Ok so I am starting to plan my cab's ventilation system. From a previous closet grow I know the importance of getting your fans quiet and after reading through various threads that I searched off these forums I am planning to us a solid state speed control to dial in my ventilation to a nice quiet level. Now I have already read up on alot of noisekilling techniques like wrapping the fan in insulation, hanging it from bungees, build a box lined with foam around the fan, etc... This is not what I am looking for!! (although I greatly appreciate the suggestions ) I am specifically looking for Solid state speed controls(and/or exhaust fan combo's) that do not add a hum to the fans or fan motors as you turn down the speed setting. Please also post if you know a "Speed control + fan " combo that has terrible issues with this type of noise so that others as well as myself will be able to avoid these. Regarding the Solid State speed controls I have seen various posts of people getting more "whine/hum" from their fans when trying to turn them down with the speed control. I'm curious if anyone out there has this type of setup with your fan turned down with the controller with very little noise if you could post the brand of speed control and fan you are using. I'm willing to spend about 100-150 on a good fan. Either a Dayton squirrel cage that blows about 140cfm, or a Vortex 4" (or similar) that blows about 172 CFM. Are Vortex fans still real noisy even when turned down? The veg room of my cabinet will be 2'x2'x5' which would be 20 cubic feet. Even with that exhaust being pulled through a Can 33 Filter and then trough a Cooltube w/ 400 W bulb before being exhausted I am pretty sure that I could use a solid state controller to turn the fan down to between 100-120 CFM to reduce noise and still have enough airflow to keep temps reasonably low. I'm basically asking about how noisy these fans+controllers are because I can't afford to order a Vortex and have it end up being too loud to use, so if anyone out there has a quiet "fan+solid state speed control" combo out there, let us know what brands are working well for you I've seen people post and talk about the Panasonic whisper line of home exhaust fans, are these controllable with a Solid State Controller? This may be a better option for me as sound coming from the cabinet in any form will get this project vetoed by the girlfriend pretty much immediately Lets all try to make sure not to let that happen, huh? Thanks in advance!!
Ok, so since I posted this yesterday I've been out searching for answers to alot of the above questions to help us cab growers out. I concentrated on fans at or below 200 CFM but some of this information can be scaled up to higher powered models. To get us started lets discuss solid state controllers for fan control speed. A common horticulture controller is called the "Speedster" is runs about $30-$40 each. This is a popular controller for alot of the setups I saw with people running Vortex(and similar) fans. I also found out that the "Speedster" is just a relabeled router control. You can find the exact same speed controller for about half price here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43060 Another Speedster Here is another link to a good horticultural timer I came across, costs are a bit higher: http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/controls2.shtml Now lets change to subject to quiet fans. Again, as I said in my first post, I have already read up on how to add muffling techniques to a fan to quiet it down. I am listing some of what I found to make this post a little more helpful to beginners but my main goal was/is a search for the quietest fan than can do "filter--> cool tube--> fan--> muffler--> exhaust" with only 4"-6" ducting throughout. Here are some of those tips. Use rigid ducting(not flex ducting) where possible wrap ducting with insulation, especially the rigid type use a duct muffler(bought or DIY) after your fan suspend fan or ducting with bungee cords instead of mounting to cabinet place fan inside a insulated box or cooler use rubber mounts on fan to secure it to box. Now on to my search for Quiet fans The goal I have for quiet fans is the ability to carry on a conversation 3 ft away from my cab and not have it make any noticeable noise. To that extent I need to start with the quietest possible fan that I can obtain. A few names came up alot in my searches for quiet fans(The lower down the list the more potential for increased noise and vibration): Soler and Palau TD-xxx series Panasonic Whisperline bathroom and inline fans Elicent - Can style but made out of technopolymer to reduce noise(Scroll to bottom of link) Everything else (vortex, active air, can fan, etc) Took forever to find the specs page for some of those, especially Vortex...but I digress. VORTEX In posts I came across people with the Vortex(and similar) loved its quality but hated the noise it generated even with insulation!!! For a cabiniet design it does not appear that anything from the "Everything else" category will be truly stealth. Now in some posts it appeared that the ammount of air the blower was moving was actually the cause of the noise and not the actual fan. When dealing with these fans it seemed that buying a larger fan(6 inch or so) and turning it down to a low speed was a better idea to reduce noise as opposed to running a smaller fan(4" or so) at higher(noisier) speeds to get the same airflow rate. ELICENT Elicent fans seemed to have better reviews on the IC forums for quiet operation compared to Vortex(and similar). The particular Elicent I am discussing in the link above is made of technopolymer(I think that's French for heavy duty plastic). The plastic housing is rumored to reduce noise by up to 10db. These can also be controlled by a voltage speed controls like the ones posted above. I didn't find much on these fans on these forums, but IC has quite a few threads comparing the Elicents to Vortex and other models. I suggest doing some searching there if this is a topic that interests you. PANASONIC WHISPERLINE There are various posts and "DIY carbon scrubber" threads involving this line of fans. They make bathroom style fans as well as inline fans(better for drawing air through a cool tube and filter than trying to rig the same thing through the bathroom fan). These have very very low specs for the Sone level. For those who don't already know a Sone is [SIZE=-1]a unit of perceived loudness equal to the loudness of a 1000-hertz tone at 40 dB above threshold.[/SIZE] You can find a sample wall of fans of various Sone levels at your local Home Dep or Lowes to give you a reference on fan noise levels. This seem a fairly decent option for most cabinet growers as they can move alot of air quietly. This is one of the two options I am considering. I am considering the inline fan. Some posts claim the exterior case of the fan is not totally airtight in some area, making these not so ideal for people who place their odor filter AFTER the fan. Most of the leaks could be sealed with silicone gel but this could be a hassle for some, just thought I would mention it. SOLER & PALAU This is the second fan I am considering. It has a shape similar to the Vortex style fan, is made of plastic like the Elicent(seems to cut down on noise, very compact for the models I am considering(TD-100 and TD-100x), and has the ability to remove the fan module from the blower without having to remove the attached ducting. Since this would allow for the fan to be cleaned, replaced, or removed and allow me access to my ducting in case debris insects or other stuff got up in there this would be a huge perk! Overall it appears that this fan has the housing design I am looking for, centrifugal(trying to avoid squirrel cage due to issues with dealing with static pressure), the housing reduces noise, the design is highly compact which I need while using a cabinet, and the fan is removable without cutting or pulling the tape off the ducting if maintenance or replacement is ever required. These also have a built in option for 2 speed control, but the manufacturer also states these can be used with voltages controls like the ones posted at the top. Semi Final Thoughts: My goal here was to put in one place as much good qualified information in one place regarding quiet fans with a slant toward looking for stuff that would quietly rock my cabinet. I personally have not been able to use any of the above fans yet. The above info is not really meant to be a FAQ so much as collection of useful info that you can use to more thoroughly research the topic with some brand names in hand to make it easier. What it really comes down to is if these stay quiet and exhibit no Humming issues when the speed controller is applied. I have no experience with this so I will be hoping the combination I buy works so I'm not wasting money on this project. If anyone here has personal experience with the volume levels of the Elicent or Soler & Palau please post your thought here. I am sure I'm not the only one interested!. Happy growing everybody! Thanks for reading!
Anybody? I know lots of people are using fan speed controls, let us know how loud your setup is with you speed controller being used. I'll even say please....Please!!!!!
ok I use a 4" vortex and I have it setup the same way you are looking at it... filter >> cooltube>> fan >> exhaust duct >> muffler I also have the speedster but I let my fan run on full speed because noise isnt an issue. my pumps make more noise than my fan in terms of vibrations. i have my fan suspended in my hydrohut so there is no vibration. if i turn the speed to about half the fan is very quiet but my grow area gets hot and the filtration quality diminishes. you may want to look at the 6" vortex as it pushes about 400CFM and has the same decibel rating as the 4". I may buy one myself. hope this helps.
Nice Pic! That is the same path my airflow will be following but in a cabinet using the smaller Can 33 filter and the S&P 100 or 100x fan. I've started looking into Variac's to control fanspeed without inducing a hum from the motor. Variac is a particular brand name but the general name for these things is auto transformers. Here are a couple I found on the forums: http://elexp.com/cmp_0t04.htm http://shop.vendio.com/Evan2002/item/787703405/?s=1211797929 these actually change the voltage going to the fan and dont just swith the fan on and off quickly the slow it down. Apparently this is a major cause of fan motors humming when using certain solid state controllers.
I have been debating on what I am going to use for my setup. Currently I have a single in out exhaust fan set on low. The odd thing about my cab is that it is just a frame with plastic lining for walls. This might make connections more difficult but once I get an idea i'll post it here with some pics. Noise is an issue as well. I might rig up a contraption with some computer coolling fans and a 350w PS. Very good post btw. Might look into those Panasonic fans.
Ghost I just upgraded my fan and filter setup from 4" to 6". I have a much bigger filter and a more powerful fan but the dbA rating on both fans are the same so I have the bigger one turned down a bit to reduce noise and it is a lot quieter. I would highly recommend this setup, it is much quieter than my 4" setup. Whatever fans you look at make sure you check the dbA rating and make sure you match it with the right sized filter for optimum air cleansing. Good luck. EDIT: the Vortex's really don't put out that much noise. My tent is about as loud as my air conditioner (if not quieter) which is pretty damn quiet if you ask me.
Thanks for the tip, My can 33 air filter has a 6 " flange, this would go to my cooltube which also has 6" connections, so I have been considering an S&P 6" model instead of having to shrink down to a 4" fan. I'm really curious to see it hooked up to a variac and turned low, I think something like this would run near silent which is what I need. The kind of noise that an AC makes wouldnt be acceptable in the space I am working with. Payday cant come soon enough!
Great thread man. I Use 3 SP's in my cabinet. The 4" 100 is too weak for the 33. I use the can 33 as well but with the 200x. I have a can 2600 on my 100 . The S&P 200x 8" fits into the can 33 without ducting or flange perfectly. Look at the pdf on the hvacquick.com site for charts on the static pressure and match to your filter. I would go with the 6" 150 or 8" 200x if i were you. The 200x is plastic where as the 200 is metal. I have the 200x wired to the low spped which at .70 SP it matches the 200cfm max of the can 33 perfectly. Horticultruesource had the 200x on sale for $130 not too long ago and it comes they include a power cord i hear. These fans are so compact that they are smaller than alot of 6" fans... I also use the Speedster speed controllers. You will get some hum if you have dial the speedster below 50%. The fan output of the speedster dialed at 50% is atually 30% of the fans max output. The hum is small and you cant hear it outside the cabinet. I dont dial below 50% anyway. Another thing i love about these is there is no vibration and they are lightweight. I dont even have mine mounted really. Just resting on cardboard watchbox to raise it. The fan in the cabinet is silent. the airflow however will never be silent with any fan. One you get it up, you can try ways to diffuse the air to make it quiter. I acually use a small rolled up towel sitting in my exhaust and it works well. Check my sig for more info on the fans.
Unfortunately, the change in voltage caused by the variac controller will certainly destroy your expensive inline fan. It is for the same reason, voltage change, that one cannot use a simple variable resistor (potentiometer), like a light dimmer to control their fan; or at least they shouldn't. A simple, inexpensive solution is a hunter fan speed controller w/ knob that looks just like a dimmer switch, but has three on-settings, off/low/med/high/off. I find the low works for me. It's ten bucks and is a solid-state controller. No humming either. I have a 600 watt hps in a radiant 8 inline reflector that is constantly vented by my fantech fg6 inline fan (that operates at probably 100cfm/ on low setting). I think it uses $5-10 of electricity a month, in this capacity. This is all I need to cool my grow as I intake air to cool my light from the growroom and exhaust the hot air outside; this creates negative pressure in the growroom, drawing in fresh, cool air from the rest of my house, passively cooling the growroom.
Getting the 4" vortex is a waste in my opinion. It has the same decibel rating as the 6" and its cfm rating is about 1/4 that of the 6". The 6" is not that much more money than the 4". And its my personal philosophy that when dealing with ventelation, overkill is always the answer. The 6" will be as loud as the 4" but if you dial down the 6" with a fan speed control down to the cfm rating of the 4" you'll have considerably less sound than running the 4" at full speed. Hope that helps.
one of the little crappy plastic ones that you get at walmart arent to loud...and they are pretty sweet...and there are also the window fans...those work too dude..
I have a 8 inch vortex fan in my closet setup and you can not hear fucking shit 3 feet away from the closet, i have it on full blast. Ive had family come over in my room where i have just about 60 plants growing and you wouldnt know it..... i dont know what everyone living situation is but it seems like the huge setup i have is wayyy easier to hide than these cabinet closets and such...... http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-journals/249918-ak-47-aeroflo2-2000-watts-stealth.html Now this is a stealth grow ! hehe.
hey man, an effective and professional approach to reducing noise while not compromising your fan's integrity would be to use a VFD(variable frequency drive). It is not cost effective by any means but it is the best way to safely control fan motor speed. VFDs work by controlling the frequency of your power output rather than the voltage. Line voltage remains at 120v while the frequency is varied anywhere from 1hz to 60hz (dependent on the model). A fan running at 120 volts can be cut to half speed by reducing the frequency from 60hz to 30 hz. VFD's are usually used for applications requiring much higher power consumption than would be used to power a 4" inline fan. VFD's usually retail at anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to several thousand. Another solution to your noise problem would be to ditch your girlfriend if she has a problem with you growing. peace.
Also, you can use a variable transformer instead of a solid state speed control. Just as efficient, but instead of pulse width control the transformer changes the voltage. Gets rid of "hum". http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...mage_result&resnum=7&ct=image&ved=0CDEQ9QEwBg