CO2 Control, Supplemental CO2 | R & M Int'l CGC-1e instruction

CO2 CONTROL

OVERVIEW

“Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, the CGC-1e offers one of the most advanced environmental / light / hydro and CO2 control system on the market”.

“SUPPLEMENTAL CO2”

Let's talk about ... Carbon Dioxide. CO2 is present in relatively low quantities, (300-600 PPM) in your normal, generic, run of the mill everyday air. But plant growth can be increased and accelerated if the level of CO2 is increased to, let’s say... 1000 - 1500 PPM. For this reason, the CGC-1e can control CO2 distribution for those people who prefer to use supplemental CO2.

There are some inherent dangers associated with using CO2. Here are some of the rules to remember when using CO2:

A)Cylinders (bottles) of compressed CO2 should never be stored inside the growing area or anywhere else where the temperature may rise above 100’f.

B)The growing area should not be occupied while CO2 is in operation. (Get out!)

C)Do not enter the growing area until the CO2 has been exhausted. (Stay out!)

D)CO2 is heavier than air and will accumulate towards the ground. (Don’t lie down on the job!)

E)In high enough concentrations CO2 can kill!!! The OSHA maximum “Personal Exposure Level” is 5000 PPM.

*Note: The CGC-1e CO2 control system can be used for both compressed CO2 cylinders, and generators. The CO2 receptacle is 120vac. Compressed CO2 cylinders require an approved regulator / flow gage and a valve.

If optimum CO2 “mileage” is desired, a self contained air conditioner or other “Closed loop” cooling method is highly recommended. A closed loop system will regulate temperatures within the zone allowing you to extend the CO2 maximum cycle time thus reducing CO2 use dramatically.

Another method of reducing heat build up includes utilizing “Ventilated light hoods”. Just be sure to make the ventilation system of the hood as airtight as possible so that your precious CO2 is not being drawn out of the area by the ventilated hood exhaust fan.

If sufficient CO2 is provided and the proper level of nutrients and light is available, a 35% increase in growth rate is possible. However if you suspect the higher temperatures are adversely affecting the plants, a shorter CO2 cycle may produce better results. Remember that a shorter CO2 cycle duration translates to increased CO2 usage. Each application is different, so there is some work involved in finding the optimum set-up.

CO2 CONTROL MODES

The CGC-1e provides both a standard timed CO2 mode and an optional integrated CO2 PPM control mode. Of course, the time clock will ensure CO2 is only used during the “day”. The optional PPM-1c sensor is one of the most precise and efficient method of distributing CO2. The PPM-1c control will be described later, but first, let me explain how to operate the standard timed CO2 system.

*Note: The pre-wired“jumper-plug” is used to bypass the PPM controller functions when the PPM-1c is not used. Make sure it is properly connected when running the timed CO2 sequence.

TIMED CO2 CONTROL MODE

1)The CO2 Inject Duration timer can be set from 1 second to 40 minutes. When the CGC-1e’s standard 24-hour timeclock switches to “daytime”, the CO2 cycle begins. The CO2 outlet is energized for a predetermined amount of time using the CO2 Inject Duration timer.

2)The CO2 Frequency timer works in conjunction with the CO2 Injection timer. This timer can be set from 1 minute -

8 hours. During the CO2 cycle, the CO2 outlet will be turned off for the amount of time set on this timer. The CO2 Inject Duration timer and the Frequency timer continue to recycle until the thermostat or humistat turns on the fans. When the exhaust is turned back off, the CO2 cycle is re-started.

Note: These two timers continue to function in harmony with the optional PPM-1c sensor. The PPM-1c simply tells the CGC-1e whether the CO2 level being measured is above or below the adjustable set point on the PPM-1c. The timers still control the CO2 “ON” and “OFF” time.

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