Here are some calculations that can be performed in order to help you choose the right size CO2 System for your grow room.
First, it is important to calculate the room size (volume). To do this, multiply the following (width x length x height = volume). For example, a room that is 10ft x 10ft with an 8 foot ceiling will be 800 cubic feet (10 x 10 x 8 = 800 CF).
We sell 3 different sizes of systems, CO2 SM (0.1 - 1.0 CFH), CO2 LG (0.5 -4.5 CFH) and CO2 XL (1.5 -11.0 CFH). The 3 units are the same except for the size of flow meter that distributes the CO2 gas. All 3 systems will work with any size standard CO2 tank. Choose your system based on the cubic feet of your room.
50 - 500 CF = CO2 SM
250 - 2250 CF = CO2 LG
750 - 5500 CF = CO2 XL
Now that you know which CO2 System to buy you can use the size of your grow room to calculate the initial flow meter setting for the CO2 System. You must determine the parts per million of CO2 that you wish to inject every hour. Most gardeners recommend maintaining the grow room at 1500ppm of CO2, however this does not mean that you need to inject 1500ppm each hour. The amount that must be injected each hour will vary depending on the consumption rate of the plants and how much CO2 is vented from the room. For this reason, the calculation we will perform is only a starting point. Once the system is up and running the CO2 level should be measured using a CO2 Tester Kit, and the flow meter should be adjusted if needed.
First divide the desired ppm of injection by 1,000,000. For example, if we desire 1000ppm per hour then the initial setting will be 0.001 (1000/1,000,000 = 0.001) or if we desire 1500ppm then the initial setting will be 0.0015 (1500/1,000,000 = 0.0015).
Now multiply the calculated number by the cubic feet of your room. The result is the initial flow meter setting. For example, a room of 800 cubic feet with 1000ppm released each hour will have an initial flow meter setting of 0.8 (0.001 x 800 = 0.8).
Now that we know the rate of the flow meter we can figure out how long a bottle of CO2 will last. First, calculate the cubic feet of CO2 in your tank. This is the pounds of the tank x 8.7. For example, a 20lb tank contains 174 cubic feet of gas (20 x 8.7 = 174). Next, calculate the daily CO2 usage. This is the flow rate times the number of hours per day the system is on. For a 12/12 grow cycle with a flow rate of 0.8 the system will use 9.6 cubic feet of CO2 each day (0.8 x 12 = 9.6). Now divide the number of cubic feet in the tank by the number of cubic feet used each day. Our 20lb tank will last for 18 days (174 / 9.6 = 18.125).
You are now ready to reap the amazing benefits of CO2 Injection in your grow room. Happy Gardening!!!!
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