Heaters?

[Medcnman]

The electric oil heaters don't use o2 or create co or co2. Just wanted to make the distinction between electric oil heaters and those that burn fuel.

Gotcha. I didnt see where it mentioned "electric" oil heater. Thanks, Medcnman.

[Restorium2]

Gotcha. I didnt see where it mentioned "electric" oil heater. Thanks, Medcnman.

Right. Good point you had there though. Heaters that burn anything can be dangerous if not vented properly. Many people die every year from poorly vented heaters. And the electric ones cause fires if your wiring is questionable. They each have their own risks.

[tooldini]

So which would be the safest to be left in an unoccupied room for 12 hours. To me they all seem pretty safe but the wife is the one flipping out LOL

[Timmahh]

oil filled probably in the long run...

[tooldini]

Thanks Timmahh. what exactly would be the hazards in a room just sitting there? Cord get to hot and catch fire, cause it would not tip over on its own and nothing could touch it.

[mibrains]

Ive been running an oil filled electric radiator style heater in each of my rooms, one in veg and one in flower, and they work most excellent to maintain my heat without creating a fuss. they are safe and compliant for my system and work excellent.

it has 3 power settings and i rarely need the highest heat setting... however even with the wheel style thermostat is has on it, it is only partially effective at adjusting itself, and i watch the weather to set it close to the correct setting for temp management range.

 

if its colder outside, i set it higher for the period and monitor it.

 

once warm, the oil stays warm much longer and heats pretty efficiently...

 

[The Digital Nomad]

Hey, why don't you look in to the self-contained fire extinguishers you can mount on the ceiling of the room. If it has a fire, it discharges itself.

 

If its fire she is worried about, then you talk fire suppression.

 

I would still do the $40 cheramic electric heater, because like the people said - most of the time it is not in use. you want a heater to turn on and off on its own, reliably. If the attic is on your house, it is rare that it will get below 50 degrees.

 

Why not just find a way to vent from the house into the room, as that is really all you need.

 

DN

[tooldini]

Thanks guys I did run heat from the house into the room above garage but it don't work so great because once the much warmer house reaches its temp it shuts off so the room is still cold. I think once fully insulated it will be much better and I will probably only need to be on a little bit. I have also insulated another wall in the garage and need about 9 more rolls to complete the lower part of garage that will help also. Then I am insulatedin the ceiling to the garage which is the floor to the grow room. I like the idea of the fire extinguisher. Hope they aren't too much money though LOL

[Brandan]

Just be sure that whatever heater u get, if it's in the flower room you are able to cover ANY LIGHT that it gives off. Because chances are it will be running during the lights off cycle and any light in the room during this time will stress your plants and could cause them to freak out ie. hermie, slow growth ect... So just pay attention to that when purchasing one.

 

Brandan

[Timmahh]

oil filled electric heaters are a captured oil system. only way the oil will leak out is if the housing is punctured.

they are heated with an electric heater with thermostat. they all should have a tip over shut off as well, usually this is standard to be UL compliant.

They are UL COMPLIANT

 

tell your wife they are as safe as her hair dryer, which is also UL Compliant.

 

so no light given off these.

 

and the whole if you get any light, your gonna get hermmies is a myth. moonlight on outdoor plants doesnt create hermmies, undo stress does.

[The Digital Nomad]

tooldini - correct about the thermostat of a house shutting off before the room is cooled/heated. What I did was use remote wireless temp gauge and wrote on the wall, the new settings for the thermostat. Example - winter time or summer time, i just have a pencil mark that shows where to set the thermostat. AC or heat will run until I was happy with the remote temperature sensor reading. Its not so bad, the wife is happy with more AC for a cooler summer or more warm in winter, or just air circulation from the blower.

 

It is just the little bit more expensive temperature and hygrometer, some include a wireless 'outdoor' sensor. I use this sensor, indoors, but reading in the grow room. So when I look at the gauge, i have the living room temp and the 'remote' temp of the grow room. When ever you adjust temps, its based on these two numbers. I can always expect that with lights on, the room can be 10 degrees warmer than ambient room temps. When the lights are off, they should be the same temp! So if i know its going to be 85 degrees outside, indoor house temp could be 75, that means the grow room will hit 85. If i bring it down to 69, then the grow room goes down to 79. You want consistency.

 

Instead of messing with open windows, opening doors, i just find the sweet spot for the room via temperature gauge and thermostats, leave it set, leave the windows closed for consistent indoor 'weather'.

 

DN

[tooldini]

Good idea I actually have a wireless temp gauge but I think I need new batteries and not sure if it will reach that far. I will give that a try. Now that I am working full time she may not complain so much about stuff,, the heat is gas here so we kinda have to be carefull in winter so its not 400 bucks or something crazy. Pretty sure I am going with an oil filled heater they seem safe from what everyone says.

[tooldini]

I will also have fire extinguisher up there.

[The Digital Nomad]

i sometimes wish I ran the lights during the night - the coldest part of the 24 hr period. During the day, the room might be warm enough, maybe its at night that it gets cold. If you have a gauge that can record highs and lows, you'll know what the temp spread is.

 

good luck

 

DN

[tooldini]

thanks for the help and ideas guys I got some more insulation up there and it is in the 40's and outside 32. I got the ceiling to put up yet now most heat is leaving thru the roof vents.Even though insulation is running up the rood I had to leave those open for proper ventilation. I just need some help holding the OSB I am using can't seem to get it by myself Wife can't climb ladders and not sure if she would help anyway LOL I will get that done this weekend for sure.

[Z71_420]

ok, well since my last post i've ditched the propane heater, and went and spent 70bucks on a digital oil heater, money well spent i believe

[tooldini]

cool thats what I am going with. Just gotta get the money

[tooldini]

Qtipper thats interesting. Keep us posted how that works when it gets really cold out I am curious.

[Timmahh]

for those that may not be aware:

 

humidity level of room can vary the even dispursement of heat, relative to size and surrounding temps of the room.

what i mean is, when atmospheric temps drop and it gets cold outside, the frigid temps pull moisture from the air. if the room has a low humidity level, you can have hot and cool spots. once humidity is around 60% and up, heat will be more evenly distributed as it has more water molecules to warm up thru the room. this has an evening effect of the tempers across the room... outside wall areas may still be abit more cool generally, but they will also maintain a more even temperature than with 50% humidity levels and lower.

 

could be the info that helps folks maintain better, and steady temps thru the colder months.

[The Digital Nomad]

ive been using my dehumidifier to heat my room, it keeps it @ 67 to 70 deg. after lites out, i crank my humidifier first, they seem to compensate each other cuz the water i get from the dehumidifier i dump back into the humidifier and it almost is at the same level when i started. my humidity only drops to 54% so i may stick to this and see how it works when it gets real cold out.

 

i ran a dehumidifier in the grow, it produced too much heat in the exhaust. I found that it was more important to avoid late flower during July and August, only those two months. It was also important to not be trying to dry a harvest during July and August, as I found many people had moldy meds for these months. I run a dehumidifier in the drying room, as heat is not a problem as there are no lights.

 

I don't have a humidity problem, just right now a low humidity issue, which just requires me to compensate with a light foilar spray now and then. Low humidity makes the plant use more water, thus I can feed it more!

 

At this time of the year, its spider mite time - the dry, low humidity, and higher heat due to people adjusting to the temp changes poorly - mites love it. Summer time - its PM.

 

DN

[tooldini]

whats a good humidity level. I mine was around 50% the other day? The temp in room right now is just under 60

[Zerocool]

oil filled units they are very nice good deal on them at menards up here,,,, and they have inferared portable heaters to i dont know much on that kind

[Croppled1]

I found the lights in my room kept the temp above 50 in the winter with insulation which was fine since I don't have any African sativas or tropical strains .In my hydro tank I use a aquarium heater set on low now and for my soil pots I have 4 5 gallon pots setting on a large waterproof Dog bed warmer because it was available . They work total use under 100 watts to keep temps above floor levels . Adapt , improvise and overcome . My strains are fine with air temps between 50 -75 and the heat provided to the soil containers and hydro water .

[tooldini]

Thanks for the info and help croppled. I just went up and looked they seem great so far. Actually the best looking plants I have grown so far. Day 2 of flower and it is 57 up there and 56% humidity. Fertilizing 1 or 2 times a week and watered every 3 days or so until now. I may up this a bit now that flowering is started. I have a heating pad I have been using on and off for a bit and the occasional jug of HOT water inbetween the two plants They are only about 12" tall at 60 days from seed of course growth was slow due to the low temps. Do you guys think the slow growth during veg will affect the quality of meds? I would not think so but curious as to what you guys think.

[tooldini]

Got an oil filled radiator heater but not digital so I hope I can get it set right. I will leave it run during part of off light hours and see how that goes. Since I do have some heat from furnace that helps up there.