Need help cooling down 4x4 tent

@Lanierrs Thanks! I am dialing my setup into that same temp range and your feedback makes me more comfortable.

I just looked up the light you are using. That is a lot of light for a 4x4! Seems like the common review comment is that they run hot…even hotter than the quantum boards I’m running. What do you have for ventilation?

I had temp issues about this time of the year, every year bought fans and AC units then I figured out the easiest fix was flipping the light schedule to off during the hottest part of the day usually 10 to 6 or 11 to 7. Easy fix sometimes my central ac struggles too on a 100 degree day. So just a idea.

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I got 2 of the marshydro 3000 for my 8x8x6 and they shot my temp up like crazy in my tent up to 80s and then realized id need a dehumidifier which spoiler alert they vent exhaust out into the tent making it hotter (85-89) so I finally ponied up and got a AC unit but in a 4x4 I think you’ll struggle to find room for an actual portable unit as they are much larger than I expected but I bought nice to avoid paying twice

@SKORPION that is a good tip. I run my lights on from 5pm to 11am.

@BigCat420 I’m pretty knew but from what I’ve read, you want the dehumidifier or air conditioner in the “lung room” not the tent. As you’ve discovered, putting them inside the tent will also increase its temperature. I have mine outside the tent but in the closet. Humidifiers on the other hand are small enough t get away with and would not significantly increase temperatures.

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Yeah see i dont have a lung room im out of space in my basement as the other half floods so that wasn’t an option so my dehumidifier and ac unit are in my big tent pushed to one side by the outlet

@Lanierrs Thanks for taking a look at the light. I’m running two inline fans. One constant through a filter and one tripped by an Inkjet controller. Six inch ducting. The outside or “lung” environment is relatively stable, air conditioned, and with constant air movement and filtering. The humidity is set up there having had the same in tent experience trying to fool with it previously. I vent into the big room at the top and draw from the floor. No direct outlet to the outside which is a downside in the current setup. Less troubling than I had feared so far given the fact the entire room “breathes” with the building. Drawing fresh air in and expending the stale air out. Eventual upgrade will draw direct air in and dump old air specifically tied to this lung room but its not in the cards yet. I’ve dialed the light down, lowering red, white and blue settings individually, which helps the heat and it still registers a little over double the PAR in the same ratio as the 550. Nothing in there yet so I cannot measure leaf temp. 550 runs at around 68 to 70 leaf temp at 36" and in Veg setting. New setup looks to be stable where I have it during the day with lights on at 78 plus or minus 3 degrees. So, I am hopeful but uncertain. I could use a stress kit for the tent, but they are out of stock, since I can draw it down in a minute or two but it stresses the frame. Its appears to be taking the stress fine but a little more support could not hurt and would make the grower somewhat less nervous. For what its worth the spectrum settings on the light seem to work. You can make it hunker down and reduce the internodal spacing with the hiked up blue ratio and then move it an emphasis on the red as you move through the grow. Gives you one more thing to fool with also of course. Which is good and bad. Appreciate the feedback the new setup is nearly stable enough to move a couple of OGKA’s in there to finish I hope, and then my first batch of photos will start in tent one. Will let you know how it goes.

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Problem solved. Cleared the intake vent of a cover that looks nice but inhibits airflow, I will replace it with one that allows better flow, and turned up the constant variable fan controller slightly and wallah. Steady state hovering around 78 with lights on. This site is great.

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@Plutarch glad you got it worked out.

Here are a couple quick pics using the UV light to show what I’m talking about. Thankfully it looks like it mostly settled on the horizontal surfaces. I had cleaned everything after my last grow before putting it in this tent so I know this is recent.


Wow! I thought of something like this, sic as shit. Ty

Ty, looking to buying a portable ac unit, then I’ll be set, ty for help

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Might want to keep an eye on this little guy. It looks like a dryer vent hose? With the A/C supply into the tent? Just keep an eye and see if that little piece has moisture on the outside.

That is just a hose for the intake fan. My air conditioning unit is vented to the window not the tent.

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If your looking to buy a portable ac unit make sure you can either afford to run a cheap one nonstop or spend 500-600 on a good dual unit system to vent exhaust out of your tent. I spent about $560 on mine. Basically $490-$500 now




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Have you noticed a significant performance benefit with the dual hose model? I’ve only recently read about them. I went with a Toshiba 8000BTU model (in stock at the local Home Depot). It is a single hose unit and I added an in-line fan to the duct as I needed another 10 feet to reach the window. May not be necessary but I didn’t want to overwork it. I did some tests with a kill-a-watt meter. Using the auto setting, it runs pretty efficiently. We shall see what my power bill looks like. Hope to start the next grow this weekend.

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My power bill isn’t thru the roof it stays under 200 a month. But the dual unit is specifically for venting out exhaust. Otherwise with your single hose unit ypur exhausting the hot air into the tent with your cold air making the unit less efficient at maintaining temp

With the dual hose unit you have a intake and an exhaust hose and the single unit you just have an intake hose. Performance wise im not sure how to answer that as I haven’t had any issues with it besides the dehumidifier mode sucks lol. I have no complaints about this ac unit and would buy another one if needed I believe its a solid purchase

Ty man!

I bought another 6” inline fan, so I’m going to have 2 inline fans. I’ll have over 500/600 cfm through my tent, should be more then enough. I’m hoping if not. Next!

Hoping someone following this thread can help. I’m upgrading a 4x4 from from 6" to 8" and the current setup draws continuously for airflow through the “top side” vent and dumps for heat with an Inkbird through the top -ceiling vent if necessary. Is this optimal? Or should I reverse it to have the steady state fan pull from the top-ceiling vent and the heat dump through the side? If I have to change it I should at least do it correctly.
Any advice appreciated. @Lanierrs I got a bit ahead of myself. Tent is still fine but without a lot of head room on heat. Hoping 8" setup will help. Boy genius here had not put the final filter on the six inch setup when I got all excited about the improvements.