Every gardener, whether a beginner with a small balcony garden or a seasoned gardener with a large grow room filled with plants, understands the importance of choosing the right air conditioning system. Ensuring plants thrive and develop to their full potential is crucial.
New plants need precise water and light to grow their young leaves. The biological processes also depend on the humidity and temperature of their environment.
Air conditioners that cannot handle the unique thermal load dynamics created by dense hydroponic equipment and powerful grow lights can harm the growth of plants, regardless of whether they are delicate or thriving.
The perfect solution is tailored HVAC solutions designed to shelter your budding green friends from the volatile shifts of mother nature outdoors and hot grow equipment indoors.
Read below for our curated list of expert-recommended AC units for maximum growth and the most suitable conditions for your grow room.
Understanding Your Grow Room’s Needs
If you’re excited about setting up an indoor garden in your home, it’s important to consider plants’ environmental needs before investing in any specialist equipment.
A suitable air conditioning unit can make all the difference in helping your plants thrive. Before diving in, ensure you know what exact growing conditions your plants need to avoid being disappointed.
Calculations For Correct Capacity
When assessing AC cooling capacity, the general rule is that you need about 4,000 BTUs (British Thermal Units) to effectively condition 100 square feet of average room space, not packing dense heat energy.
Our unique growing spaces feature a variety of advanced hydroponic equipment and powerful HPS lights that emit significantly more heat than those of other brands.
To calculate the bare minimum BTUs per hour needed:
- Measure your grow room’s dimensions in feet & multiply them together for the total area.
- Add the maximum wattages of all lighting, fans, pumps, and other gear.
- Take that total watt number and multiply by 3.2 to get the “grow room bonus” BTUs.
- Add the bonus BTUs to about 4K BTUs per 100 square feet to get your minimum AC capacity.
For example, a 4’x4’x7’ tent equals 112 square feet. A 600W HPS light, 100W circulation fan, and 50W water pump tallies 192 bonus BTUs multiplied by 3.2 = 614 BTUs. Then 112 sq ft nets ~4500 BTUs.
This hypothetical setup needs an AC offering at least 5100 BTUs to avoid sweltering summer conditions!
Accounting For All Heat Sources
From grow lights emitting intense radiant heat to the dark surfaces of reservoirs absorbing thermal energy, our high-tech gardens provide ample detail into traditional HVAC calculations.
Additional equipment or plant count expansions can be added later, giving yourself some headroom to expand CFM and BTU buffer rather than being restricted to current needs. It’s far cheaper to dial down initial overcapacity than to upgrade air conditioners every season.
Types of Air Conditioners for Grow Rooms
So you’ve done the maths and figured out the cooling capabilities your grow room or modest garden demands.
Now comes selecting which type of grow room air conditioner can reliably deliver the temperature control and circulation you need. While reading through technology specs feels daunting, the options broadly fall into three categories based on your space constraints and ambition.
Let’s explore the pros and cons of each approach.
Portable AC Units
These popular plug-and-play machines offer a fast entry point for managing hot spots in small closets or starter tents.
Wheel them up to any room and adjust angles to direct precise airflow locally across your young plants. Models with evaporator hoses vent heat out a nearby window to offer effective chilling rather than just circulating existing air.
If your growth is under 150 sq ft, portables get the primary job done on a budget!
Mini Split Systems
Offering power and precision approaching commercial grade standards, these sleek wall-mounted systems offer wider climate zones with adjustable set temperatures perfect for multi-stage vegetation cycles.
Freed from hoses, mini splits occupy zero floorspace and route lengthy refrigerant lines to an external heat pump unit, separating noisy mechanical bits from your garden and allowing for soundless overnight operation!
While mini-split installation and costs can be higher, their degree of control, efficiency, and expandability justify the expense for mid-size growers.
Commercial HVAC Builds
Commercial growers who cultivate dispensaries at the highest level cannot afford to risk their valuable crops because of unstable environmental conditions.
You need robust industrial air conditioning systems to cool large warehouses with many young plants. These systems have big external units that can move a lot of air, which is necessary to keep the space cool.
The most suitable systems are heavy-duty and installed outside or on the rooftop.
While requiring professional installation, these titans offer an ultimate range to modulate humidity, overnight settings, zone isolation, and any other climate metrics networked sensors can quantify.
Below is a list of the best grow room ACs that will help your plants thrive and give you the high yields that you are looking for:
1. Midea 12000 BTU Easycool AC
This air conditioner can cover a 550 square feet room, so it’s great for large grow rooms It has four major functions, which include cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and heating.
These help to regulate temperature levels. One can choose any temperature ranging from 62 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
It has enhanced visibility enabled by the LED display that helps you to set the optimal state. It comes with three fan speeds and five modes. Therefore, you have multiple setting options to choose from so that your plants get the optimal one.
It also features a remote control that ensures that you have an easy and convenient time setting the AC. The portability-enabled feature includes four wheels. This helps to move it around your grow room easily.
The ECO option enables the energy-saving feature. This helps to set the right conditions for your plants overnight.
An indicator light is fitted on the filter, which tells you when it is time to take out the internal filter and clean it. This filter can be reused.
The device comes with a long power cord measuring up to 75 inches. This will ensure that you do not have to look for sockets every time you move it around.
On the downside, Midea 12000 BTU Easycool AC is not a silent air conditioner. It produces some noise once it is turned on. However, the noise level is manageable, as it will not go beyond 55.5 dB.
2. Black + Decker portable air conditioner
This air conditioner supplies a grow room with the right temperature levels. It can cover a ground space sized between 150 to 200 sq feet.
It works best during the summer season when the temperatures are too high such that it becomes unbearable for your plants to grow well.
Double-hung doors and sliding windows are used with this AC. The device will supply the grow room with a steady atmosphere and airflow. This is enabled by vertical motion engineering and a slide-out filter, which will give your plants the fresh air that they deserve.
Top-notch technology is used in creating this Black + Decker product. The programming is simple and has precise functionality.
It has a LED display designed to give you more clarity and give you an easy time regulating the temperature. It is also enabled with a sleep mode and a 24-hour timer.
Side filters will give a constant supply of fresh air. This helps to protect plants from any poisonous air that could affect their growth and consecutively, yields.
With portability features installed, you can easily move this AC to different places in your grow room to ensure that no plant is affected.
The 115V operator gives you the convenience that you need. This is because it makes it accessible in most stores.
It does not produce any noise when functioning. Despite the mode, you can still stay in your grow room without experiencing bad noise.
Black + Decker portable air conditioner is also environmentally friendly. This makes it a perfect fit for your grow room as it is guaranteed to not cause any harm to your plants.
Another great fact is that its durability is guaranteed. This is because of the heavy-duty material and technology behind the manufacturing of this AC.
Unfortunately, a large grow room cannot be serviced by this AC. It can only serve best in a grow room that is 10 feet by 20 feet.
3. Coolblus 8500 BTU portable air conditioner
This one is a small and portable air conditioner that will give your grow room the conditions necessary for growth and high yields.
It has fast cooling technology, which especially comes in handy during the hot weather. The compressor is designed to cool up to 360 square feet of your grow room space.
It is a multipurpose AC and besides being used in the grow room, you can use it in other parts of the house. There are three options to select from. These include a fan, air conditioner, and dehumidifier.
It comes with a remote control. This gives you convenience, as you will not have to go all the way to regulate the conditions.
The noise produced by the AC is manageable which means that you do not have to become frustrated every time it is on. If you want to reduce the sound volume, all you have to do is to turn down the fan speed.
A 24-hour timer is also included. This enables you to program it in such a way that it can switch itself on and off after a certain set period.
To easily move it around the grow room, it is equipped with portability features. Shifting from one point to the other is further enhanced by the handle and four durable casters.
In matters of price, this AC comes in as very affordable and it should not exceed your budget.
What about the cons? Well, installing this AC can be a daunting task. This is why you should ensure that you follow the instructions or get help because poor installation can lead to malfunctioning.
4. Frigidaire FFRA0511R1E 5000 BTU 115V
This mini-compact AC can be window-mounted. It will serve a growing room measuring 150 square feet.
It comes in handy during the hot weather and it will keep your plants cool, foster growth, and give you high yields. It is designed with mechanical rotary controls and top and a two-way air direction control.
It is the perfect manifestation of organization and attention to detail. The product also bears a washable mesh filter with slide and slide-out access that serves to cut down on bacteria.
Special features are enabled to rid the grow room of bacteria, airborne particles, and even foul odor. This helps to foster a comfortable environment. Its low-power start-up is designed to reduce energy consumption.
The needed window unit size is entirely dependent on the size of the room you intend to cool. To estimate the size you want to go for, all you have to do is get the room width and length, then multiply these numbers together as a means to establish the square footage.
Using this product you will experience low energy consumption due to its unique ability to conserve energy. The effortless restart makes it automatically resume its operation in line with its previous settings upon the restoration of power.
It can cool the room very fast while at the same time achieving dehumidification at the rate of 1.1 pints for individual hours.
Unfortunately, with this AC, you have limited options for installation space. Also, the fact that it does not require batteries is a limitation since, in the absence of power, you cannot use it.
5. LG LP0817WSR115V portable air conditioner
This device helps to cool your grow room efficiently and quietly regardless of the season of the year. Owing to the powerful air throw of this air conditioning unit, the fans produce a cool breeze that stretches for a distance of over 10 meters.
This unit is easy to use, but most importantly, it delivers powerful cooling and a great dehumidifying performance.
The portability features of this air conditioner make it possible to move it from one room to the other for the convenience of the user.
This product uses a standard 115-volt per 15 amperes electrical outlet, which is a good deal compared to the other air conditioning systems in the market. Therefore, it will give you the best value for your money.
The top inclined air discharge, together with an auto-swing set of louvers, will make it easy for the elimination of hot spots.
Its unique ability to cool a 150 square feet room recording up to 1.8 pints for every hour’s worth of dehumidification sets it apart from other similar ACs
A full water indicator is designed to serve as a notification for when set thresholds are achieved. Its remarkable auto-evaporation system easily enables heating and cooling.
With its unique and contemporary design, it stands out from many others in the market. This makes it the ideal air conditioner that will make your grow room stand out.
An auto-swing air vent technology feature ensures that the plants are given the best whenever they serve. The auto evaporation system makes it possible for consistent use alongside a programmable schedule or timer. This is beneficial, particularly when you want to control the temperature even in your absence.
This portable air conditioner was taken through a test procedure to determine its rating on portable air conditioner BTU standards. The change due to the procedure led to the alteration of the BTU acceptable for downward claiming.
It’s a shame, that this AC cannot be charged. Therefore, it is entirely dependent on electricity, and for this reason, you can only use it with a power source. For a grow room, you need to have a backup source of power to avoid any downtime.
It’s also energy-intensive and, therefore, stands as a significant addition to your electric bill.
6. Whynter ARC-14S portable air conditioner
The air conditioner product is a remarkable unit with a duo hose mobile capability. It also has a dehumidifier, and a fan having a filter that is not only carbonated but also activated together with a storage compartment. It is meant to match rooms measuring over 450 square feet. It can serve a larger grow room than most AC units.
The unit is also digitalized with the remote controller, giving a user extra convenience.
A CFC-free GREEN R-410A refrigerant is installed, which is more than other air conditioning units could ever ask for.
With exceptional and advanced auto drain technology, the AC is easy to use and recycles the moisture accumulated during the cooling process. This results in fresh and cool air.
The dual hose operation manifested in this appliance achieves cooling in record time. This can come in handy during extremely hot weather. Being portable is an attribute that gives the user convenience when moving it around the grow room.
The one thing that’s not great, the new auto-advance technology makes it challenging to operate. You will need to read the installation manual carefully or hire an expert to avoid any probable damages.
Our most frequently asked questions on grow room.
Is there a particular best grow room temperature and humidity level?
You must have total control of everything in the grow room if at all, the crops are expected to thrive. In managing the climate, the most important thing to do is to set up an air conditioning unit.
While certain plants need a regulated air conditioning system, others do not, and knowing the difference is important. This is why it’s critical to point out that different plants have varying temperatures for them to thrive.
Being able to control the temperature in your room favors photosynthesis and the process of transpiration. Both of these processes are crucial for your plants.
In what ways does AC affect the growth of plants?
The temperature is crucial when it comes to the development and growth of plants. In the absence of an air conditioning system, the grow room will move towards working with high temperatures, having a negative influence on plants.
While many people consider photosynthesis as being dependent on light alone, it is important to note that the pH of the soil and the room temperature are also vital ingredients.
In a place where temperatures are excessively high, the rate at which photosynthesis takes place is significantly reduced. This is because enzyme activity is enhanced by temperatures up until optimum levels are attained.
Is it healthy to have low temperatures in a grow room?
While high temperature is not good for plant growth and will hurt the growth and proliferation of plants, a grow room, where the temperature is low, will not do well.
Primarily, enzymes, which are responsible for biochemical reactions in plants and therefore, their development, will be disabled in such a state of affairs.
For this reason, neither glucose nor energy will be produced, an outcome that stunts the growth of the plants. By installing an effective and efficient air conditioning system, you will be able to regulate temperature thereby achieving optimum conditions for plant growth.
Is there an appropriate size for air conditioning systems for a grow room?
It does not matter whether your air conditioning system is big or small. The most important thing is that it suits the indoor garden structure that you are working with.
The very fact that air conditioners are designed to establish the amount of heat energy in the room, the quantity of heat they are capable of effecting is what matters.
The effort to ensure that you achieve a breeze of fresh and cool air in your grow room is very important. Also, the cool air must be evenly spread throughout the room.
Conclusion
The decision to purchase an air conditioner to be installed in your grow room is very critical. However, it is important to understand that you need to select from a list of options.
This is majorly dependent on what is ideal for your situation and what potentially works best for your grow room. You also base your decision on certain factors such as price, functionality, and technology. We hope that our guide helped you with selecting the best one for your grow room.
Happy gardening!
