Hi all.

This is my first post, it seemed to take forever to get to be able to post so I went to a different forum. Anyway I can now post. This is the cupboardClick to view attachment

And here:

And here

I'm a complete beginner and have decided to go for it properly rather than my previous attempt years ago of starting and then destroying the 8 inch plants because of the smell!

So in my kitchen I've got a cupboard thats 4 feet wide by 18 inches deep and basically room height. Now what drew me to this after planning a boxed in setup next to it slightly deeper by a couple of inches depending on how thick I made the wall. By around 6 feet wide and room height was that on the side of the cupboard at the top was an extractor that is very powerful (well very noisey) which is ducted around 4 or 5 feet out within inches of the boiler flue pipe. So I thought hey throw the heat out here through the existing pipework or at least the original exit hole and if its seen it shouldn't be a problem hence stealth. The heat I hope could also be put down to the boiler exit/flue. Oh, I'm in a second floor rented flat.

So I thoght I'm best using the cupboard to get some practice/experience in a small area. So what light would you recommend ( I'm assuming HPS but a 250 or a 400?) What should I use for extraction? 4 inch? smallest CF i can get. Passive intake? 4 plant or just 2? Start of in soil first then for second grow go hydro? I'm thinking 4 lowryders in soil first to wet my ears maybe get away with 250w?

My main concern is the hardware setup first.

Hi. Its difficult to get decent pictures because of its size. The ones I'd taken I had to crop to upload so maybe next time I'll have better ones!

I'm undecided about growing method although was thinking soil first. I'm in a flat so it needs to be QUIET. I don't know how loud the various methods are although I don't really want to be able to hear running water or bubbling etc.

I was thinking a 400w HPS light although I bought a 250w MH flood light from the local market so I'll play with this first.

My main concern for the minute is getting the extraction right first, then I can test the temps etc.

The main reason that I was drawn to the cupboard is because from the pic you can see the extractor on the side of the wall. This must have a hole behind it as it is boxed of inside the cupboard with a false ceiling which acts as a duct to the external wall next to the boiler. Hopefully I can use this as an intake and an outake.

When I posted on another forum I was directed towards other strains. However the strains aren't my priority just yet.

It's extraction, lights and growing method.

I want the extraction to be silent or as close as I can get it so I think 4 inch inline fan, Carbon filter and probably acoustic ducting, although they'll be that little maybe only a metre that its pointless?

What speed controller and what other gadgets to control the lights and fans etc?

After that its lights maybe with a coolshade.

Grow method. Soil will be nice and quiet, no need for CF/PH meters. But lower yield. What quiet ideally silent hydro methods are there?

Itchy

4 Inch assuming you are using RVk's which are popular would be useless, much better off getting the 125mm or 150mm, your space sounds about the same size ruffly as my single tent, would have 125mm intake and 150mm extraction.

To monitor temps use a primair controller, will also decrease the sound of fans mainly as a result of not having them on full, keep adjusting them until you get the right temps and leave it at that, will maintain constant temps and save on leccy. The fans will have to be on 24/7 but at a much lower rate.

As for silent systems, as mentioned soil/compost or aeroponics the amazon system is very quiet, know for emense root growth and high yeilds, piss easy to use as well, they do them in 8 pot 16 and 32 for about 110.00 quid.

As for the lighting, more light more yeild, would not have anything bigger than 600w in that space though, others might know more about that, thinking 400w or 600w, will need a ballast and contactor, a contactor to stop possible fire hazzards.

As for carbon filter, get it the same size as your extraction, would avoid a 4inch fan though, totally useless my 6 inch fan bought for 5 quid produces more air than that rvk 100mm.

Not sure on amazon whether you would fit it in there, not sure of your width, you mention length, they give you the dimensions of the amazon on most sites selling them so would double check.

The size is 4 feet wide and 18-20 inches deep. The height is too the ceiling so 8 feet ish.

I was thinking of a passive intake therefore only one fan. I was lloking at the 4 inch. A shop I went in today had a 4 inch plus phat filter and 5m ducting for £100 that seemed pretty decent?

How loud are bubblers?

Itchy

mate, i guess thats your fusebox & meter which is in the cupboard ?

if it is, i dont think the cupboards usable, what with the meter man turning up & wanting a reading !

The meters not in there it's just the consumer unit.

I say just, it may be a problem?

What do you think?

Itchy

not sure but theres a few sparks on the forums, its worth asking their advice.

Hi all.

I've knocked the false ceiling out to gain access to where the ducting for the kitchen extractor is hidden/boxed in. Sorry no pics.

This has left me with vent points on the left and right wall (150 - 250mm below the ceiling height). One is where the kitchen extractor is/was, this extracted the air out of the kitchen through the ducting hidden in the top of the cupboard and then out of the other side of the cupboard through the exterior wall.

Originally this was all I thought I had available for intake and extraction . After removing the false ceiling there is a piece of plasterboard on the roof joists (usual construction methods) which is full of holes for wires and pipes.

This loft access has now given me the possibility of venting in/out through the loft however I live in rented flats so the loft is communal although the access is right outside my front door so I can see if people are going up (if I'm in). I could also superglue the padlock! If I used the loft I'd disguise the duct so it was less obvious. If I dont't use it I'll have to make the ceiling airtight anyway.

So my question is where would you put the intake and the extraction now that I have three potential possibilities.

Regards

Itchy

If you want to put decent pictures in your posts, load them into IrfanView, crop out the pertinent parts, then resize to something sane, like 800x(whatever), 1024x(whatever), and then 'Save as JPG' and use the 'Save Quality' slider to turn down the compression factor until the images are less than 350K in size (per post).

Thanks for the reply Scribble.

I haven't got any new pics because my brother has borrowed my camera (previous pics above not showing false ceiling removed). Although I think my question can be answered without them.

I've got three holes for vents in my cupboard in my kitchen.

Top left: Outside

Top right: Into kitchen through extractor (removed at the moment, maybe replaced for stealth if possible)

Ceiling: Into the communal loft.

Which would you use for intake/extraction and why?

Hopefully using an acoustic box fan. I've bought a 125 mm Acoustic Duct fan from Chaysol, I originally wanted an airforce 100mm. Because of the louder noise of the Chaysol I think I'll still have to return it for the airforce. I think I 'll also use a cooltube (coolshade if these are better) or an alternative air cooled reflector if advised to do so and that it will fit my small cupboard.

PS I can't remember if it was you or someone else (scraglor?) that was very interested in the automation. If it was you then at the moment I've got a vent axia fan controller (eco.... 130), wac6 on the way and S + P speed controller part number REB-1-N. Hopefully enough besides a thermostat and possibly a variac if these fail! With the option of the Maplins thermometer which can be reconfigured.

Regards

itchy

Anyone?