What Is the Best Chiller for Cannabis Grow Rooms?

While there is much to be optimistic about regarding the cannabis industry — revenue is expected to reach $67.15 billion in 2028 — perfecting the growing environment is essential to maintain a competitive position. Increasing yield can be challenging, and 30% of cultivators cite this as their biggest cultivation-related hurdle going forward. Every step to increase your output is essential, from commercial grow room HVAC design to increasing facility size.

Chillers provide the ideal conditions for cannabis growth, handling the unique loads and temperature fluctuations of grow facilities, providing nutrients and facilitating the best possible yield. Learning more about the benefits of chillers is vital to stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving industry.

Maintaining a consistent temperature in a grow room is critical to maximizing yields, and cannabis chillers are essential to temperature regulation. These industrial-grade systems are purpose-built for maintaining constant temperatures, lowering the temperature below ambient in warm climates and stabilizing the temperatures in locations that experience significant ambient shifts.

As many as 65% of cultivators have automated temperature and humidity control, and chillers can assist in both. Depending on your specific setup, you may be able to several types of chillers, including:

• Hydroponic water chillers: Hydroponic systems require at least one chiller to cool the water in the chilling loop.
• Grow room cooling systems: Unless you’re growing in ideal conditions, cooling systems must maintain a consistent temperature.
• Nutrient chillers: Nutrient solutions require chillers to maintain nutrient temperatures and prevent oxygen levels from dropping, which slows nutrient uptake.
• Extraction cannabis chillers: Chillers are helpful in the CO₂ marijuana extraction and the CBD process, as marijuana extract is temperature sensitive. In this application, chillers can cool the CO₂ to an adequate condensation temperature.

Indoor grow areas can create significant heat due to the high light intensity, pumps and other heat loads. While grow room HVAC systems have moderate success, chillers can add a valuable temperature dynamic. Cannabis plants thrive in warm, humid environments, provided the roots stay cool. Hydroponic water chillers can maintain ambient temperatures, as the oxygen levels in the water remain unaffected by ambient temperatures. Chilled water systems provide an optimal environment in extensive grow facilities while supporting energy-saving efforts.

The Benefits of Chillers for Cannabis

Grow facilities have unique load requirements that differ significantly from other types of commercial buildings. Watering the plants adds moisture to the air, making the latent load higher than many other cooling applications. Turning the lights on and off results in significant temperature changes unless carefully managed. Chillers offer substantial benefits, including:

• Flexibility: Each cultivator has unique needs and goals, and chiller systems let you choose the options that meet your criteria. You can adapt your system to fit your space.
• Root health: If you use a hydroponic chiller, you can monitor the root section of your plants, ensuring the environment surrounding the roots is free of fungi and carefully cultivated for the best results.
• Energy savings: Instead of rejecting heat outdoors, chillers extract it from the air and use it to make hot water for dehumidification, resulting in energy and cost savings.
• Redundancy: Industrial chiller systems provide redundancy by using multiple air handling units, so if one fails, the others can take over until engineers can repair or replace the damaged element.
• Reliability: Reliable systems are critical for cultivators, as system failure, even for a few hours, can cause the entire crop to suffer. Each system must maintain the temperature and humidity required for maximum yield, and chillers are reliable enough to give you peace of mind.
• Temperature control: Grow facilities must operate at maximum uptime to produce the best quality and yield. Purpose-built chiller systems can maintain optimal temperatures year-round, regardless of the environment.
• Nutrient control: Nutrients require a specific temperature. Providing precise amounts of the best-quality nutrients results in larger, healthier and more potent yields. Chilling your water solution increases nutrient absorption throughout the root zone.

How to Choose the Best Cannabis Chiller for Growing Plants

Grow room cooling systems come in several variations, and knowing which to choose can be challenging. Consider the following factors to narrow down your options:

• Size

Chiller size is one of the most important elements to consider. An appropriate size is essential to ensure adequate cooling for the scope of your project. Consider the chiller capacity for your specific application and provide your manufacturer with as much detail as possible to ensure a good fit for your needs.

• Environment

In hot climates, your chiller will primarily lower the air temperature to below the outdoor ambient temperatures. Some areas are subject to extreme shifts in temperature, and your chiller must be able to keep up with these sudden fluctuations.

• Maintenance

Consider whether you have engineers available to conduct routine maintenance or if it’s necessary to train team members. Ask your potential provider whether engineers are available for emergencies and how regularly your system needs care.

The ideal growing environment is also clean, so look for easy-to-clean systems, reducing the chance for mold, mildew, algae and other pests.

• Uptime Rate

Your system should have a high uptime rate to ensure your crop remains at optimal temperatures. Choose a chiller that lets you set your desired temperature range instead of running continuously. Running a chiller at the wrong temperature or time increases energy costs and can overchill, damaging your crop.

• Corrosion

Grow facilities require specific equipment that can withstand the humidity. Your chiller’s interior and exterior components should be corrosion-resistant to prevent contaminants from reaching the root systems.

• Automation Options

Monitoring a grow facility requires managing pH and nutrient levels, humidity, air temperature and other variables. A chiller with options for automation and smart temperature controls frees up your team’s time and prevents constant monitoring.

• Voltage

Determine the voltage you need and whether your facility can support it before purchasing. If not, factor some electrical work into your budget to ensure your system operates smoothly.

• Expertise

Choosing the right chiller for your needs means considering many dynamics. Discussing your requirements with cooling experts can help you examine your requirements and budget to find the best fit.

Common Chilling Challenges and How Our Systems Help

Although chillers can streamline your cultivation operations, some challenges persist. Choosing the right chiller is essential to address these obstacles. Our Smart Family of Cooling Products purpose-built chillers can help you overcome the following challenges:

• Environmental control: You need precise conditions to grow consistent, accurate and high-yielding buds. The slightest variation could affect, and control of the environment is a significant challenge. Our purpose-built cannabis cultivation chillers can help you maintain your growing environment. They are scalable for facilities of any size and can regulate air and liquid temperatures.
• Humidity: A grow facility uses considerable amounts of water, which causes humidity. Excess moisture can reduce bud size and cause disease outbreaks and gray mold. Our chillers and HVAC systems can help you control humidity by regulating the air temperature.
• Maintenance: The grow facility environment can damage your equipment, leading to additional maintenance costs and potential temperature fluctuations. Our chillers can help you regulate machine temperatures, avoiding costly damage and enhancing longevity.

Find the Right Commercial Chiller for Your Grow Facility With Smart Family of Cooling Products

A chiller is one of several precise elements required for a successful grow facility, but it can significantly affect your environment and temperature control measures. At Smart Family of Cooling Products, we offer a range of industrial chillers uniquely positioned for use in the cannabis industry, from extraction to temperature control and hydroponic setups.

Regardless of the size of your operation, we can provide 10-ton to 100-ton chillers and 80-ton to 120-ton Package AC units to help you ensure control of the temperature and humidity of your facility. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you increase your crop quality and yield today.