Carbon Dioxide problem

[TIG2]

I added a CO2 system to my grow room and am having problems.

I started with a HydroFarm/Active Air COSYS20 system and added a CAP PPM3 controller/CO2 meter.

I found these on eBay. The COSYS20 was purchased 2 years ago and never used. The C.A.P. PPM3 was factory reconditioned.

The electrical control CO2 solenoid now sticks open or closed. Cycling the power restores the solenoid operation for a while.

(As an aside the timer in the COSYS20 does not work either. It does not keep time. The timer fix is easy - replace it with another timer.)

A check of the COSYS20 instruction sheet finds the bold text: "NOTE: THIS UNIT IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROLLERS. THE CONSTANT SWITCHING ON & OFF OF THE CO2 WILL CAUSE COMPONENTS TO FREEZE. THIS COULD EMPTY THE TANK OR INHIBIT CO2 DELIVERY."

The HydroFarm support email address is useless ('contact your reseller').

Does anyone here have a recommendation for a replacement CO2 solenoid which is rated for an electronic controller?

 

[Vampire]

subb

 

[nibec]

im interested to know this too. its something i may look into for the summer heat.

 

[TIG2]

I have been acting as a manual CO2 control for the last few days since I have not replaced the solenoid yet.

I have observed something interesting.

My C.A.P. PPM-3 measures the background CO2 level as 380 ppm CO2. Within an hour of the lights turning on in the morning the CO2 level is down to 280 ppm. I can vent CO2 and bring the level in the room up to 1500 ppm, shut off the CO2, and within a couple hours the CO2 concentration is down to 280 ppm again.

The CO2 does not drop below 275 to 280 ppm with a longer period with the lights on. This seems to be a minimum level that the plants will leave in the air.

My conclusion is that CO2 is a limiting factor in plant growth in my grow room during the winter when the vent fan is off most of the day (to preserve heat in the grow room).