7 Best Grow Room Air Conditioners (2023 Reviews)

7 Best Grow Room Air Conditioners Reviewed

When growing anything, it is vital you have the right equipment. We have reviewed and compared the best AC models on the market. Read on (or view our YouTube video further down the page) to learn which is best for your agriculture needs.

Grow Room ACs Compared

*EER = Energy Efficiency Ratio
*BTU = British Thermal Units

Things To Consider When Buying A Grow Room Air Conditioner

Air Conditioning Unit Type

Generally, there are three types of ACs: split, window, and portable.

Mini Split Air Conditioners

The split type AC is quite strong and can easily cater to grow rooms of about 500 square feet. These units, when installed in a grow room/tent, work as a permanent fixture.

Window Air Conditioning System

Window air conditioners are also a viable option for medium to large-sized grow tents. They’re affordable and can be installed easily.

Portable Air Conditioners

If your grow tent is relatively small, you may not want to splurge on these two options. In such a case, a portable air conditioner is your best bet.

They’re lightweight and easy to operate. Moreover, the best portable air conditioner units are also easy to move.

Related Article – Overview of the Different AC Types

Cooling Power Vs. Area Coverage

No matter what AC type you choose for the grow room, it’ll measure the cooling power in British Thermal Units (BTU). The higher the cooling capacity of the air conditioner, the larger and bigger coverage area it’ll cool. As the unit’s cooling power increases, so does its energy consumption.

To get the most cooling, look to the manufacturer’s manual and see the recommended coverage area for the AC. Consider this:

Size & Weight Of The AC Unit

Before buying the unit, make sure your grow room has adequate space for it to be placed or mounted. This is even more important when the AC you’re buying is either split or window.

The best AC for grow room should be of the proper weight and size for your grow room. If this isn’t the case, the grow room will either get super-cooled or won’t cool at all – either way, it won’t be suitable for your plants.

Also, it’s best to know how much heat you’ve got in a grow tent.

Energy Efficiency Rating (EER)

Another factor that you need to consider when purchasing an air conditioner for your grow room is the unit’s Energy Efficient Ratio or EER.

The EER rating tells you about the air conditioner’s energy efficiency level. The greater the EER ratings, the higher efficient and productive the unit is.

Installation Requirements

Most air conditioners, including the best portable air conditioner for a grow room, vent hot air during cooling. This air is vented out through the exhaust hose and out to the drop ceiling, window, sliding glass, or through the wall.

Plus, these grow tent portable units come in either dual or single hose for releasing warm air and extracting fresh air to cool.

If the air conditioner includes a built in dehumidifier, you should also look at how the AC unit handles the humidity levels.

Related Article – Portable AC Venting Options

Voltage Requirements

Most of the grow tent ACs operate on the following volts:

Typically, air conditioning units with cooling power under 15000 BTU work on 115 and 125 volts. On the other hand, grow room AC unit systems with cooling power exceeding 15000 BTU runs on 220-volt.

You’ll need an expert technician to help you with electrical wiring and the wattage needed for portable ACs. Plus, if you’re confused about which plug face to use for the unit, check the manufacturer’s manual or look to the NEMA classifications about several plug faces.

Performance Features

Ease Of Installation & Maintenance

Grow room air conditioners are designed precisely to be mounted either in the window opening, near a window, wall-mounted, or through-the-wall. While wall-mounted commercial grade air conditioners require professional installation, the rest is easy to install.

As far as the maintenance of the portable AC s is concerned, you need to clean the portable AC once a month. Wash and clean the unit’s air filters thoroughly.

Plus, make sure the installation works appropriately to give optimal efficiency. You also want to drain it regularly.

Warranty

Another thing that you should notice before buying AC for your grow room is the warranty. In the long run, your AC might not work as it should, but a warranty will save you from spending hundreds of dollars on repair or replacement.

The average warranty period for the best air conditioners is one-year for parts, with a three-year warranty on the unit’s compressor.

Understanding Grow Rooms

Here’s a fact: grow rooms require efficient ventilation so that indoor plants can thrive and flourish.

Outdoor plants have sunshine, light breezes, precipitation, and evaporation to help them thrive and grow. But indoor plants usually don’t get to enjoy these amenities.

But if you want them to grow well, you’ve probably already found other ways to give them what they need. For example, natural evaporation and breezes can be replicated using fans, sunshine with grow lights, and precipitation by watering systems.

You’ll have to ensure that your grow room has both the extraction system and a fan so that fresh air is always available for the indoor plants to flourish like the outdoor plants.

In other words, you must have a grow room with air conditioner units to ensure the best outcomes.

How Grow Room ACs Work

Air conditioning is one of the best and most efficient methods of climate control for a grow room. Without it, your grow tent/room can work with high temperatures.

Since the grow tents are a perfectly sealed environment, the primary concern is excess heat. This makes ACs the perfect addition in most ways.

Portable ACs help create the right temperature within the grow tent and exhaust the hot air produced by the heating sources such as pumps, generators, blowers, lighting systems, ballasts, etc.

With the right grow tent portable units, the humidity and temperature issues will be the least of your concerns when cultivating indoor plants.

Portable Air Conditioner

This is a lightweight air conditioner suitable for small to medium-sized grow tents/rooms. These units are durable, reliable, and easy to move anywhere within the room. It’s a good air conditioner for beginner growers.

All new growers will find the two types within the portable ACs, i.e., one and two tube air conditioners.

Related Article – Guide on How Portable ACs Work

Ductless Mini Split System

This ductless mini-split system is best for large grow tents/rooms mainly because it’s quite dense. This air conditioning unit can provide efficient and effective cooling to more than just one space, which is why these units are preferred for large grow tents. They offer an increased temperature control system than most other air conditioners in the market.

Related Article – What is a Mini Split & How Does it Work?

Window Mounted AC Units

A window unit is by far one of the most commonly used air conditioners. However, these are slightly complicated to install and use as compared to portable air conditioners.

They’re perfect for medium to large-sized grow tents/rooms. These air conditioners are known for enhanced cooling powers.

Related Article – How Does a Window AC Work?

Commercial Air Conditioners

A commercial air conditioner is best for large grow tents/ rooms such as greenhouses and indoor gardens. It is one of the biggest air conditioners in terms of size and is installed on the top of the building or room. It’s perfect for commercial and professional use.

Related Article – How Does a Central AC Work?

Determining The Right Size AC For Your Grow Room

Determining the right size AC for your grow tent/room depends on two things: the size of the grow tent/room and heat energy sources in the room.

To know the right size of AC to buy, you need to calculate the heat produced from heat sources within your grow room/tent (BTU/hour). After that, look at the AC you intend to purchase and see whether it offers the same BTU/hour cooling power you require.

If you’re still confused about what BTU your AC should have to make it the right fit for the grow tent, understand that for every one watt of high-pressure sodium vapor lights (HPS), you’ll need 4 BTU cooling power.

Here’s the grow room air conditioner calculator formula to find the right size AC for your grow room:

4 BTU x total watts (grow room equipment uses) = total air conditioning BTU you’ll need.

So, let’s assume that you’re using 6000 watts in a grow tent (CO2 burner: 1000W, HPS lights: 3500W, and dehumidifier: 1500W), therefore as per the equation, you’ll need 24000 BTU for your groom room.

Similarly, if you’re running 15000 watts (including grow lights, CO2 burners, and dehumidifiers), you’ll require a 60000 BTUs (cooling capacity) or 5-ton AC unit for grow room.

Make sure to take into account other devices you’ve got in your grow room or tent that generate heat such as dehumidifiers, CO2 burners, and grow lights.

Setting Up Air Conditioners In A Growing Room

Setting up air conditioning units in a growing room is entirely based on the kind of air conditioner you have.

For example, if you’ve got a portable air conditioner, installation worries are pretty much non-existent – just plug it in, and it’s ready to work.

But, window-mounted portable air conditioners require some installation, though far from complex.

Moreover, the ductless mini-split system is easy to install. All you’ve got to do is search a passageway for the tube of the unit and a couple of tools and equipment for indoor installation.

Usually, the bigger ACs need expert help in installation and maintenance.

As for the commercial ACs, the room needs to be specifically built to accommodate them – these can’t be an afterthought but must be considered during the design process. This is also true for some ceiling-mounted air conditioners.

Even though the installation of every AC unit differs, here are some general grow room AC setup guidelines you should follow:

People Also Ask (FAQs)

What’s the ideal temperature for a grow room?

The ideal temperature for a grow room is based on several factors, such as climate, weather, number of plants, and grow room size, etc. Despite this, experts recommend a temperature ranging between 60-80°F.

What causes high humidity in grow tents?

High humidity in a grow room can be a result of harsh lighting, increased transpiration, open-water surfaces, and overwatering, etc.

What’s the best way to ventilate a grow tent?

Although there are many ways to choose from, the most efficient of all (like we’ve mentioned earlier in our review) is by using the right-sized air conditioner.

What else do I need in my grow tent to help with ventilation aside from air conditioners?

Besides ACs, you can use oscillating fans, exhaust fans, and intake fans to ensure proper air circulation in your grow room.

How long should I run ACs for in grow tents?

How long you should you run an air conditioner for the grow room is based on two things: your grow tent size and the size of the exhaust of your unit. However, you should run it every 15 minutes off and on to ensure the ideal environment.

Do I need a professional HVAC technician to install a grow room air conditioner?

Though some of the best AC units are easy to install and don’t require professional assistance, some larger ACs with increased cooling process and coverage area mandate an experienced HVAC technician to do it for you.

Related Article – How to Troubleshoot if Portable AC is Not Cooling

Conclusion

There you have it – the best grow room air conditioners on the market!

All the products we’ve reviewed have incredible BTU cooling power and can help you create the ideal environment for your indoor plants. However, our top pick is the Pioneer model on our list.