Grow room controller

Cocodreams1 · Nov 14, 2015

Hey fellas

This is a personal project that I would like to accomplish.

I don't have much electrical background but have worked with wiring panels and new construction.

What I would like to do is build a controller that will.
Turn on lights with with a delay.
Control temperature/humidity
Photo sensor for day/night temp/rh
Co2
A 1000w inverter for 12v-120v to run a light and fan combo if power would fail.
Control a water cooler a/c and a well pump that feeds the water to the a/c.
And misc 120v recepticals.

I know I have to choose a Plc but am having trouble finding out which voltage to choose. Also relay and senosors.

Thanks

Cocodreams1 · Nov 14, 2015

I did search and found 1 thread but vauge info

Narlin · Nov 14, 2015

Have you found sensors for all that stuff?
What Brand of PLC interests you?
You mention that it is a personal project. Is a few thousand dollars going to be too much money?

gas · Nov 14, 2015

Are you going to require a sensor that detects sirens and flashing lights?

Edmhydraulics · Nov 14, 2015

There are lots of off the shelf grow room controllers for hydroponic and dirt growing of umm vegetables

. That might be the simpler and safer way to go rather than cobble a system together with a PLC and make it work. The PLC idea is cool, but unless you are experienced with high voltage and high currents (the lights draw a lot of power), then you risk burning your place down. Home insurance wont cover you if you are trying to grow illegal vegetables in your basement.

Cocodreams1 · Nov 14, 2015

Narlin said:
Have you found sensors for all that stuff?
What Brand of PLC interests you?
You mention that it is a personal project. Is a few thousand dollars going to be too much money?

We will see As for sensor this is where I need help and choosing the Plc

Plc wise I was thinking of a Siemens logo. Voltage is the ?

gas said:
Are you going to require a sensor that detects sirens and flashing lights?

Thanks for help buddy and I have no issue where I am at.

Edmhydraulics said:
There are lots of off the shelf grow room controllers for hydroponic and dirt growing of umm vegetables . That might be the simpler and safer way to go rather than cobble a system together with a PLC and make it work. The PLC idea is cool, but unless you are experienced with high voltage and high currents (the lights draw a lot of power), then you risk burning your place down. Home insurance wont cover you if you are trying to grow illegal vegetables in your basement.

yes there are certain controllers out there. I do know I am dealing with high current. But some of them controllers are not good.

I have seen controllers with Plc in them I know someone in Canada that builds with them. He quoted me about 3-4 k to build. wire in a link4 as the environmental aspect of the controller but that would run me about 8 hundred
For the link4. He wants about 5-6k Willing to go this route if need be.

Let's keep the illegal veggie stuff out of the thread. And for the few that are making comments about the veggies look into your state if you are not up to date with what's going on.

Gary Lee D · Nov 14, 2015

Cocodreams1 said:
Hey fellas

This is a personal project that I would like to accomplish.

I don't have much electrical background but have worked with wiring panels and new construction.

What I would like to do is build a controller that will.
Turn on lights with with a delay.
Control temperature/humidity
Photo sensor for day/night temp/rh
Co2
A 1000w inverter for 12v-120v to run a light and fan combo if power would fail.
Control a water cooler a/c and a well pump that feeds the water to the a/c.
And misc 120v recepticals.

I know I have to choose a Plc but am having trouble finding out which voltage to choose. Also relay and senosors.

Thanks

Several things you will need to decide before continuing.
Do you actually need to detect day/night, cause you could always use the the internal clock of a Plc to create a time clock. This would save 1 input and a sensor.
With the sensors there will be multiple options as per following for example.
1. Sensor with analogue output (0-10VDC or 4-20mA) and then do the control/set point within the PLC. Do u want to regularly adjust these set points? If so then consider a small hmi or possibly a potentiometer to adjust.
2. Sensor with built in controller that simply gives a relay output at set point.

I think what voltage PLC your going to use is probably the least of your problems to sort. Most good brand PLC's come in 12vdc(less common), 24vdc, 110/120VAC, 220/240VAC.

Something else you may want to consider is that a 1000watt inverter will draw around 84amps running from 12volt at full load. So factor in enough batteries to cover the demand for the period of time you want backup for.
For example if you had 4 off 100ah batteries then it could run the load for around 5 hours until completely flat, not taking into account peaks, max discharge rate of batteries, etc

Hope the above has helped.

RussB · Nov 15, 2015

Just curious...

Will this be for growing "legal" plants?

Cocodreams1 said:
Hey fellas

This is a personal project that I would like to accomplish.

I don't have much electrical background but have worked with wiring panels and new construction.

What I would like to do is build a controller that will.
Turn on lights with with a delay.
Control temperature/humidity
Photo sensor for day/night temp/rh
Co2
A 1000w inverter for 12v-120v to run a light and fan combo if power would fail.
Control a water cooler a/c and a well pump that feeds the water to the a/c.
And misc 120v recepticals.

I know I have to choose a Plc but am having trouble finding out which voltage to choose. Also relay and senosors.

Thanks

Cocodreams1 · Nov 15, 2015

Gary Lee D said:
Several things you will need to decide before continuing.
Do you actually need to detect day/night, cause you could always use the the internal clock of a Plc to create a time clock. This would save 1 input and a sensor.
With the sensors there will be multiple options as per following for example.
1. Sensor with analogue output (0-10VDC or 4-20mA) and then do the control/set point within the PLC. Do u want to regularly adjust these set points? If so then consider a small hmi or possibly a potentiometer to adjust.
2. Sensor with built in controller that simply gives a relay output at set point.

I think what voltage PLC your going to use is probably the least of your problems to sort. Most good brand PLC's come in 12vdc(less common), 24vdc, 110/120VAC, 220/240VAC.

Something else you may want to consider is that a 1000watt inverter will draw around 84amps running from 12volt at full load. So factor in enough batteries to cover the demand for the period of time you want backup for.
For example if you had 4 off 100ah batteries then it could run the load for around 5 hours until completely flat, not taking into account peaks, max discharge rate of batteries, etc

Hope the above has helped.

Yes now we are getting somewhere thanks

Cocodreams1 · Nov 15, 2015

RussB said:
Will this be for growing "legal" plants?

Legal as a Begal

Edmhydraulics · Nov 15, 2015

Only reason I mentioned what I did, was because most people on here don't want to get involved with anything outside the law or that might put them into a liability situation, myself included.

If its all on the up and up then, build away, you should get lots of help here.

You could probably build a pretty good system around a Logo or similar smart relay system that has analog inputs as well as digital. But be sure to get the system looked at by a qualified electrician before you use it, just to be on the safe side.

Edm.

Cocodreams1 · Nov 15, 2015

So I was thinking of buying a Siemens load center.

Adding some delayed SSR so I don't pull that much power when I turn on the lights.

A ranco etc 111000 hard wire night temp shutoff if the a/c fails.

In the room there is going to be a fire extinguisher on the ceiling if a fire does start

Cocodreams1 · Nov 16, 2015

Cocodreams1 · Nov 16, 2015

So how can I wire a Plc with this controller to be my temp/humidity/co2

http://store.link4corp.com/igrow-800-greenhouse-controller/

This will be easier than buying all the sensors.

I still want to use the Plc to control lights a/c and the battery's and inverter

gas · Nov 16, 2015

Are you reinventing the wheel?
Several years ago a greenhouse controller was about 300 bucks.

Grow room controller

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