This might be a stupid question, but will the humming/vibration of a computer fan about 3" away from my plants (the intake for my box) effect the growth of my plants? It currently runs 20 hours a day, but I think I might be able to only run it a few hours a day and let my exhaust fan on top passively ventilate, if that would be better... I have a video from inside the box when it's closed, and it kinda sounded like a chainsaw the entire time so, being high, I started to wonder if it might have the same annoying effect on my daughters?
i wonder that too sometimes, id rather have classical music and birds chirping playing than a buzzing fan, but it is what it is I guess. u could always move the extraction fan outside of the room and insulate/sounddampen your ducting system, then compare the results with the same strain from clone. good luck either way bud
I don't think they care, but if your in doubt kill the fan. Removing heat is essential but I honestly think ventilation is overated. Some is necessary but blasting your plants with a fan that makes you worry... Just shut it down and see how your girls do.
thanks guys... I decided that I'm just going to run the intake fan 15 minutes before, the 18 hours during, and 30 minutes after my lights are on. The exhaust is on 24/7, so I think it might even be better for the climate inside the box. I guess I'll find out shortly. =] Also, my intake fan puts on bright blue light, so I guess it kind of simulates a sundown and sunup? =P
Why would a fan hurt it??? Fans are your friend the extra air moving around and strengthing your plants will only increase yield. Not sure why a simple humming would hurt anything, your asking for problems without vent and a fan.
Like I said, the intake fan kind of sounds like a faint chainsaw, and the noise/operation of it actually does create a small vibration in the pots... so being right next to the plants, I wasn't sure if that might affect the growth somehow. I'm not talking about the air flow, because the fan is pointing up, and creates just the subtle amount of breeze across the plants that I want. What got me thinking of this to begin with was several experiments I've read that show that playing music 3 hours a day improved a plant's growth, while 12 hours a day caused the plants to grow slower and more stunted. My plants are growing just fine, but I'd rather be safe than sorry as this is my first grow.
They will be fine, if you want look at the mythbusters who did an experiment with noise and plant growth not 1 actually slowed growth, few were spead up but none slowed. Plants like rock music the most anyways lol.
The vibration/noise will not hurt your plants, but it could betray your stealth. Most of the noise from fans comes from them vibrating against something solid they are touching or mounted to, you can try suspending the fan with twine or something and that will cut down on the noise. But you need a different fan or should physically break the light in it, you don't want your fan to be adding any light to your grow.
I trust you because of your rep, but I'm just curious how it will make a difference that my fan has blue LEDs in it if it doesn't run during my plants dark hours. Thanks for the advice everybody
If you definitely won't ever run fans during dark then it's OK. I like to keep a little bit of air moving at all times.