First grow ever. Grow box temperature question.

[FloridaCracker]

Hi everyone . I have been lurking the forums for a while now and finally decided to create an account. Everyone on here seems to be super nice and it feels like a non-toxic group of folk unlike some other forums I have been reading, so thank you for having me.

My wife finally has let me put together a small grow box in the garage which is awesome, I am super stoked about it. The big problem I am having right now is my temperature range in the grow box is on the hot side. 79-93 are the temps I have recorded. I am running a 4 inch inline exhaust and an active intake fan and cannot run AC in the garage nor am I aloud to bring the grow into the house. I have not started my grow yet as I am still awaiting my Northern Lights seeds from Seed City. My question is a two part question.
1. Is that temperature range too hot for my plants to produce?
2. Aside from running AC how can I bring my temps down? I have tried a frozen 2 liter infront of the intake fan and it melted within about 2.5 hours.

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[KonopCh]

With LEDs you can grow to around 30-32°C. With HID/HPS you must grow in colder room because those lights has IR too.
Maybe you should try with CO2. Or open windows in the morning and at night.

Otherwise I advise you to try outdoor growing or buying an AC unit. No other thing will bring your temps down.

 

[Happyganjafarmer]

Welcome and happy growing @FloridaCracker
I have temp issues due to the space and place so i bought a portable AC at around 300usd. Problem solved!
I also have a humidifier and dehumidifier in the tent. The AC is out of the tent but the room is small.

 

[FloridaCracker]

@KonopCh Thanks for a quick reply. I am using CFLs for a total of 165W. Does the same temperature range you mentioned for LEDs apply to CFLs?

 

[FloridaCracker]

@Happyganjafarmer I actually have 2 portable AC units but have been banned from using them for the sole purpose of my grow. My electric bill is already 180-200 USD a month. ‍

 

[Happyganjafarmer]

@Happyganjafarmer I actually have 2 portable AC units but have been banned from using them for the sole purpose of my grow. My electric bill is already 180-200 USD a month. ‍

You should explain to your other half that the plants need a constant happy environment to thrive or you just loose time and money!

 

[AutoWonders]

Consistent 93 is problematic. If your humidity is on the lower side, I suggest that you buy an evaporative cooler and blow it directly at your intake. Otherwise a/c.

 

[OregonBlackBear]

I find I got much higher temps with cfl than I did with LED.

When I had a small CFL cab I made a separate chamber for the lights using a silicone sealed plexiglass panel. The lights were air cooled by an axial (computer) fan, and the grow section was ventilated by another fan hooked up to a home made carbon filter.

That helped keep the temps in my cab down, but it won't help if the ambient temps in your garage are in the 90s.

Look into using LED, nothing to lose by checking it out. Cobs are fantastic, off the shelf LED bulbs work too.

 

[TexasGrows]

Been wondering about this myself. I have a Nirvana Blue Mystic Auto and an unknown photo strain bag seed going now. The Blue mystic will be done soon and I will switch to 12/12 and see just how long I can keep growing as summer temps climb. I'm pretty sure I can keep the tent under 90 f most of the time. Sure would like to grow all year.

 

[FloridaCracker]

@AutoWonders
Looking in to evaporative coolers now. Thanks for the suggestion.