Carbon Dioxide Enrichment will dramatically increase the growth of green plants. Green plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and water in the presence of light to synthesize organic compounds. The plant then converts these organic compounds into elements that it can use (food). This process is called photosynthesis. If any of these ingredients (CO2, water or light) is at levels below what the plant can use for maximum efficiency, it will only be able to perform at that level and no greater.

Adding carbon dioxide to a growing environment that is not receiving proper nutrients or is low on light will not produce the desired results. Similarly, plants that are receiving plenty of sunshine and nutrients will only perform as well as the ambient level of CO2 will allow. The ambient level of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere is generally between 300 and 600ppm.

Most plants receive far more water and energy in the form of sunshine than they can use. Increasing the CO2 in the growing area will let the plant use the excess water and energy that is stored in the leaves. The result is a substantial increase in the growth rate of any plant that uses chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis. Enrichment should commence at sunrise or when photoperiod begins and refrain during darkness hours. The average CO2 level that is recommended is 1000 to 2000 parts per million (PPM).

The object is to maintain a constant level in the atmosphere. You can run a small unit continuously during photoperiods or you can use a larger unit and time it to function periodically. Where exhaust requirements are frequent, the latter method is preferable. After the exhaust function, the CO2 system (either a generator or emitter system), can be cycled to replenish CO2 quickly to maintain rapid plant photosynthesis.

Carbon dioxide generators operate by burning carbonaceous fuels such as propane or natural gas. The burners used in CO2 generators are specially designed to maximize the production of CO2 and minimize heat as a by-product. CO2 generators provide CO2 far more economically than any other means of enrichment.

A constant burning pilot is used to ignite the gas when the generator is turned on. A thermocouple is used to monitor the pilot flame. If the pilot flame is lost, a safety valve will close so that unburned fuel will not be released into the enclosure.

CO2 generator operations may be automatically functioned according to actual ambient values when installed in conjunction with a carbon dioxide control device. This control device continually samples the level of carbon dioxide in the growing area and functions the generator whenever CO2 levels do not meet your predetermined values. Generators are easily installed, dependable and efficient. For the greatest fuel/CO2 economy and accuracy of recharge it is recommended that the Green Air Products CO2 Monitor Controller (CDMC-2) be used with all generator and emitter systems.

CO2 should only be used when your lights are on, as plants only use CO2 during photosynthesis. C02 is most effective during the flowering stage, but we recommend using CO2 throughout the life of your plants for maximum results.

Heat buildup in a grow room is a common problem among growers. We usually advise our customers not to go crazy and spend lots of money from the get go, but instead take it in stages. Start with the cheapest and simplest solutions first and graduate to more expensive and complicated one's if the problem persists. Proper planning of the grow room can make things a lot easier. Make sure that you have not only installed an adequate exhaust fan, but also make sure you have sufficient intake, otherwise your fan will not be able to do its job properly. In most cases, you will not need to use a fan for the intake, an adequate size opening in the room will do.

The next step towards cooling your room is to cool your lights. Most of the lighting systems and reflectors we carry have air-cooling options that allow you to hookup your exhaust fan directly to your reflector, eliminating the heat right at the source. Almost all air-cooled reflectors have to two vent openings. Many growers will simply attach their exhaust fan to one of the ducts with some duct hose so that the hot, stale air in the grow room will be sucked out along with the hot air in the reflector that is generated by the bulb. If you are using CO2, then you will want to suck air from an outside source, through the reflector, and back outside again so that you do not suck out any of the CO2-rich air from the grow room. This scenario also applies if you end up having to use an air conditioner, since you don't want to suck out the cool, air conditioned air. Most air conditioners have a vent which you will want to close so that it recirculates the air in the room instead of constantly sucking in air from the outside, especially if the air outside is hot.

If, after venting your room and installing an air conditioner, you still can't get rid of the heat problem, you may need to consider water-cooling your lights. See the lighting section for products such as the Hydro Coil Water-Cooling Jacket for more information on water-cooling.

Air temperature within the grow room should be between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius or 77 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperature should be between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius or 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Due to the many variables that have to be considered, there is no exact answer or formula available to determine the fan size. But, we will at least try narrow things down as much as possible so that you can make an educated guess. The old rule of thumb is to try to replace the volume of air in your room at least once every 5 minutes. Based on years of experience, we feel that you should try to replace it every 1 to 3 minutes if you are trying to cool your room as well as vent it. The formula used to determine the volume of your room in cubic feet is to multiply length x width x height, so a 10' x 10' x 8' room would be 800 CF. Divide this number by 5 and you will have the minimum CFM (cubic feet per minute) fan required to vent your room (in this example - 160 CFM).