Tent Heater

[Rootsruler]

So I've been working on keeping lights off temps at or above my lights on temps to reduce node spacing in flower, thanks @tobh. To do this I bought a small heater with thermostat to control the setpoints I'm going after. I tested it in the tent last night and it has worked beautifully. Kept temp topped off at lights out. It also has a timer so I can schedule it to turn off on lights on, so that I don't add more heat to what the lights are producing, and turn back on once lights go out. It has a remote so I didn't have to go into the tent to readjust.

If anyone else is trying to do the same I'd like to recommend the heater I bought. Mind you, I can't speak to its reliability as I just ran it last night but if it doesn't break it's a good way of doing this cheaply. I'm in a 5 x 5 tent. If you're in a larger tent you may want to position a couple in your tent. Also, most heaters have an internal tilt over/off switch for safety. This heater can be positioned in any way and will work so be careful where you place it and how you secure it.

I'd caution anyone doing this to seriously consider adding a smoke alarm inside the tent in case something goes wrong. I added one to my tent and feel much better in regards to fire hazards that can occur. Still working on an auto extinguisher for when I'm away.

Smoke Alarm w/ pole mounts


Mounted


Heater I used

Amazon.com

 

[Pipecarver]

So I've been working on keeping lights off temps at or above my lights on temps to reduce node spacing in flower, thanks @tobh. To do this I bought a small heater with thermostat to control the setpoints I'm going after. I tested it in the tent last night and it has worked beautifully. Kept temp topped off at lights out. It also has a timer so I can schedule it to turn off on lights on, so that I don't add more heat to what the lights are producing, and turn back on once lights go out. It has a remote so I didn't have to go into the tent to readjust.

If anyone else is trying to do the same I'd like to recommend the heater I bought. Mind you, I can't speak to its reliability as I just ran it last night but if it doesn't break it's a good way of doing this cheaply. I'm in a 5 x 5 tent. If you're in a larger tent you may want to position a couple in your tent. Also, most heaters have an internal tilt over/off switch for safety. This heater can be positioned in any way and will work so be careful where you place it and how you secure it.

I'd caution anyone doing this to seriously consider adding a smoke alarm inside the tent in case something goes wrong. I added one to my tent and feel much better in regards to fire hazards that can occur. Still working on an auto extinguisher for when I'm away.

Smoke Alarm w/ pole mounts
View attachment 25002

Mounted
View attachment 25003

Heater I used

Amazon.com

View attachment 25004

Wow that's a lot of heat and wattage out of a small unit, that scares the shit out of me. I'd need a halon system over it.

If its on for an extended period of time I'd see it melting into a puddle or at least deforming & moving the pins in the wall, Sorry man but not for me, a finned oil filled heater with adjustable wattage are pretty cheap and you can isolate them from anything flammable cause they're on wheels and an osculating fan blowing on them to circulate the hot air

 

[Rootsruler]

I had it running all day like this. No issues and very little heat on the backside.

I had the same concerns but even when its running full out the casing is cool to the touch.

 

[Max]

Well that’s different..never seen a small unit like that before.how many watts is that bud

 

[Aqua Man]

Well that’s different..never seen a small unit like that before.how many watts is that bud

Up to 500w actually not that big of a heater. Most are up to 1500w for small space heaters

 

[Rootsruler]

Well that’s different..never seen a small unit like that before.how many watts is that bud

500w. I need to run a power line to where I want to set it up once I flip. I figure 2 - 3 weeks as they stretch then I can turn it off and let the tent run normally.

 

[Max]

Up to 500w actually not that big of a heater. Most are up to 1500w for small space heaters

Yeah the one I had was bout that and a ceramic which was just too much for my little space..was glowing red inside too..

 

[Max]

500w. I need to run a power line to where I want to set it up once I flip. I figure 2 - 3 weeks as they stretch then I can turn it off and let the tent run normally.

Ah ..I was expecting a bigger one bud when you mentioned it on the other post..500 w ain’t that big as aqua said..

 

[Rootsruler]

Up to 500w actually not that big of a heater. Most are up to 1500w for small space heaters

That's one of the reasons I bought it. @Anthem275 and I were discussing it and I realized I didn't need anything that high a wattage to do what wanted it to do.

Thanks @Anthem275!

 

[Rootsruler]

Wow that's a lot of heat and wattage out of a small unit, that scares the shit out of me. I'd need a halon system over it.

If its on for an extended period of time I'd see it melting into a puddle or at least deforming & moving the pins in the wall, Sorry man but not for me, a finned oil filled heater with adjustable wattage are pretty cheap and you can isolate them from anything flammable cause they're on wheels and an osculating fan blowing on them to circulate the hot air

If you want something more traditional you could go with this one. Same heater, different form factor.

Amazon.com

 

[Aqua Man]

No matter what heater you get you overheat and tip over protection.

 

[Max]

When I built my little room I got the sparky to run a 40amp line from the house to the shed with its own meter box and trip switches then ran another line to my room .20a to my room and 20a to the shed..

 

[Anthem275]

Wow that's a lot of heat and wattage out of a small unit, that scares the shit out of me. I'd need a halon system over it.

If its on for an extended period of time I'd see it melting into a puddle or at least deforming & moving the pins in the wall, Sorry man but not for me, a finned oil filled heater with adjustable wattage are pretty cheap and you can isolate them from anything flammable cause they're on wheels and an osculating fan blowing on them to circulate the hot air

I would assume this unit has passed the underwriting test requirement just as any others heater being commercial sold in the US. UL, WH and the new one IE or IC all have test requirements that must be meet before they will underwrite the unit performs as advertised. I do not see 500 watts being all that strong. To put things into context your typical hair dryer is 1200 to 1500 watts. So this is pulling a little over 4 Amps

 

[Bandit420]

My light is a multitasker



It's pretty much like having one of these in the room but without the propane

 

[Pipecarver]

Up to 500w actually not that big of a heater. Most are up to 1500w for small space heaters

Touch a 500w light bulb, its fking hot, the ad said 500/800 watt, longevity would be my concern. Brand new it may function as advertised but all that heat in a small package sure looks like a fire hazard to me. I use reptile lamps from 50w - 150 watt for just a bit of heat before I need my heater on. Even they can be a hazard if close to anything flammable, like tent fabric.

 

[Pipecarver]

My light is a multitasker

View attachment 25107

It's pretty much like having one of these in the room but without the propane

View attachment 25108

That's why I liked my 1000 w hps, I never had to worry about them being cold with lights on

 

[Aqua Man]

That's why I liked my 1000 w hps, I never had to worry about them being cold with lights on

Yup wveryones needs are different. Some benefit from the extra heat and some do not.

Personally when it comes to environmental control i like to control as much as i can. In his case he is trying to warm the room during lights out to attain temps higher than lights on. So an HPS in his case would make things even more difficult

 

[Max]

power consumption running leds isn’t really efficient if you live say in a cool climate or out in a shed but the trade off I see is yield is up and quality aswell.can also see the plants better.summertime is great though.

 

[Pipecarver]

Yup wveryones needs are different. Some benefit from the extra heat and some do not.

Personally when it comes to environmental control i like to control as much as i can. In his case he is trying to warm the room during lights out to attain temps higher than lights on. So an HPS in his case would make things even more difficult

I like the cooler nights my winter grows get, I get a lot more color out of them with cool nights. I'm the opposite I want warmer with lights on and I try to get it up over 76f but my nights can drop to 64f. I know there's is supposed to be a 10 degree limit between high and low temps but my plants don't seem to know that

 

[Aqua Man]

power consumption running leds isn’t really efficient if you live say in a cool climate or out in a shed but the trade off I see is yield is up and quality aswell.can also see the plants better.summertime is great though.

Sure it is. A heater is more efficient at producing heat and LED is more efficient at producing light. Going with LED and a heater also allows for a much better control of environment but requires a bit more of an investment

 

[Aqua Man]

I like the cooler nights my winter grows get, I get a lot more color out of them with cool nights. I'm the opposite I want warmer with lights on and I try to get it up over 76f but my nights can drop to 64f. I know there's is supposed to be a 10 degree limit between high and low temps but my plants don't seem to know that

Thats normal and everyones goal is usually that. But he is trying to limit the stretch for 2-3weeks using negative diff then back to exactly what you do with the same benefits for the same reasons im sure

 

[Bandit420]

That's why I liked my 1000 w hps, I never had to worry about them being cold with lights on

My light is LED but it plays like HID.
I figure if I'm gonna be burning watts, might as well get that heat from the light.
I use day/night thermostat control on intake and exhaust to keep the warmth from the light in the room during lights out. 82 max during lights on, low 70s at lights off and let the thermostats do the work.
If I need more heat, seedling heat mats on photosensor control do the trick at only 18 watts per mat

 

[Scotty 420]

My light is a multitasker

View attachment 25107

It's pretty much like having one of these in the room but without the propane

View attachment 25108

Supposedly any electrical device will produce roughly the same amount of heat per watt, whether it's a light, a heater, a computer, whatever. The number is 3412.1416, it's what I use to determine how many actual BTU's electric furnaces put out. If you heat your house with electric there's actually no point in ever turning lights off in the winter, they're just as efficient as your furnace. High efficiency lights use less wattage to produce lumens so they put off less heat, but based on the wattage everything is supposedly the same.

 

[Aqua Man]

Supposedly any electrical device will produce roughly the same amount of heat per watt, whether it's a light, a heater, a computer, whatever. The number is 3412.1416, it's what I use to determine how many actual BTU's electric furnaces put out. If you heat your house with electric there's actually no point in ever turning lights off in the winter, they're just as efficient as your furnace. High efficiency lights use less wattage to produce lumens so they put off less heat, but based on the wattage everything is supposedly the same.

I have to disagree. Heat is a waste byproduct when it comes to light. The more efficient the conversation of electricity to light the less heat produced. LED put off way way less heat per watt than HID and especially halogen

 

[Max]

Sure it is. A heater is more efficient at producing heat and LED is more efficient at producing light. Going with LED and a heater also allows for a much better control of environment but requires a bit more of an investment

Yeah agree 100%.just that I gotta fork out more on the power bill but the yield offsets that.waaay ahead through summer though

 

[Scotty 420]

I have to disagree. Heat is a waste byproduct when it comes to light. The more efficient the conversation of electricity to light the less heat produced. LED put off way way less heat per watt than HID and especially halogen

https://chilledgrowlights.com/education/do-led-grow-lights-produce-heat

Claim: LEDs do not produce heat.​

FALSE! They do. And it’s a fact that many LED companies outright lie about and we’re here to set the record straight. You might be surprised to learn that in a closed system (we’ll explain this later), they produce as much heat as high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide (MH), the extremely inefficient incandescent, or even a space heater of the same wattage. This would be the case even if the light was 100% efficient at converting electricity to light.

LED's produce more light per watt, but they use less wattage which is why they put off less heat, even if they do make light more efficiently that light will be converted back to heat when it hits something unless it's in a non closed system where some light escapes (and in that case it's still produciong that heat it just escapes). Again this is all my understanding, I've never actually tested any of this.

 

[Aqua Man]

https://chilledgrowlights.com/education/do-led-grow-lights-produce-heat


LED's produce more light per watt, but they use less wattage which is why they put off less heat, even if they do make light more efficiently that light will be converted back to heat when it hits something unless it's in a non closed system where some light escapes (and in that case it's still produciong that heat it just escapes). Again this is all my understanding, I've never actually tested any of this.

Kinda saying the same thing but not. LED produces less heat per watt and more light per watt. This means its more efficient at producing light. You have to compare watt to watt to calculate efficiency. The only reason the use less wattage is because they are more efficient and need less electricity to produce the same amount of photons.

Those photons do not all convert back to heat. Most are converted to energy for the plant depending on the efficiency of the plant to convert the spectrum into energy . Different spectrums have different efficiencies of conversion to energy from the plants.

There is 2 efficiencies that need to be looked at the efficiency of electricity to photons and the efficiency of the plant to absorb those photons based on the spectrum. IR for instance, plants do not absorb it particularly efficiently. While blue and red are easily absorbed. This is why IR light warms the plants far more.

Now that plays a large role in HID to LED debate because HPS for example has a lot more IR than LED so not only is it less efficient at converting electricity to photons but also because of the higher amount of IR for those photons the plant is less efficient at absorbing them.

With all that said all spectrums benefit plants but that does not mean the benefits are equal.

 

[Rootsruler]

The thing is the tent is already warm so the heater only needs to raise temp a few degrees and maintain it. It'll never see sustained high heat. Because it's instant hot due to its ceramic element it can raise temp fairly quickly then just turn on when the temp drops a few degrees to top off the temp but even with that I checked how hot it got and it never got past slightly warm. This was with it running for around 6 hours.

The unit itself will run for around 2 - 3 weeks for every run. I don't think running a heater for 2 -3 weeks every 3 months is going to melt it.

 

[Aqua Man]

For the record a closed system never happens

 

[Scotty 420]

Kinda saying the same thing but not. LED produces less heat per watt and more light per watt. This means its more efficient at producing light. You have to compare watt to watt to calculate efficiency. The only reason the use less wattage is because they are more efficient and need less electricity to produce the same amount of photons.

Those photons do not all convert back to heat. Most are converted to energy for the plant depending on the efficiency of the plant to convert the spectrum into energy . Different spectrums have different efficiencies of conversion to energy from the plants.

There is 2 efficiencies that need to be looked at the efficiency of electricity to photons and the efficiency of the plant to absorb those photons based on the spectrum. IR for instance, plants do not absorb it particularly efficiently. While blue and red are easily absorbed. This is why IR light warms the plants far more.

Now that plays a large role in HID to LED debate because HPS for example has a lot more IR than LED so not only is it less efficient at converting electricity to photons but also because of the higher amount of IR for those photons the plant is less efficient at absorbing them.

With all that said all spectrums benefit plants but that does not mean the benefits are equal.

If we're talking about effects on plants yes there are benefits to the fact that LED's can produce more light per watt. If we're talking strictly about a BTU/watt relationship I'm pretty sure it all equals out. The one caveat that I would put to that is that I'm not sure how plants absorbing heat goes into that equation. But in an empty tent with no light leaks I'd argue that a light will use no more or less electricity to heat that tent than a space heater would.