hey GC, I need to get a new fan for my growbox(18"Dx30"Wx48"H). The problem with the current fan is that once i put 1 layer of thin cloth over it, it loses about 100% effectiveness. My current fan is a $20 inline fan from homedepot and it has an advertised cfm of 80 My thoughts: upgrade to the 6" version of the fan which has an advertised 250 cfm... problem with this is i will have to figure out a new way to do a DIY carbon filter that is 6" since all the DIY ones i have found are 4" or less. So this will take some macgyvering most likely. Any input would be most appreciated... i know there are some serious gurus with this DIY stuff so lemme see it
My advice is to stop wasting time and money RIGHT NOW and go with proven options (-100% )Inline fan $60(not bad) and up(better) and can or phresh carbon filters. P.S. I see those DIY carbon filters post every week and practically all of them are failure.... P.P.S. Just return that BUSTER FAN to the store and get your money back.
LMAO, well, R076 put the smack down on your buster fan. To be honest, 250 CFM for a 6" fan does seem a little weak. What you really want to be sure of is that you buy a squirrel-cage fan. This type of fan generates a lot more air pressure (power) than the axial type. I personally built my own CF and it works well. I took my inspiration from THIS guide over at Mycotopia. Don't just follow the tek and expect it to work well. It is important that you pay close attention to detail and make sure EVERYTHING is airtight. This can be done with butt-loads of duct tape. There's no need to get the exact parts shown in the guide. For example in the guide a drain cap and a flange are used for the end parts, but I fashioned my own from particle board, so whatever works for you. When filling the finished filter with the carbon pellets (I recommend 3mm pellets, 4mm will also do) make sure to slap the living crap out of it so that the carbon settles properly. I recommend about an hour of slapping, rolling and banging the filter around until the carbon can't be packed any tighter. Fiunal suggestion: Once the filter's ready and you've put your cover material on, take a length of string with a slip knot and use it to wrap EXTREMELY tightly around the filter (It takes a little technique, but I'm sure you'll manage in the end). This will lock up any carbon pellets which are still loose. P.S. Make sure to get 10mm hardware cloth (the steel wire mesh stuff). There could be many kinds. Be certain that you select the one with the heaviest gauge wire. The stiffer the better. Well... at least there's one thing my wife and I agree upon.
I know through experience that those booster fans are trash. It takes two of the same fan you have, just to cool my inline 400w HPS. You NEED something bigger to pull through a carbon filter. And eight that power, comes the obstacle of sound and vibration. This is NOT a hobby for the budget minded at all.
KNOWS THIS... now... haha ya i just need to keep it quiet is my only problem thats why im using these busted ass fans cuz i know the 400+ CFM can fans are loud as shit, at least all the ones i have seen in person will sound like a 747 landing in my closet so im trying to think of something the the middle here with power and silence my grow was originally going to be an indoor grow but sinec it got a little bigger this is the one thing that suffered the most. Thanks for the help and if you have anymore info please let me know