Question on climate control, humidifier

#1

Hi Everyone,

I realized this morning that I’m not totally sure the Niwa GH is able to do what I’d like it to, based on my specific setup.

My grow is in my garage, with temperature swings from 65-80 at this time of year in San Diego, CA. While I do have some control over the temperature in the garage, I’m really trying to avoid use of AC/heat, because we have the most expensive energy costs in the whole country.

So I’m looking for the Niwa to follow the ideal VPD curve for my grow stage, but in a way that it does not control heat or AC units, and instead simply follows the ideal VPD curve by controlling the humidifier.

As of yesterday, I had to go to the Inkbird, which controlled the humidifier, and set it for a daytime target of about 55-60% RH (because the garage temp will rise, and that’s the number I need to set in order to follow the ideal curve).

At night, I’d go to the Inkbird and lower the target value to 45-50% RH knowing that the garage temp will drop to a level where 45-50% RH is appropriate as far as the VPD chart says.

So, I don’t really have a target temp or a target RH, I just want it to follow the curve by having the humidifier smartly-controlled.

Does the Niwa GH do this? And if it does, what climate control option should I be filling in?

Thank you!

#2

Hi Learner,

I cannot guarantee you will achieve your goal using a humidifier only, it will depend on your environment conditions mostly. But it’s worth to try, you should set your humidifier to max (if possible) then config one Hub’s outlet as humidifier and plug it there. Then calibrate your VPD offset, and then you can create a recipe, choosing VPD & Temp, enter your desired VPD and for example 72ºF for temp (the average temp on your garage). The app will calculate the ideal RH for these conditions, hopefully it will be below ambient RH so the humidifier can rise it to the necessary level

Here you can find our updated online manual.

I hope this helps!
Javier
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#3

Thank you! These instructions appear to be working this morning, and I’ll keep an eye on it throughout the day!

I do have a large dehumidifier outside of my main grow tent to take care of excess RH in the garage, but it’s not the type of device that will work with switches like the Niwa or Inkbirds, unfortunately.

The in-line fan for the main grow tent can move air fast enough through the tent that the room temp and humidity is nearly the same as that outside of the tent.

Thank You!

#4

I’m glad it worked (for now) Learner, keep a close eye on it!