, first time noob here!

I have just setup my first tent ever. It's a 2x2x4,5 with a 250w hps and cooltube.
I also have a carbon filter and a tt-100 fan and using a passive intake (vent on the side of the tent)

I've connected it like this: Filter--Fan--duct--cooltube--duct out on the top of the tent.
Problem is that the temp with the lights on is a little bit to hot 30C/86F. I was thinking about maybe buy a small aircooler and have in the tent or maybe have it outside to cool the area where my tent is in, so it will be sucking in cooler air and hook up a smaller fan inside the tent to move around the air.
Since I have it on my loft and I have no windows my options are pretty limited and I'm trying to figure out a smart solution.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[Not-a-cop]

It’s probably a combination of a loft in the summer and the HPS. Where have you got the ballast for the HPS light? If it’s inside the tent, I’d move it out if possible

I have an inkbird ITC308 linked to a fan, very good for keeping the temps controlled in the tent, although I’m also using an LED light which produces a lot less heat

 

[Carecrab]

It’s probably a combination of a loft in the summer and the HPS. Where have you got the ballast for the HPS light? If it’s inside the tent, I’d move it out if possible

I have an inkbird ITC308 linked to a fan, very good for keeping the temps controlled in the tent, although I’m also using an LED light which produces a lot less heat

It's outside the tent, in a curbed of the room. Yeah it's pretty confusing that I can't have it downstairs. But it's not that bad, I need to adjust it a couple of degrees. Just need to figure out what's the best way to do it

 

[automan2]

Yes, you've gotta react quickly to heat. I too use an inkbird controller to control an intake and exhaust fans to maintain parameters. I got away from hps because of temperature probs...went to cobs and qb which are much easier to deal with.
Not saying change lights cause hps is a good grow light in cooler weather, but your options may be limited to some type of cooling device if you stay with hps.

 

[Not-a-cop]

I see some people mount their extraction externally , that being tent-duct-fan-carbon filter, pushing air through the filter rather than sucking air through it, that would allow you to get the heat of the fan out of the tent too.

Have you got your extraction above the level of the light? That’s really key to hoovering out all the hot air it generates

 

[oldnewbdude]

Before I decided not to go with HPS because I don't have enough vertical to keep them off the plants, I was gonna run small inline straight through the light fixture. In one side of the tent, through the tube and right out the other side of the tent. My thoughts were pulling heat off the bulb might reduce some of the pressure on the extraction fan from having to do all the work. Those little inlines are pretty cheap, like less than 30usd. Just a thought.

 

[StonerDerek]

I would say it's about cubic capacity regarding your airflow but mostly your exhausting maybe, is it possible for you to add an extra exhaust fan to your tent to help push the hot air out? And maybe an aircon for the loft to assist your tents intake temps?

 

[Carecrab]

I see some people mount their extraction externally , that being tent-duct-fan-carbon filter, pushing air through the filter rather than sucking air through it, that would allow you to get the heat of the fan out of the tent too.

Have you got your extraction above the level of the light? That’s really key to hoovering out all the hot air it generates

Yeah man! I have it above the lights and then out from the top.
Maybe one intake blowing cool air from an AC would be good to deal with the heat.

 

[Carecrab]

I would say it's about cubic capacity regarding your airflow but mostly your exhausting maybe, is it possible for you to add an extra exhaust fan to your tent to help push the hot air out? And maybe an aircon for the loft to assist your tents intake temps?

Maybe it would be possible but I'd have to connect it to the duct that's going from the inside to the top of the tent, since I just have one hole on the top of the tent.
Wouldn't that affect the pressure? I want the pressure to be slightly negative in the tent to minimize odor leaking out.

 

[BII]

Maybe it would be possible but I'd have to connect it to the duct that's going from the inside to the top of the tent, since I just have one hole on the top of the tent.
Wouldn't that affect the pressure? I want the pressure to be slightly negative in the tent to minimize odor leaking out.

Keep in mind, you want the total exhaust fan power/flow/cfm to be greater than that of the input fan(s). As suggested, get a thermostat switch, otherwise you can play with the fans and get them set to maintain a fairly constant air flow, but that won't really control the tent temperature.

Can't avoid the laws of physics - heat will just build up in a closed environment. Growing on the top floor with no windows and with summer not even here yet and you already seeing problems, you need to both exhaust heated tent air and suck in cooler air, whether from the outside or fed by an air conditioner (which needs to exhaust to the outside to work). Consider pulling in outside air, which even in mid-summer is probably often cool enough at night wherever you are - could save on AC costs. You may need to cut a whole in the outer wall to add a vent or 2, and an AC. If you do need an AC, consider a free-standing indoor portable unit directly connected to the tent, ideally be controlled by a thermostat in the tent.