Electric cost

[KC]

@RUFUS HOUND Be careful with those speed controllers, is it the cheap ones you can get for about 15 quid? I wouldn't touch one myself 

[RUFUS HOUND]

I do have one of those cheap ones and I have test ran with no "humming" but I got an SMScom fan speed controller after hearing they arent really fit for purpose .

[Should Know Betterer]

@RUFUS HOUND I find the passive intake effect is plenty to pull the warm air from box into tent, and I'm literally just heating the box, I would have thought opening box up to room on a second side would reduce efficiency a bit, let me know how you get on,  if 2 holes is the way forward then I'm all for it

[Crow River]

Quite informative reading about all the leccy worries here. With energy costs going up, certainly something to consider.

 

My provider sells me juice for less than 20p per kWh at the moment. I think it was cheaper last year, just under 19p if I recall, but they reduced the daily standing charges slightly so works out okay.

 

My grow setup is tiny, very modest power consumption and it's in the house so benefits from GCH. Even when the radiator was switched off in that room over Chrimbo I checked the temp inside the wee grow cabinet (unheated, lights off, everything off as no grow at the time) and it never got below 14ºC even on the coldest nights. With room radiator on it will be more like 18 to 20 so not much further to heat up to the sweet spot for growing. Using blurple LEDs which do put out some heat, only noticeable in a very small space right enough. If I remember correctly the heat mats and tube heater were off most of the time, only needed in the early spring. Anyway suffice to say my extra energy costs last year were not huge and I was using maybe an extra 100kWh per month on average compared to the same months the year before. So less than £20 a month! That said, my lights are not the most powerful and the space is very small so yields won't be comparable to a bigger setup.

 

I do sympathise with folk growing in a garage, outhouse or loft at this time of year. Seems to me the best energy saving strategy is to grow in the main living space if feasible. Certainly for anyone who has stopped altogether due to costs, maybe scaling down to a smaller grow, a small tent or cabinet in the house is a lot cheaper to run. Either that or wait for the weather to warm up a bit?  

 

P.S.:- Gas prices may be increasing, but it's still way, way cheaper than electricity so if you have GCH then this is a more cost effective way of warming up the grow space.

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Crow River

[RUFUS HOUND]

gas is burnt to make steam, which power turbines that make electricity - russia holding the west to ransom with the gas, they are reducing output to artificially increase the wholesale gas market because they want a new pipeline approved. its only what opec have been doing with oil for decades.

 

@Should Know Betterer you cant pull air out of a totally sealed box or it would pull a vacuum, so it must have leaks that allow air in to be warmed. plus you are in a bedroom so you would need next to zero extra heating - it could probably just be made up from your lights heat.

 

I cant move my tent its in the loft, so for me its a case of bringing the houses warm air to the box - theory is, its already at 20'c - that means I only have to boost it by 8'C or maybe 10'c to allow for extraction and heat losses to external environment (freezing loft). 

[Should Know Betterer]

@RUFUS HOUNDyou are of course correct, my box sits on the radiator wheels so it's just up off floor, i didn't realise you were dealing with a loft situation, something I've not had to endure/enjoy so can't really say, but your suggested set up does sound spot on, good luck sir:)

[Jack?]

Fan and filter at the bottom of your tent when cold will help dramatically

[RUFUS HOUND]

@Jack? or is it super hans, do you run like this with a reverse flow I suppose you could call it and with leds?

Edited January 10, 2022 by RUFUS HOUND

[Grow lady]

18 hours ago, Should Know Betterer said:

@ratdog I live in a small flat, bedrooms just big enough for tent and a single bed, just about, winter was getting 30°+ summer could reach into the 40°'s. Ambient temps now are around 18 to 20, light off garden drops down to that, light on can be 25 to 27 depending on weather, so rads really just to keep lights off temp around 20-21, and lights on around 27, all weather dependant. Box over it  means rad hardly needs to come on, I keep it set to around 20° which is enough to supplement the tent heat. If you've got any advice I'm definitely open to it

@Should Know Betterer you shouldn't need heating if in bedroom mine is in a freezing loft and you have low watt lights mine wouldn't live without heating 

[Military Grade]

I have a growth technology fan above my LED light blowing the warm air downwards to the plants, cools my light/driver and warms my plants win win

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by Military Grade
add picture

[RUFUS HOUND]

is it in the loft @Military Grade

[Military Grade]

Just now, RUFUS HOUND said:

is it in the loft @Military Grade

 

[RUFUS HOUND]

Sorry this has morphed into heating type thread - my fault 

Edited January 10, 2022 by RUFUS HOUND

[Military Grade]

Using heat that is already being generated within your tent all adds up and is a stable consistent source

Edited January 10, 2022 by Military Grade

[Crow River]

2 hours ago, RUFUS HOUND said:

gas is burnt to make steam, which power turbines that make electricity - russia holding the west to ransom with the gas, they are reducing output to artificially increase the wholesale gas market because they want a new pipeline approved. its only what opec have been doing with oil for decades.

 

 

Yep, but I was just meaning if you have gas piped to your home (many don't) and it fuels your central heating. Much cheaper than electric heating, even with a 50% increase in price it would still be cheaper.