CO2 Controllers Explained
Indoor gardeners wanting to add CO2 to their grow rooms should use a controller when they can afford it to prevent an overdose of CO2.
The controller continually measures the CO2 content of the grow room and either adds more or turns on the ventilation system as needed.
Although your plants will grow much faster if you supplement your grow room with CO2, without a controller you won't know much how much CO2 is in the room at any given time.
Controllers use what's called a sniffer to accurately measure CO2 levels in parts per million (PPM).
Furthermore, a controller will make your use of CO2 much more efficient, saving you time and money.
For example, there's no reason to add CO2 to your grow room when your plant grow lights are off, as plants can't make use of it during the dark hours.
A good controller will have a photo-cell that ensures your CO2 device will only activate when your lights are on.
Also, a good atmospheric controller will control your grow room's temperature and humidity levels by turning on the air conditioner or ventilation system as needed.
To avoid wasting CO2, when the ventilation system is on, the controller will disable the CO2 outlets.
Lastly, the best CO2 controllers use what's called fuzzy logic to maintain proper levels.
Most controllers will simply pump CO2 into your groom room until a certain number of PPMs are reached.
This is okay if you're using a CO2 generator that's cheap to run.
On the other hand, this can be very expensive if you're using bottled CO2.
By using fuzzing logic with your bottled CO2, you'll save money because your CO2 levels won't go beyond a certain set point that's monitored by the controller.
One thing to keep in mind is that atmospheric controllers require periodic calibration.
Although some need to be shipped to the manufacturer for this, other models let you do it yourself.
If you have the money, want to reduce labor, and want to be efficient with your use of CO2, purchasing a high quality atmospheric controller is highly recommended.
The controller continually measures the CO2 content of the grow room and either adds more or turns on the ventilation system as needed.
Although your plants will grow much faster if you supplement your grow room with CO2, without a controller you won't know much how much CO2 is in the room at any given time.
Controllers use what's called a sniffer to accurately measure CO2 levels in parts per million (PPM).
Furthermore, a controller will make your use of CO2 much more efficient, saving you time and money.
For example, there's no reason to add CO2 to your grow room when your plant grow lights are off, as plants can't make use of it during the dark hours.
A good controller will have a photo-cell that ensures your CO2 device will only activate when your lights are on.
Also, a good atmospheric controller will control your grow room's temperature and humidity levels by turning on the air conditioner or ventilation system as needed.
To avoid wasting CO2, when the ventilation system is on, the controller will disable the CO2 outlets.
Lastly, the best CO2 controllers use what's called fuzzy logic to maintain proper levels.
Most controllers will simply pump CO2 into your groom room until a certain number of PPMs are reached.
This is okay if you're using a CO2 generator that's cheap to run.
On the other hand, this can be very expensive if you're using bottled CO2.
By using fuzzing logic with your bottled CO2, you'll save money because your CO2 levels won't go beyond a certain set point that's monitored by the controller.
One thing to keep in mind is that atmospheric controllers require periodic calibration.
Although some need to be shipped to the manufacturer for this, other models let you do it yourself.
If you have the money, want to reduce labor, and want to be efficient with your use of CO2, purchasing a high quality atmospheric controller is highly recommended.
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