hey everyone, I'm sitting here pondering how I'm gonna do this. I cant grow inside due to being in a rental property but there is a 6x10 ft shed outback that would be more than enough space for my needs. Only issue is the space is currently 32f and uninsulated. I have a small space heater I could toss in there but I'd be wasting my money trying to heat it continously. I priced insulation board on Craigslist at 150 bucks to line the inside. I'm wondering if anyone has setup a shed to grow through winter and could recommend a heater to use. If I insulate it id probably run a 1k hps for flower so lights on id have to vent it and lights off I'm hoping a 1500w oil filled heater will keep em above 70f. I expect the temp to drop to zero in January and would love it if the heater doesn't run continous. Guess my only problem is forking out the 200+ bucks to find out if it will work. My other options are a 4x4 tent inside the shed with heater for temp maintaining or build a 4x4 box out of insulation board and save the cash on materials. Lemme know what you guys think. Id personally love to insulate the whole thing so I can flower and veg out there until spring summer and then either get a window shaker ac or grow outside.
$37.00 a panel, Easiest would be a 4x4x8 box inside the shed. Run autos for now and let the light burn 24-0 Something like an old school 600 watt HPS or MH and you won't need a heater. Set the exhaust fan on a thermostat. Edit :: 5 pieces to have a floor and a lid. BNW
I found a bunch of reclaimed foam board on Craigslist for 15 a panel. Add duct tape and a few cans of expanding foam itll be 200 bucks before I can even test run. I gotta run photos, I did think about autos for the sheer reason of set it and forget it. Think I should just move somewhere they don't mind the smell.
I can get faced r13 for 112 bucks and do the whole thing. My only concern is the electric bill running a 1k for 12 hrs a day and God knows how much a 1500w heater will add.
Most space heaters have a low setting around 900 watts so use 1000 watts per 24 hours times your local utility KWPH (kilowatt) rate and you can see what a month of steady 1000 watt consumption will cost. Several online calculators for it. BNW
We pay stupidly high rates for power and the last time I worked it out my 400 watt veg shed was costing about $40.00 a month to run @ 24-0. BNW
I talked to local friendly stoner hvac friend. He suggested running 6 mil plastic on walls covered by 1/2 foam and taped in and a forced air ceramic heater. Total volume Is 360 cu ft so if I can seal it off good enough the heater shouldn't run continuous at "night". If need be once insulated i can put up the 4x4 tent to hold more heat from light as long as the heater can keep me above 60 lights off.
Your hvac friend is smart. You def want that poly vapour barrier for heat retention and better humidity control. To answer your question - it’s definitely doable! Maybe throw in a couple windows while your renovating this shed to bring in some sun. Now you’ve got a greenhouse! Supplement light with a smaller 600 watt lamp to save on power since it’s pricey where you live. If you use the free sun you could save a bunch of money on power consumption Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
ok so as an update I decided to frame a wall and reduce the floor plan to 65in. X 42in. I got that vapor barriered and framed. Gonna hang the foam board and ply the wall tomorrow.
You could grow autos and run the lights 24/7. It’s a great way to deal with heating issues through winter. I grow in a room in my outdoor un-heated shop and if I don’t run 24/7, an oil filled heater gets them through the night only running at 600w for 1/4 the time as I insulated the room with Rockwool. Cheers Sent from my iPad using Grasscity Forum
Thats cool man. I gotta go suck dick for plywood. I plan to finish the door and seal it up and run the 1000w watt hps in there. I have a 400w hps I can pop in the hood too. If I do have to vent it there's a vent at the top if roof I hit pretty easily.
its a hundred degrees with the 1000w hps. Come out with a tan. Gonna try the 400w tomorrow and start planning on putting an inline fan to vent the heat and a small heater to keep heat up. After an hour the temp hit 57 so should only have to run a heater off and on. Anybody use inkbird thermostats. I wanna plug the fan into cooling and the heater into heating then set the low to 55 and the high to whatever keeps it 80. Shit gained 70 degrees in an hour, quite happy.
I was looking at the ink bird but I always wanted to add more to make things fully automated then I discovered the trolmaster hydro x that looks pretty impressive
so I added intake and exhaust fans set on an attic thermostat. Tfying to see how well they work at the moment.
ok its been running for a bit two weeks nice and steady highs of 80 lows of 57. I'm happy with that. Plants are happy. Added a 2x4 drain table and gonna finish my veg cabinet tomorrow. Post some pics when its all but in its finished form.
no pics yet. But its working. Lastnight or this morning it was 6 degrees out. Temps stayed good which is surprising.
Just an update. I had to look back through for dates. I'm about 2 months in 2 plants 1 1/2 for the other 2. Not looking bad. Seems like forever ago. I'm just being impatient. Theres still white pistils but hey they ain't dead.