stickystink
Member
hi John Cutter u could just get a digitsl ballast as they make no noise at sll, yes they are a bit dearer to get then a normal ballast and i just have my ballast on two bits of wood, outside the tent, and it stays nice and cool
Quiet. The Neighbors Can Hear You (Sound Control Thread)
- Thread starter one2threeBUDS4
- Start date
Ganjalee
Active Member
I use a voltage controller to control my fan's volume, cost 45 bucks and has been worth every penny! using it in a DR60 with 165cfm fan, which doesn't need to run at full speed as it's winter here and temps are running nice and cool! considering i'm using a 400w hps in a 2x2x5 tent with a cooltube
abelincoln23
Member
I haven't read the entire 35 pages of this thread, and i'm new here, but I can say that growing is my second hobby, recording music is my first. I have a little experience and have done a lot of research in acoustic isolation. Thought I might be able to contribute a concise chunk of theory behind isolation of sound.
Basically there are 3 concepts that contribute to isolation of sound- decoupling, mass, and an airtight seal. Each has its hurdles and benefits.
Lets talk about decoupling first. This is the most practical in most grow environments. In theory, if a fan is not touching anything, nothing will resonate with it when it vibrates. This is impossible, so we use something to improve decoupling, such as rubber pads, or bungee cord suspension. Interestingly enough- one of rockwool's primary uses is in recording studios to absorb sound (different from isolation, but it CAN be useful). This could prove useful in our various situations in the grow room. Say for example, if the air pump is vibrating on the shelf you have it sitting on- try throwing a spare rockwool cube under it, this could be all the decoupling you need. For really intense vibration, bungee cord suspension is a great idea.
Next up is mass- imagine the ideal situation as a cement room with a solid steel door. This helps most with low frequencies, and would be the only thing that will ever get rid of the low rumble of some equipment such as generators or some large water/air pumps. A practical example is the plywood box around the fan, the heavy duty wall structure helps contain the sound that is airbound. Thickness helps, but MASS helps even more, so in theory a thin steel box would help just as much if not more than a thick plywood box. Think DENSE. Obviously a paper box won't do anything.
Typically mass and decoupling are the most practical ways of helping with escaping sound. But for extreme cases, an airtight seal may be necessary- practical implementations of this would be caulking the joints of the grow box (if possible, get an acoustic caulk such as the sealant made by the green glue company), or weather stripping (or shoving a towel) around the door to the grow room. A question that arises is regarding ventilation. Proper air flow contradicts an air tight seal. While this is a complicated subject, one principle can help with this hurdle- air can change directions easily- sound cannot, especially in an acoustically non-reflective environment. Think about making a box that would represent an acoustic carbon filter, with plywood and some spare rockwool cubes. make the box's inside height the same as the rockwool. Make it to where the air has to change directions and bounce off the rockwool to get through. Put one of these boxes on each ventilation hole in your grow box/room.
To help figure out what to pursue the most- heres a list with what each principle helps most with:
Decoupling- wall/floor/shelf bound vibrations.
Mass- any air bound sound, mostly beneficial with LOW frequencies
Airtight seal- air bound sound, mostly beneficial with high frequencies only.
If your only reason for sound being an issue is because you can't sleep at night because of your grow room, and money is no issue, I highly recommend green glue. Basically you start with your drywall walls, and add another layer of drywall, with green glue sandwiched between the two layers. On top of this you would caulk under each wall, around the door jamb, and between each sheet of drywall, and have heavy duty weather stripping around the door itself. This is probably not practical for any of us, but its an ideal situation.
Basically there are 3 concepts that contribute to isolation of sound- decoupling, mass, and an airtight seal. Each has its hurdles and benefits.
Lets talk about decoupling first. This is the most practical in most grow environments. In theory, if a fan is not touching anything, nothing will resonate with it when it vibrates. This is impossible, so we use something to improve decoupling, such as rubber pads, or bungee cord suspension. Interestingly enough- one of rockwool's primary uses is in recording studios to absorb sound (different from isolation, but it CAN be useful). This could prove useful in our various situations in the grow room. Say for example, if the air pump is vibrating on the shelf you have it sitting on- try throwing a spare rockwool cube under it, this could be all the decoupling you need. For really intense vibration, bungee cord suspension is a great idea.
Next up is mass- imagine the ideal situation as a cement room with a solid steel door. This helps most with low frequencies, and would be the only thing that will ever get rid of the low rumble of some equipment such as generators or some large water/air pumps. A practical example is the plywood box around the fan, the heavy duty wall structure helps contain the sound that is airbound. Thickness helps, but MASS helps even more, so in theory a thin steel box would help just as much if not more than a thick plywood box. Think DENSE. Obviously a paper box won't do anything.
Typically mass and decoupling are the most practical ways of helping with escaping sound. But for extreme cases, an airtight seal may be necessary- practical implementations of this would be caulking the joints of the grow box (if possible, get an acoustic caulk such as the sealant made by the green glue company), or weather stripping (or shoving a towel) around the door to the grow room. A question that arises is regarding ventilation. Proper air flow contradicts an air tight seal. While this is a complicated subject, one principle can help with this hurdle- air can change directions easily- sound cannot, especially in an acoustically non-reflective environment. Think about making a box that would represent an acoustic carbon filter, with plywood and some spare rockwool cubes. make the box's inside height the same as the rockwool. Make it to where the air has to change directions and bounce off the rockwool to get through. Put one of these boxes on each ventilation hole in your grow box/room.
To help figure out what to pursue the most- heres a list with what each principle helps most with:
Decoupling- wall/floor/shelf bound vibrations.
Mass- any air bound sound, mostly beneficial with LOW frequencies
Airtight seal- air bound sound, mostly beneficial with high frequencies only.
If your only reason for sound being an issue is because you can't sleep at night because of your grow room, and money is no issue, I highly recommend green glue. Basically you start with your drywall walls, and add another layer of drywall, with green glue sandwiched between the two layers. On top of this you would caulk under each wall, around the door jamb, and between each sheet of drywall, and have heavy duty weather stripping around the door itself. This is probably not practical for any of us, but its an ideal situation.
puffthemagic
Active Member
Im moving house at the end of the month and will need to have my growroom in the same room i sleep, i've decided to use this stuff-soundshield plasterboard http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/224657 http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/224657 to construct my growroom, i imagine it will also be fairly cheap and easy to obtain for people in the U.S,canada etc. Im also going to use the suspended fan box method shown at the start of this thread, i'll upload pics of construction and the finished room once i get started.
ThegrowerMOJO
Well-Known Member
Nice little write up there abe!this is something i did couple years ago on a large room i built i first wrapped the entire room with black plastic floors included then put up a layer of dry wall then i used ceiling tiles the kind on false ceilings that i pilaged from a dumpster and then put on another layer of drywall cost me about 200 bucks was a 10x10 room to make sure it was noise proof i fired my small 22 derringer into my 55 gallon res tank it couldn't be heard in the room right under it.(guess i should note my res tank was plate steel 
)
)purple puffinstuff
Member
Ive used 1 in styrafoam beforeto build a box and then suspended it.
Powder Kutz
Member
I have more experience with audio engineering than plants.if you want a nice DIY tip you can save egg cartons and staple them to pieces of mdf to make sound-dampening panels, or you can use the egg cartons directly on the walls.
Egg cartons are useless,that shits an old wives tale. someones been watching too much Hustle & Flow.
hotrodharley
Well-Known Member
Isolate and insulate. The human ear detects bass rhythms first and often imperceptibly. Motors or big hummers like EM ballasts can make neighbors curious in apartments or condos. Water can be heard of course through pipes and drains as well. Maintenance people are very curious as to noises and their sources. Loud TV and music can be helpful to a point just to break that "rhythm" whatever it is. White noise such as it is.
BTW classical music is pretty much ignored by people and causes them to move on. That's why they play it at places they don't want people loitering. My plants love it. OK maybe not Bach so much but they rock to Mozart.
BTW classical music is pretty much ignored by people and causes them to move on. That's why they play it at places they don't want people loitering. My plants love it. OK maybe not Bach so much but they rock to Mozart.
B.B.V.C.
Well-Known Member
hey guys, i was just looking at some fans, I want a 6" fan but vortex and can fans are both pretty expensive and when i went to the hydro shop he plugged it in for me and it was LOUD AS FUCK!! so i passed on it. since then ive done a bit of research and found a fan by hydrofarm, looks pretty nice and is about 200 bucks cheaper than the fans at the hydro shop, and about 60 bucks cheaper than any 6" can fans i could find on ebay so i youtubed it and found this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TglPdylDzQ
Looks good to me, quieter by at least 10 db and about 15 from the vortex. Add a suspended insulated box and a speed controller and it would be a nice quiet fan
The only problem i have is its cheaper and quieter do you think that maybe the quality isn't there? we all know vortex and canfan make some nice equipment. If anyone has ever used a hydro-farm active air fan or have seen it compared to any other fans please let me know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TglPdylDzQ
Looks good to me, quieter by at least 10 db and about 15 from the vortex. Add a suspended insulated box and a speed controller and it would be a nice quiet fan
The only problem i have is its cheaper and quieter do you think that maybe the quality isn't there? we all know vortex and canfan make some nice equipment. If anyone has ever used a hydro-farm active air fan or have seen it compared to any other fans please let me know
Malevolence
New Member
That's fuckin ballsy having a grow tent in an apartment.
Jack London
New Member
How do species in the bedroom, in case of fire?
DiscreteMeat
Member
In an apartment, like mine, I'm lucky enough to have a room on the 2nd floor that faces a large area that allows for noise to disperse. It also helps that there are other noise generation factors in the area (i.e. various types of transportation routes)... This is a great thing. I did notice, however, the distinct noise that my 8"/800 cfm blower created (((holy shi*))). I ran it for 1 day and I could hear that baby a good 30 yards from my apartment... Needless to say that I had to let my 1st medical crop run go off without proper ventilation, until I designed something better. With just a few pieces of advice from a local hydro-shop... I figured out that all it took to really cancel the noise would be to run the blower using a full 25ft of insulated ducting... And wouldn't you know it? The sound is totally indistinguishable from any other sound source on the outside... Even under the window... Which is about 15 feet from the ground and 10 ft. from head level. Again... I have some advantages seeing as how I'm right in the path of 3 major airports' takeoff/landing approaches, and again, near other loud transportation routes. This is a good situation, so far... And I'm in no hurry to add much more noise to my grow. I'm more concerned now with how I'm going to be able to quickly and safely disperse of the extra schwag I'll have this cycle.
hmmmmm.....
Member
well i would say you can go buy some foam, or carpet is pritty good, have a look at what musicians use to soundproof drums/guitar amps or something like that, some of it is costly some isnt but if your looking for cheap noise control, go down to you local carpet place and ask for as many off cuts for free or cheap it does work thats what a drummer once suggested.
You should take a look at the S&P TD-silent series fans. I have the six inch and it is ultra quiet. I have it pulling through an 8" carbon filter and running through about 8' of duct cooling a 600 and a 400. The circulation fans are by far louder than the S&P and they are pretty quiet themselves. Actually, the most annoying sound in my room is my 600 w magnetic ballast. I will definitely be switching to a digital very soon.
You can find them for $168 here. Spend the extra forty or fifty dollars and have real security.