# Quiet. The Neighbors Can Hear You (Sound Control Thread)



## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 21, 2008)

there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 21, 2008)

one thing i have had recent problems with was an inline fan that shakes or vibrates. this can cause hoses connected to your lights to shake loose or even rip, eventually causing an air leak which will defeat the purpose of having an air cooled system. it can also cause loud vibrations which is the reason i created a housing for the fan;






this is pretty much what it will look like when it is done. the bungees help reduce the sound by 200% so if you can hang it you will be much happier. 

first start by measuring the fans height and add an inch or two then cut the wood for the box. if you are using 6" hose then cut a hole on two of the boards that are 7" in diameter, these boards will be the end boards. 

next set the fan on one of the boards and mark where the holes are on it, then drill them and mount the fan to the board (do it now, makes it much easier).

once you have done all of above go ahead and connect the hoses.









also you need to cut or drill a "V" in the side of the board where you want the power cord to go through.





after that you can go ahead and put together the last couple sides and you have a brand new silencer box for your inline fan.


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## XReddiWipX (Oct 21, 2008)

Due to my location, I'm lucky enough not to have to worry about sound issues... But, I had to see this post!

Bad-Ass suggestion! 

I would have never thought to suspend it like you did!


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 21, 2008)

Thnx for the response ReddiWhip..


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## ThE sAtIvA hIgH (Oct 21, 2008)

my fridge freezer hums louder than my grow room ;o)


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## Hedgehunter (Oct 22, 2008)

great thread,cant understand why it only got a couple of replies, iv just got my new 6' inline and it sounds like a fucking jet , thought i had every angle covered but this noise could fuck my grow op , i need to sort the noise as me and the gf sleep right next to the room....


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## JohnnyPotSeed1969 (Oct 22, 2008)

I have a 6" inline that moves 435 cfm. It was pretty loud until I hooked it up to my carbon filter and all all the ducting. That did wonders for the sound on its own. Probably not much help, but you should remember that in an apartment, there is no insulation on the inner walls separating rooms. However, there is insulation in the walls that separate the different apartments in order to cut down on noise, so it's probably not as loud as you think it is next door.


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## Kenbud (Oct 22, 2008)

Thanks for the thread. I just got my 6" inline fan and it seemed really loud when it fired up. I am going to try the box idea.


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 22, 2008)

hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>






thnx for the response Kenbud. 

JohnnyPotSeed\... as i said i think it is an issue overlooked by some growers and it could be resolved as easy as this housing..

if anyone has any other ideas too reduce sound feel free too post...


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## JohnnyPotSeed1969 (Oct 23, 2008)

There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


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## Gr8fulGreen (Oct 23, 2008)

You can easily get acoustic foam, the type they use for studios. Some is very decorative, so having it covering walls might not seem so obvious. One could always just have some musical instruments or sound equipment sitting nearby as well. Should anyone be in the room and ask, its easy to just say its so you don't disturb the neighbors with your music.


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 23, 2008)

johnnyPotSeed thats a good idea! and gr8fulGreen is on the same page!


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Oct 26, 2008)

kenbud did u try the box?


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## beennoobed (Nov 9, 2008)

how did you mount the box in your tent? how did hang it? whats that black ducting near the box?


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## Spicolli (Nov 9, 2008)

Hanging by bungees does wonders for vibrating fan noise. I've got that covered, but now the loudest part of my closet is the air pumps. Anyone have a good suggestion for getting rid of that annoying hum?


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## Hedgehunter (Nov 9, 2008)

just thought id check this thread...AND lol! without reading it i came up with the eggbox foam idea a few days ago, its doing 2 jobs , light proofing my door frames and helps with noise, keep this thread going anyway
Cheers


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## Crispy (Nov 9, 2008)

Great stuff one2threebuds4!! +Rep!


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## fdd2blk (Nov 9, 2008)

i "stickied" this. thank you.


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Nov 10, 2008)

beennoobed said:


> how did you mount the box in your tent? how did hang it? whats that black ducting near the box?


it is actually hanging beneath a rack on the outside of the tent since i am limited on space inside the tent.. i first built the box for a grow 'room' i had but have moved and now am using grow tent.. the black ducting is just some insulated ducting but normal ducting will do just fine..



Crispy said:


> Great stuff one2threebuds4!! +Rep!


thanx crispy



fdd2blk said:


> i "stickied" this. thank you.


thank YOU!


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## john cutter (Nov 10, 2008)

Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.

My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.

Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


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## Medi user (Nov 10, 2008)

Another way to reduce fan noise is to use rubber feet either side of the fixing plate and screw through them, using a suitable washer on the screw head side.

Also car acoustic deadening rubber will help with general vibration. Not sure if I'd put it in a tank, but underneath on the floor it should help. Example: eBay Store - Sounds Great: Dynamat Cascade: 10115 DYNAMAT Original 2-Sheet Speaker Kit Brand New

Also beware of corners in a room, these act like a trumpet and increase noise. If you can mount fans / ballasts away from wall and ceiling corners, or 1/3 way between small walls this should help.

John - ballasts will make more noise over time, if your's is a few years old, it may be worth replacing. Try mounting it on rubber feet, or a foam/ rubber base and aim your circulating fan towards it. A high density foam block, like a yoga block should help.


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## homegrwn (Nov 10, 2008)

great info im adding an inline fan 8 inch to get rid of the load ass box fan...i dont want to even show the pictures of that rig up.. LOL +rep for thread


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Nov 10, 2008)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


im sure if you build a good box that has vents and fan(s) you could handle this heat issue. i will make up some plans for a box and throw them on here tomorrow..


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## beennoobed (Nov 11, 2008)

ring ring ringa da ding bro....lmao im to high,


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## fdd2blk (Nov 11, 2008)

i can't stop thinking about the fan box i'm gonna build once i get my winter crop growing. i love this idea, still.


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## beennoobed (Nov 11, 2008)

the fan/box doesnt get hot running all the time?


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Nov 11, 2008)

nope.. the fan cools itself


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## john cutter (Nov 12, 2008)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> im sure if you build a good box that has vents and fan(s) you could handle this heat issue. i will make up some plans for a box and throw them on here tomorrow..


Ok cool. I was thinking I'd line the inside with foam and put a pc fan on each end. Then rubber feet on the outside. 

Medi user- I would be willing to bet that is the problem. Ill build the box for now and when funds allow i will invest in a new light set up. I have been meaning to jump to a 1000 watt anyways.


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## beennoobed (Nov 12, 2008)

so is it worth doubling the box? since your forced to buy an 8'x4' anyways? or is a one layerd box enough?


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## specialkayme (Nov 12, 2008)

john cutter said:


> Ok cool. I was thinking I'd line the inside with foam and put a pc fan on each end. Then rubber feet on the outside.
> 
> Medi user- I would be willing to bet that is the problem. Ill build the box for now and when funds allow i will invest in a new light set up. I have been meaning to jump to a 1000 watt anyways.


Go for it if you want john, but putting fans to cool off a fan really isn't necessary. The air flows through inline fans and cools itself.

People used to use these boxes around inline fans on the old overgrow site. I never tried it personally though. Heard good comments about it back then, and continue to hear good things now.



Medi user said:


> Another way to reduce fan noise is to use rubber feet either side of the fixing plate and screw through them, using a suitable washer on the screw head side.
> 
> Also car acoustic deadening rubber will help with general vibration. Not sure if I'd put it in a tank, but underneath on the floor it should help. Example: eBay Store - Sounds Great: Dynamat Cascade: 10115 DYNAMAT Original 2-Sheet Speaker Kit Brand New
> 
> ...


Aw man. You totally beat me to it Medi. I was going to suggest the car sound deadening equipment, but looks like you beat me to it. My only suggestion would be to switch from Dynamat to Fatmat. It's cheaper and still works.

I personally don't have experience silencing a 'room' per say. I really have much more experience quieting a grow box. With boxes, it's an issue of reducing the sound, while at the same time saving on space. But I'm willing to offer whatever info I currently have.

Other than people mentioning the rubber feet, sound dampening material, bungees, and boxes, I do have a few ideas.

The carbon filter itself helps reduce noise from the fan, so if at all possible put it at the end of the fan's path. If that doesn't work, or isn't an option, try using a duct muffler. But I use insulated ducting. You'd be suprised how much noise that reduces just by itself. Also, as far as the fan goes, you can always use a Speedster to reduce the amount of air that is flowing, reducing the noise.

I look forward to seeing where this thread goes. Anyone have any experience silencing a cab? I got most of it done, can't get rid of that 'wooshing' sound and it's currently pissing me off.


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## Crispy (Nov 13, 2008)

This might be waay out of line, but I wanted to know if anyone that has used a "turn-key" system could give some feedback on their sound levels. i.e. "bloombox", "producer", "Caddy".


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## dgafaboutanyone (Nov 15, 2008)

ahahhah i have the same tent mines the 7 foot jardin and i have a nice 6" 
inline fan and i was in there apartment underneathe me and went right 
were my setup is and couldnt hear a fucking thing and there was nothing in the app
cuase it was empty >_< so your in the clear bro
theres insulation in the walls spertaing the others...


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## beennoobed (Nov 16, 2008)

im trying to pick out a decent fan/filter thats also connected to a 600w hps?


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## john cutter (Nov 16, 2008)

specialkayme said:


> Go for it if you want john, but putting fans to cool off a fan really isn't necessary. The air flows through inline fans and cools itself.


I know, I was using the fans to cool of the ballast which will be inside the box.


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## dgafaboutanyone (Nov 16, 2008)

ahahah you should be fine!
ive been in the app under me and i couldnt hear a thing and 
the app under me was tottal emty so it was quite >_<
goodluck!


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## Bangers999 (Nov 24, 2008)

*Its not the noise we all have to worry about its the eye in the sky and its just going to get worse, its all over the uk the now people are getting done all over the place, they are coming down hard.* 
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1039768/Police-raid-home-Blunkett-Bobby-infrared-helicopter-mistook-bad-insulation-cannabis-factory.html


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## specialkayme (Nov 24, 2008)

First of all, thank you for the heads up, but it probably has little or nothing to do with sound control, which is the topic of this thread.

Second, while infared cameras might be of prime importance to you, it isn't for everyone. Infared cameras need a warrant before they can be used on residential houses in the US. In addition, FLIR cameras usually don't pick up small time, personal grows. Only commercial ones.


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## SayWord (Nov 24, 2008)

u dont need a warrant to use an infared in residential areas in the US. i got picked up by one in my teen years stealing fireworks out of a guys garagewith like three other kids. cops all swarmed with guns at pointed at us and shit. but u definately dont need a warrant to use one.


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## homerdog (Nov 24, 2008)

I have built a couple similar dampening boxes out of card board boxes with good success. Just packed some foam or blankets around the fan, did worry a little about static discharge. 

On one box the fan runs into the box and out through a carbon filter, still inside the box with the lid partially cut away. The other the vent enters on side of a box and goes through the fan and into another vent tube before exiting a carbon filter outside of the box. 

My system is not silent but you'd have a hell of a time figuring out what it is and finding it. Oh the fans are the Home depot duct boosters, the 8" fan is actually a good bit quieter than the 6" and less than $5 more, just as a heads up.


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## SayWord (Nov 24, 2008)

homerdog said:


> Oh the fans are the Home depot duct boosters, the 8" fan is actually a good bit quieter than the 6" and less than $5 more, just as a heads up.


how much did u pay for ur fans? they hydro shop was sayin they were like 100 bux. like wtf


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## Bangers999 (Nov 25, 2008)

specialkayme said:


> First of all, thank you for the heads up, but it probably has little or nothing to do with sound control, which is the topic of this thread.
> 
> Second, while infared cameras might be of prime importance to you, it isn't for everyone. Infared cameras need a warrant before they can be used on residential houses in the US. In addition, FLIR cameras usually don't pick up small time, personal grows. Only commercial ones.


No probs just sum input.


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## SlikWiLL13 (Nov 25, 2008)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what does that window look like from the outside? have you done anything to mask the ducting??


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## specialkayme (Nov 25, 2008)

SayWord said:


> u dont need a warrant to use an infared in residential areas in the US. i got picked up by one in my teen years stealing fireworks out of a guys garagewith like three other kids. cops all swarmed with guns at pointed at us and shit. but u definately dont need a warrant to use one.


Not trying to harp on a point or anything, but you 100% do need a search warrant to execute infared cameras in residential areas. If you want me to look up the US Supreme Court case that determined it, then I will, but hopefully you'll just take my word for it.

If you got picked up in your teen years for stealing fireworks out of a guys garage, there are a few possible reasons why you could have gotten caught. One, this might have been before the supreme court case outlawed it, I don't know how old you are. Two, and much more likely, the owner can waive their rights. If it went to court, it was illegal, but the owner of the house that you stole fireworks from can waive his rights for his house being illegaly searched in order to find you. You can't waive those rights though, because it wasn't your house.


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## tokin2008 (Nov 25, 2008)

homerdog said:


> I have built a couple similar dampening boxes out of card board boxes with good success. Just packed some foam or blankets around the fan, did worry a little about static discharge.
> 
> On one box the fan runs into the box and out through a carbon filter, still inside the box with the lid partially cut away. The other the vent enters on side of a box and goes through the fan and into another vent tube before exiting a carbon filter outside of the box.
> 
> My system is not silent but you'd have a hell of a time figuring out what it is and finding it. Oh the fans are the Home depot duct boosters, the 8" fan is actually a good bit quieter than the 6" and less than $5 more, just as a heads up.


 
I thought carbon filters are supposed to be hooked up so the fan sucks the air through it and blows outside??? Since when do we hook up carbon filters and blow air through them??? I'm confused!


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## specialkayme (Nov 25, 2008)

They work either way. You can either suck through them or blow out of them. The important thing is to make sure that whatever air you have in your room first passes through a carbon filter, then doesn't come in contact with the air in the room again, before it goes outside.

Some manufacturers recommend you either suck or blow out the filter, but they work both ways.


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## homerdog (Nov 25, 2008)

The fans I use are $32 for an 8" fan that puts out 420cfm. I have read that they are not meant to push against resistance and are not as efficient as a squirrel fan, they more than serve my purpose, prob the same fan hydro store is selling for $100. I could put the carbon pre fan and honestly it would make changing the filter easier. I like to sit a $1 cone air freshner in the duct to cover up anything the carbon doesn't get. Oh last time I was at home depot I saw they had an adjustable temp cut off for the fans for $30, might be something to play with. Lowe's doesn't carry the fans.


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## homerdog (Nov 25, 2008)

My carbon filter is pretty simple 8" duct to a rectangle floor register outlet, honeywell replacement carbon fliter ($10 next to air cleaners) folded in half a couple times and duct taped over the register. Not professional grade, but serves me well.


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## heftamga (Nov 29, 2008)

cool


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## XkushXmanX420 (Nov 30, 2008)

great thread


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## beennoobed (Nov 30, 2008)

nice cheap carbon.f homerdog...what cfm u use?


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## Yota (Dec 1, 2008)

Ok, looking for some feedback about my inline fan silencer 

Basically i have something similar to the original box in this post. But mine is in the cardboard box that the fan came in, with holes cut on each side for ducting. Then i shoved a bunch of house insulation stuff inside. Just crammed a bunch in and sealed up the cardboard box. It definitely silences things a lot. I recently told the guy at the hydro store about this, and he said that it sounded like a fire danger. Ive had it going for a year with no probs...should i take it down or what!??????


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## homerdog (Dec 1, 2008)

I did more or less the same thing. Was a little worried about static build up, but so far so good, one year and counting.


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## beennoobed (Dec 1, 2008)

which fan yota? n.e pics?


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## Yota (Dec 1, 2008)

i can take a pic later, its a CanFan 178 CFM

Homer, what do you mean static buildup? I didnt even think of that, could that be a potential for disaster?


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## homerdog (Dec 1, 2008)

static buildup can cause a spark. If you used home insulation it should be non flammable.


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## beennoobed (Dec 1, 2008)

so is it ok to sound proof a can fan with the woodbox n stuff it with house insulation? mayb even double up the wooden box?


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## Cheeser (Dec 7, 2008)

Great post sound is more a prob to me than heat and smell .. 1 question what is it you hang the box with bungees ? can i buy these on ebay ? any links please ..1 more would it be wise to cover the box with those speaker mats that was linked up .. I,ll be bangin 1 up asap my old fan had a noisy motor this 1 has a quite motor its just the power from it now making all the whoooooooooooooof with a rumble lmao Like concord landing Back to a previous post .. Heat probs is a big prob here for growers and FLIRS here and works different from the U.S They dont need a warrent they just find the heat sorce watch the house get a warrent for suspected dealing and kick in the door,s with never any mention of flair,s The choppers are in every city in the am,s and pm,s with there flirs catchin all the Big growers growing from profits are all getting caught nearly .. I think the 2-4 plant bedroom growers arnt getting hit as much


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## beennoobed (Dec 7, 2008)

its really a bad idea to gro period, well at least illegally, they really do take ur life away if u get caught, most harshly if u live in a school zone. 1.jail or 1st offense community service up the ass, 2 if u own a house and gro in it, kiss that goodbye, 3. no job nor an apartment will be easy to come by...



BUT LIFE IS ABOUT TAKING RISKS ON ALL ANGLE'S OF LIFE!!!
be safe and smart!


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## johnny99xx (Dec 11, 2008)

Hiya all, 
I've just finished a hydro grow of paradise seeds opium
I've been hi now for a good while!!!!!
I live in a concrete built flats and have 2x5 foot tanks with water pumps

I get a low level hum from the pumps which gets me a bit paranoid that the guy in the flat above can hear.
my grow room is next door to my front door, when I stand in the communal hallway, I cant hear the pumps, my guess is he can't hear them either, 
am I just being paranoid over safety? any ideas or reasurances would be very much appriciated

thanks
johnny


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## specialkayme (Dec 12, 2008)

johnny99xx said:


> Hiya all,
> I've just finished a hydro grow of paradise seeds opium
> I've been hi now for a good while!!!!!
> I live in a concrete built flats and have 2x5 foot tanks with water pumps
> ...


You are probably being paranoid, but sometimes a little bit of paranoia is a good thing, as it keeps us in check.

If you can't hear it in the hallway, they probably can't hear it below you. But if you are really worried about it, put some insulation on the ceiling, or use some sound proofing on the humming devices.


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Dec 13, 2008)

Cheeser said:


> Great post sound is more a prob to me than heat and smell .. 1 question what is it you hang the box with bungees ? can i buy these on ebay ? any links please ..1 more would it be wise to cover the box with those speaker mats that was linked up .. I,ll be bangin 1 up asap my old fan had a noisy motor this 1 has a quite motor its just the power from it now making all the whoooooooooooooof with a rumble lmao Like concord landing Back to a previous post .. Heat probs is a big prob here for growers and FLIRS here and works different from the U.S They dont need a warrent they just find the heat sorce watch the house get a warrent for suspected dealing and kick in the door,s with never any mention of flair,s The choppers are in every city in the am,s and pm,s with there flirs catchin all the Big growers growing from profits are all getting caught nearly .. I think the 2-4 plant bedroom growers arnt getting hit as much


 i built the box, it shows how on the first couple pages of this thread. 

glad to see my thread is going somewhere...


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## bubblerking (Dec 14, 2008)

i alwalys rap my exhaust up in a roll of insutlation and the sound is almost gone


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## smilebitinexile (Dec 18, 2008)

I have a stealth grow in two closets in my room. It's way too loud though and there are people in my room often. My veg room has a DWC system running on a big air pump and a drip system running on a small air pump. These pumps get pretty loud. The big one has a knob that controls the amount of air pushed. Should I lower it to its lowest, and quietest setting? I was thinking of putting some foam under the pumps to lower the volume. Is foam a good idea or is there anything better, like that mat stuff? I could also build a fan box type device and stick the pumps in there. As far as the flower closet goes I have a squirrel fan thats a little loud, an inline that's not that noisy and an oscillating fan that is WAY too noisy. Im going to attach a carbon filter to the squirrel fan which should lower the noise. Im also going to put the inline on bungie cords, not gonna build a box. The one thing I have no idea what to do about is the oscillating fan. Any suggestions? Pictures to come later as I am currently at a friends house.


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## scragelynugz (Dec 20, 2008)

Anyone try noise cancellation like in the bose headphones?

This is setting up a mic in your room and having speakers on the outside or facing the area needing to be quiet. The speakers play an inverted signal and cancels audible noise.


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Dec 20, 2008)

scragelynugz said:


> Anyone try noise cancellation like in the bose headphones?
> 
> This is setting up a mic in your room and having speakers on the outside or facing the area needing to be quiet. The speakers play an inverted signal and cancels audible noise.


very good question. maybe this thread could lead to the next generation of growing =)


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## bigt8r (Dec 20, 2008)

Well, its impossible to see in this picture, but the 8" fan mounted to the ceiling for the filter was extremely loud - like you could hear it throughout the house. I cut off a couple pieces of this thick rubber mat, drilled holes where the mounting screws would go thru them, and put a piece under each foot of the fan. Quiet as can be. You can hear it on the other side of the un-insulated wall, but that's it. Cannot be heard outside, or anywhere past the adjoining room.

For the both of the 6" fans ventilating the lights, I had originally set the lights up with the fans near an exterior wall, and it was very loud as you walked past the window outside. The other end of the system went to a window that is near the middle of the back of the house. So, I reversed the system, and it is nearly impossible to hear when walking past the outside window.

Hope this helps someone! Happy Growing!


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## scragelynugz (Dec 21, 2008)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> very good question. maybe this thread could lead to the next generation of growing =)



Just a hi-tech solution. Maybe its unnecessary but I thought it would be cool and possibly quite effective. Plus, it would take into account all the noises - not just a single piece of equipment. You might be able to seriously stand and talk by the mic in your room and no one would be able to hear you outside.

Maybe I'll get it down and start a business


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## potenza (Dec 22, 2008)

*thanks guys.In summary:

1)cover the fan with wood (put the fan in a wooden box ) @ thanks to **one2threeBUDS4

2)
cover the box and if it possibe,cover the all your grow room with Fatman or daynamat nosiy reducer *


> Originally Posted by *Medi user*
> _Another way to reduce fan noise is to use rubber feet either side of the fixing plate and screw through them, using a suitable washer on the screw head side.
> 
> Also car acoustic deadening rubber will help with general vibration. Not sure if I'd put it in a tank, but underneath on the floor it should help. Example: eBay Store - Sounds Great: Dynamat Cascade: 10115 DYNAMAT Original 2-Sheet Speaker Kit Brand New
> ...


*3)use a duct muffler @ thanks to **specialkayme*


> The carbon filter itself helps reduce noise from the fan, so if at all possible put it at the end of the fan's path. If that doesn't work, or isn't an option, try using a duct muffler.


*thanks.but i wonder these methods are dangerous ? is there fire or explosion risk ?*

thanks again.good topic!


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## docdank22 (Dec 25, 2008)

I wrap my fans and part of my vent line in blankets and that helps kill the sound


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## StealthyGardener (Dec 26, 2008)

Two things I've found that help a lot: speed control for the inline fans and insulated ducting on the outflow side. After determining how much air i needed to move, I put in an oversized inline fan. i then added speed control. Cutting RPM's on an oversized fan dramatically reduces noise while still moving the right amount of air. The other trick was to add about 6" of insulated duct on the outflow side. Pick up at Home Depot or Lowes. The duct is fiberglass insulation within a mylar jacket. this really cuts the noise from airflow itself. Like the poster above, I wrapped my fan in a fiberglass jacket held in with duct tape - not very pretty, but cuts the vibration noise eminating from the fan. The enclosed box is much more elegant of a solution. S.G.


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## [email protected] (Dec 27, 2008)

just came up with an idea ,it works a treat .cheap ,quick way to reduce noise from inline fan.i just took my fan out measured it if it is 300mm /1ft add 50mm /2in to overall size then measure the thickness mine was 300mm x 150mm/1ftx6in found a cardboard box similar size, bigger is better ,then cut two holes out of both large sides mine was 100mm/4in cut two circles out of box on opposite sides, then wrapped my fan with clingfilm or similar taped two bungee cords underneath the fan ,looped these back to top then filled with expanding foam left to set for 24 hrs, cost me £4.00 for foam ,took ten mins the bungee is to hang it up with, and reduces vibration a good deal.ps tape box back up to reduce foam leaks then leave 24 hrs.it adds no extra weight at all pps i think this forum is great hope this helps someone .


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## Willy Nilly (Dec 29, 2008)

Squirrel caqge fans are louder in my opinion and don't move as much air. I've built boxes for all of my fans except one (4inch). I run a ten inch fan, so if you think a 6 inch fan is loud... my ten inch can fan max sounds like the prop on a fan boat in the Bayou. The cool thing about Can Fan Max fans is that they fit into insulated ducting. The key to quieting fans is the air going out of the fan. The boxes help but most of the noise comes from the movement of it going out. They make a few "silencers" I'm sure that they can be made by hand quite a bit cheaper than they sell for in stores or online.


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## hydrogrower420 (Jan 8, 2009)

Is there any ideas on making my closet soundproof from the rez and air pumps?I grow hydroponically in a dwc and you can here the buzzing in the next room! So i need to make my closet soundproof any ideas?


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## scragelynugz (Jan 9, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> just came up with an idea ,it works a treat .cheap ,quick way to reduce noise from inline fan.i just took my fan out measured it if it is 300mm /1ft add 50mm /2in to overall size then measure the thickness mine was 300mm x 150mm/1ftx6in found a cardboard box similar size, bigger is better ,then cut two holes out of both large sides mine was 100mm/4in cut two circles out of box on opposite sides, then wrapped my fan with clingfilm or similar taped two bungee cords underneath the fan ,looped these back to top then filled with expanding foam left to set for 24 hrs, cost me £4.00 for foam ,took ten mins the bungee is to hang it up with, and reduces vibration a good deal.ps tape box back up to reduce foam leaks then leave 24 hrs.it adds no extra weight at all pps i think this forum is great hope this helps someone .


Sounds like a great idea!
Any chance for the cardboard to mold or catch on fire?


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## Lifto (Jan 11, 2009)

what are those zippy tents called.. i need one!


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## Kludge (Jan 12, 2009)

I wonder if a rusty trombone would be louder than an inline fan...


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## importfr87 (Jan 21, 2009)

I made friends with mt neighbor, he's this 50 year old dude who's really into whiskey so sometimes we have a drink. When I'm at his place I always listen to see if I can hear anything, and I can't. If you can find an excuse to visit your neighbors, why not check for yourself if it's too loud.
One thing I do wonder about is if he can hear it at night, when everything is quite, especially since his bed unknowingly shares a wall with my grow room...
Either way I'm not too worried, he said he likes to smoke every year or so, and we've become good enough friends that he wouldn't rat me out. Get your neighbors to be friends, but don't share your secret with them unless you'd trust them with your life, cause that's kind of what you would be doing.


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## specialkayme (Jan 21, 2009)

The only problem with that is if you go over to your neighbor's house and spend an afternoon with them, and you find out you CAN hear your grow room from his place, then it's too late and they can and probably have already heard it.

Odds are that they don't know what it is, or think it's a big freezer or something, but who knows.

The whole point of sound control is to stop it BEFORE someone takes notice. If you only control the sound AFTER someone notices it, then it defeats the purpose. You arn't doing sound CONTROL, just playing sound CATCH UP.


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## spliffy777 (Jan 23, 2009)

hi all i got a new 6 inch inline fan and it was to loud.so i got 2 buckets .cut a 6 inch hole in each bottom of bucket. then i fixxed fan in middle of the buckets with 2 pieces of 6 inch plastic pipe. drilled some pilot holes then screwed um togther and i also glue gunned um on outside to seal it .then i foam filled inside the buckets .was really messy job foam comming out were ever it could.but when it dryed and hung it up with rubber gromets .its so much better u have to go in the room to hear it .


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## OatmealCerebralCortex (Jan 25, 2009)

Cool thread, im going to have to set up a sound proof fan in a couple of weeks, this may be the route that i take..
Cheers

Oat


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## paloooza (Jan 25, 2009)

There are products made specifically for sound proofing ... here's a link to an example:

http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/acousti_board/acousti_board.htm

Google "sound proofing" or "sound barrier board"


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## amsterdamman01 (Jan 26, 2009)

i find that actually using an old lay down type freezer can make the perfect grow area, of course if u have one laying about in the garage like i did, the seal on the freezer keeps any odours and noise to a complete minimum. ive only just started to grow myself but i believe as they get bigger the odour will be kept inside until the time comes when i can inhale it all when i open to water/feed lmfao. anyway other than i hear a towel wrapped to just under the fan keeps it far quietier............anon


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## Kludge (Jan 26, 2009)

amsterdamman01 said:


> ...the seal on the freezer keeps any odours and noise to a complete minimum. ive only just started to grow myself but i believe as they get bigger the odour will be kept inside until the time comes when i can inhale it all when i open to water/feed lmfao.


Um, how do they get air? I can't imagine a closed up freezer is a good environment.


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## canadiancracker (Jan 26, 2009)

I HAVENT READ ALL THIS THREAD AND IM SORRY IF SOMEONE ALREADY SPIT THIS ONE OUT.

hit up your local fruit and vegtable store. all the tomatoes come in boxes and have egg craton style layers between them,, they throw all this shit out. ask them or dumpster dive, i met a guy who worked in on and had them all over his house thats how i found out. staple them inside fan boxes, along growroom walls, where ever you need to cut sound,, air and cardboard are great insulators, and its free.....

nothing beats free. hope this helps someone,, i lined all the walls in my growroom with it and even in the middle of the quiet night i dont hear a thing,..
and didnt cost me shit,. i was planning on soundboard but the tomoato hoders did the job. and its cheaper than buying 1 million eggs for the cartons,, lol


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## whitenugz (Jan 27, 2009)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> I have a 6" inline that moves 435 cfm. It was pretty loud until I hooked it up to my carbon filter and all all the ducting. That did wonders for the sound on its own. Probably not much help, but you should remember that in an apartment, there is no insulation on the inner walls separating rooms. However, there is insulation in the walls that separate the different apartments in order to cut down on noise, so it's probably not as loud as you think it is next door.


put it together before you go into making boxes and such. Great idea but once its hooked up to a 6 inch carbon filter and some (nice) ducts your good. Unless your hiding it from your mom or roomates your good i think. I got a 450 cfm 6 inch inline hooked up a a carbon filter and sound absorbing ducts and i don't hear much besides a light air flow. Without the ducts and carbon filter you definately need something.


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## billclintonshookup (Jan 28, 2009)

I HAVENT READ ALL THIS THREAD AND IM SORRY IF SOMEONE ASKED THIS BUT...
im looking at getting a 400w metal hallide and noise is a very big concern for me, i was wondering if they make any noise if so, do i need to be concerned? Any quiet models? and i was thinking of sound proffing my 4' deep 4' wide and 5.5' tall grow space any suggestions or methods? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## scragelynugz (Jan 28, 2009)

billclintonshookup said:


> I HAVENT READ ALL THIS THREAD AND IM SORRY IF SOMEONE ASKED THIS BUT...
> im looking at getting a 400w metal hallide and noise is a very big concern for me, i was wondering if they make any noise if so, do i need to be concerned? Any quiet models? and i was thinking of sound proffing my 4' deep 4' wide and 5.5' tall grow space any suggestions or methods? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


The light itself isnt noisy. The ballast is - but not even noticeable. We're talking about vents and a/c and other loud noises.


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## NotMine (Jan 30, 2009)

I been using large styrofoam shipping containers they are 4" thick used for shipping animal/reptiles and really quiet down the fans just use a knife and cut a hole for your intake/exaust and they square and they stack nice in a corner or whatever I'm sure you can get them free at the pet store.... free nice clean


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## scragelynugz (Jan 31, 2009)

NotMine said:


> I been using large styrofoam shipping containers they are 4" thick used for shipping animal/reptiles and really quiet down the fans just use a knife and cut a hole for your intake/exaust and they square and they stack nice in a corner or whatever I'm sure you can get them free at the pet store.... free nice clean


Great solution!!


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## OpTikPhiber (Feb 6, 2009)

I was considering lining the walls of my room with insulation board. Like they made walls out of in the seemorebuds video. Any tried this yet?


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## tyke1973 (Feb 9, 2009)

The best thing that i have come across for sound is the lagging that is put around pipes its like a spongey kind a thing great stuff i put a piece on each sides of my fan and hung fan wit a bungy clip with a rubber o ring no noise at all comeing from my fans.I even put the lagging in strips about 1ft sections under my hydrophonics it's cut the noise of the pump down bt 90%.Anything that you have to hang use rubber o ring like the ones from time ago what used to run in a hoover old timers will know what i mean.


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## livesoul (Feb 11, 2009)

Yo guys i had a really long room, about 14 feet long and 10 feet wide. I built a wall and made a 5 foot wide closet, cutting the room down to 9x10. I put sound board up against the walls (each sheet is 4'x8' and $11 at home depot)and a sheet of drywall over that. Did the whole inside of the closet for less than $100. The most expensive part was the door which was $120 and soundproof. But you can't hear shit!


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## OpTikPhiber (Feb 11, 2009)

livesoul said:


> Yo guys i had a really long room, about 14 feet long and 10 feet wide. I built a wall and made a 5 foot wide closet, cutting the room down to 9x10. I put sound board up against the walls and a sheet of drywall over that. Did the whole inside of the closet for less than $100. The most expensive part was the door which was $120 and soundproof. But you can't hear shit!


Damn! That sounds (I mean doesn't sound) nice. 

I tried putting up some flat insulation board. It sucks at retarding sound. I should have done what you have done. Oh well back to Lowes.


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## MaryJaneNorCal (Feb 16, 2009)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Nice setup..

And to the OP, thanks for that information. That will help me with my future grow and keeping the noise down.


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## TONYJEJO (Feb 16, 2009)

at day turn your radio on! at night is ventilation off!!!! problem solved! LOL!


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## buddydro (Feb 22, 2009)

TONYJEJO said:


> at day turn your radio on! at night is ventilation off!!!! problem solved! LOL!


 
I have dehumidifier running next to my grom room. You can hear it running, and you can see it running, and you don't hear everything running behind it.


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## AsbestosToast (Feb 23, 2009)

Forgive me if someone has already said this (its a long thread, gimme a break) but I plan on insulating my entire box, because it's small enough. This, if it works, since right now its just an idea, will hopefully make the HPS, fans, and air pump undetectable. It makes sense to me, because the sounds/vibrations would have to go through another layer, insulated, to get to outside the box, then add my closet doors, and if all goes to plan, there won't be any detectable hum or noise. Just a thought.


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## Pot Is Yummy (Feb 23, 2009)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


Thats a deadly idea dude, thanks.


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## Huffermingle (Feb 27, 2009)

A good way to keep noise down is to build an air baffle, Especially if your exhausting/in taking from a window this will pretty much kill any motor, or duct tubing sound. basically, build a wooden box from 5/8" Plywood using the same dimensions as the window sil, then cut at least one piece small enough to fit inside the box, with a 2 inch opening opposite od where your fan enters.

Something like this.

One Baffle (See through Top down view) 

Window 
________ 
| 
| ________| 

Fan 


Double Baffle (See through Top down view)

Window
________ _
| ________| 
|_______ _|

Fan

So you would build this then tape around the outside to seal it, also make sure u have a sheet or curtain between to baffle and the window, and whenever possible never attach a fan directly to the baffle, this transfer motor harmonics to the outside and you'll hear sound outside, always try to use a duct in between the blower and a baffle. These are great for basement windows.


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## Rope Smoker (Mar 2, 2009)

homerdog said:


> My system is not silent but you'd have a hell of a time figuring out what it is and finding it. Oh the fans are the Home depot duct boosters, the 8" fan is actually a good bit quieter than the 6" and less than $5 more, just as a heads up.


Cool that is very good info man! 



SayWord said:


> how much did u pay for ur fans? they hydro shop was sayin they were like 100 bux. like wtf


I bought my 6" duct booster fan at Menards for $30 It was pretty noisy, so I bought a dimmer switch for lights and turned the speed down to a resonable level that can barly be heard! But you do lose CFM's slowing down the fan! 

Rope smoker


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## VDUBB (Mar 21, 2009)

dyno-mat , we used to use it in our cars back in the day to help keep in the bass, also kept loose parts from rattling


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## VDUBB (Mar 21, 2009)

Spicolli said:


> Hanging by bungees does wonders for vibrating fan noise. I've got that covered, but now the loudest part of my closet is the air pumps. Anyone have a good suggestion for getting rid of that annoying hum?


build another box ????????????


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## Daveinca (Mar 22, 2009)

hello to all,
I am new to growing MJ, actually i havent started yet, my background is commercialy growing cut flowers. it seems that every picture of mj farms i have seen a huge amout of fans moving air through the growing area. 

my question is why does mj need so much air movement?


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## vinkelsliber (Apr 1, 2009)

Daveinca said:


> hello to all,
> I am new to growing MJ, actually i havent started yet, my background is commercialy growing cut flowers. it seems that every picture of mj farms i have seen a huge amout of fans moving air through the growing area.
> 
> my question is why does mj need so much air movement?


To force the plants to strengthen their stalks, but also to prevent molds, and to keep the warmth even.


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## 420weedman (Apr 22, 2009)

nice, i think ill be making one of these


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## lunshbox (Apr 25, 2009)

If you have anything that sets on the ground or a shelf, you can make silicon rubber footies for the equipment. Just get a 2"x2"x4" tupperware container. Coat it with Pam, and fill it with clear silicon caulking from Lowes. Knock it out of the container after 12 hours. Let cure for 5 days, then place 4 under each balast, fan, or whatever. You can also use these when bolting something to the wall as a bolt dampener. This cut down vibrations in my attic from the point of not being able to sleep to forgetting I had a grow room


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## traveler13 (Apr 29, 2009)

insulated flexible ducting works wonders too. Its takes up more room but it does wonders for sound suppression


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## Captn (May 3, 2009)

I live in a 3rd floor apartment, and I'm going to vent out a window that is about 20ft vertically and 20ft horizontally from a heavily trafficked walkway. I just bought a Can 8" HO 735cfm fan with a Can 75 filter. I haven't mounted them or run a ducting yet, but I turned it on just to hear it. Man, its pretty loud. I know I can reduce the noise with bungees and insulated ducting, and I really like that mounting box, but I'm worried about the sound of the airflow itself tipping people off. Does anyone have a similar sized setup? What does it sound like when you are outside in the vicinity of the vent? Should I get a muffler? I asked the owner of the hydro shop for one, but he said I didn't need it, even though he had them in stock. I figured he wouldn't pass on selling it to me unless I really didn't need it. Would a muffler reduce the noise of the airflow? What do you guys think? Please tell me something to ease my mind.


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## Hedgehunter (May 5, 2009)

8' is going to be noisy mate! 735cfm is alot of air ! buy a speed controller imo, turn it down, also buy insulated ducting and try to get the out take end as far outside as you can to reduce to vortex noise.


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## Captn (May 5, 2009)

Hedgehunter said:


> 8' is going to be noisy mate! 735cfm is alot of air ! buy a speed controller imo, turn it down, also buy insulated ducting and try to get the out take end as far outside as you can to reduce to vortex noise.


You're the 2nd person to tell me that...thats what I'm gonna do


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## BiscoNughuffer (May 10, 2009)

i dunno i have a 6 inch inline and several other fans and i have no problems


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## Captn (May 10, 2009)

I followed Hedge's advice and got the speed controller, now the system will only be as loud as I want it to be, Thanx again Hedge


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## GrowBox123 (Jun 10, 2009)

Sounds control, odor control, vibration control, power control, heat control all that stuff is very important. 

Sound - Gotta know how to build the system for sound control.

Odor control - Charcoal filters will do the job. Charcoal filters are used in the military to block a chemical attack. 

Vibration control - Again, have to know how to build the system to control this.

Power & heat control - HPS lamps and LED lighting is the optimal type to use. I would stay away from LED lighting because tons of people are losing money. Very few led lights actually work.


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## Sill,E (Jun 11, 2009)

Don't worry, the white noise out there will cancel out your air flow sound.


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## 420johnny (Jul 5, 2009)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


I'm still living at home so i have no chance of hiding a growroom but theres a few plants at the side of the house. (my father smokes anyway so if he finds them he wont get mad, its my mother kicking me out im worried about).

One think i must ask is wouldnt people notice you carrying all this grow equipment into your new apartment? surely someone would see something when your moving in. Oh well.


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## PowerPlantPuss (Jul 18, 2009)

replace chains with rope or strong string + anywhere metal is touching cover with duct tape n if u wanna go all out put housing insulation around the big fan boxes to reduce noise even more!!! or just throw a few bed sheets, the puffy ones over the grow box it reduce sound even more!!! worked a treat for me n costs nothing just time


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## Jay_normous (Jul 24, 2009)

Wow.. great thread...
Have just spent a good half hour soaking it all in..

Loving the box on the first page, however as mentioned earlier.. covering the inside of the box.. I'd use 1" flat sponge..
Hanging the box with rubber bands etc would be the best regarding vibration 

I think the egg shell wall covering imo would reduce reflection of the light back on to the plants, however i recon if you put some in each corner then that might help a bit as well...
You got to remember though, where is the sound actually coming from i.e fan and ballast.

Digital / Electronic ballasts are much quieter than the magnetic ones that most growers seam to have..
hay also have many benifits like.. less heat, cheaper to run, more lumens per watt and of course almost silent.
The Lumatek in paticular would be the best on the market.


Also, I think someone was talking about noise from their inlet... why not try making a few inlets.. then air wont have to "woosh" so much through the 1 inlet..

I have to read up about varible fans speeds as I think some fans are not sutible for this due to the ball bearings inside..

Like i say.. good thread...


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## one2threeBUDS4 (Jul 27, 2009)

Wow  glad to see this thread has come so far..


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## bigbud x northenlights (Jul 27, 2009)

this is my method for the internal fan and the ceiling mounted extractor fan.

i simple suspend the cage fan in mid air with string inbetwean the lights and the top of the plants to reduce vibration noise.

for the ceiling fan i dont screw the fan directly into the ceiling i drop the air duct down into the grow room, attach it to the fan and suspend with string again, this cuts out nearly all the noise as before i did this it was screwed direct to the ceiling and it sounded as if there was a plane taking off in the room lol, hope this gives some people some direction and ideas for their own grow space, good luck n keep it quiet, ur equiptment and ur lips, lol. peace


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## Jay_normous (Aug 7, 2009)

bigbud x northenlights said:


> this is my method for the internal fan and the ceiling mounted extractor fan.
> 
> i simple suspend the cage fan in mid air with string inbetwean the lights and the top of the plants to reduce vibration noise.
> 
> for the ceiling fan i dont screw the fan directly into the ceiling i drop the air duct down into the grow room, attach it to the fan and suspend with string again, this cuts out nearly all the noise as before i did this it was screwed direct to the ceiling and it sounded as if there was a plane taking off in the room lol, hope this gives some people some direction and ideas for their own grow space, good luck n keep it quiet, ur equiptment and ur lips, lol. peace


 
Depending on the size of your room... Whats called " Muffin" fans can sometimes do...
I manage to get a few 4" and 6" fans..

I used the 4" for while but found the started to get a bit noisey for my liking.. so went to change them the other day for the 6" ones.... turned them on (dimmer switch included) and the room nearly took off... 
So now back to 4" fans but this time mounted them to foam using a hot glue gun and then to a piece of half inch mdf screwed this to the wall of my grow room but also using rubber bands wraped around screws between the wooden plate and my room..
The result... Silence.. Cant belive how well it works... The hot glue works really well...kiss-ass


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## skunkyhead (Aug 10, 2009)

silncers work a damm treat! Got a 130w fan with 2 silencers on it. Upload pic soon. Only prob is,it's still a little to noisy for my likings. Any body know how i could silence it more? Was thinking of putting up a fake wall to reduce noise but don't know what to use as insulation? What has great sound deadning properties?? Any and all help is appriciated!


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## Jay_normous (Aug 10, 2009)

skunkyhead said:


> silncers work a damm treat! Got a 130w fan with 2 silencers on it. Upload pic soon. Only prob is,it's still a little to noisy for my likings. Any body know how i could silence it more? Was thinking of putting up a fake wall to reduce noise but don't know what to use as insulation? What has great sound deadning properties?? Any and all help is appriciated!


The noise now you can probably hear is coming from the actual fan, If I were you I'd make a box for it and fill it with expandable foam.. he foam sets hard so if your not happy with it you can take it the box apart and peel off the foam..


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## skunkyhead (Aug 10, 2009)

cheers! i'll give it a shot. Don't know if will work caus room is a bit tight.can't suspend either. Does anyone know if another silencer will work? Thought it won't caus not connected directly to fan so therefor won't silence. Any one know if true or not?


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## skunkyhead (Aug 11, 2009)

Playing around with cheapest option first.Insulation bats. Let ya know if work or not...

I'm open to all any any idea's


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## skunkyhead (Aug 11, 2009)

ok. insulation bats worked a little but not as much as hyped to be. I can say the same for insulated ducting. I am running r6 ducting throughout. Yes it helps but not a great deal. Well in my circmstancs anyways. But as always it all comes down to individual set ups.

With the box idea...Is it better to go thick walled i.e 19mm part board and have less foam OR go thin like 3mm and more foam? And i'm guessing to bigger the box the better. BUT having said that,do you comprimise noise when the box touches the walls? (refer to my pic above)

All info is greatly appriciatedkiss-ass


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## EASYNOW (Aug 11, 2009)

I to am about to face the challenge of nice quiet no sounding fans in my room.
I thought of this.Get some thin chicken mesh.squash it all up and make a seperate piece of ducting about 3 or 2 foot long 2 or 3 of these things would be the go.put as much chicken mesh as you can in there without putting holes in the ducting. i was going to reinforce ducting with strong tape.Then i was going to make 2 seperate boxes out of ply use that dynamat car sound deadening stuff to line it heavliey and then cut the holes out to feed the duct threw then put it all togther.Couple of hooks and suspend it from my roof in my room.

the hole chicken mesh idea is to take up room in the ducting.While still letting airflow fly stright threw thier.In other words walk into a empty house it echo's its ars of walk into a house that has furntiture it dosnt really echo.Thats kinda were i got my idea from lol


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## EASYNOW (Aug 11, 2009)

skunkyhead said:


> ok. insulation bats worked a little but not as much as hyped to be. I can say the same for insulated ducting. I am running r6 ducting throughout. Yes it helps but not a great deal. Well in my circmstancs anyways. But as always it all comes down to individual set ups.
> 
> With the box idea...Is it better to go thick walled i.e 19mm part board and have less foam OR go thin like 3mm and more foam? And i'm guessing to bigger the box the better. BUT having said that,do you comprimise noise when the box touches the walls? (refer to my pic above)
> 
> All info is greatly appriciatedkiss-ass


the thicker the better i would say with the wood and a shit load of foam.And yes if your fans are touching the walls i could only imagine that ther would be vibration from that when running. foam it up


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## skunkyhead (Aug 12, 2009)

ARRRRGH!!! This is driving me nuts!!! The only way the system can be installed is upright with touching walls. The vibration don't matter. It's the noise! I tried the foam box with no luck  Can't susspend anything either so therefore can't lie system down.  So far the best thing on there to reduce noise are the Silencers! Highly recommended if room allows it. I think I'm going to have to go outright and take the biggest $ sucking option  Industrial Sound Proofing Insulation. Down to one other option. Comply back fill the wall with bats. It's 1/3 done with foam box and noise is only muffled slightly. 

Is anyone out there who runs a Completly Dead (or close) silent carbon filter set up? PLEASE post how you did it!! Noiseis not an option for me! Pretty Pretty please with extra skunky thc on top of your fruity skunky bong hits!kiss-ass


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## LuckyLou (Aug 16, 2009)

I am contemplating a generator but fear the noise factor. I'm thinking 10k - 12k watts. Can mufflers be attached to drop the db level? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## bigt8r (Aug 16, 2009)

LuckyLou said:


> I am contemplating a generator but fear the noise factor. I'm thinking 10k - 12k watts. Can mufflers be attached to drop the db level? Any help would be greatly appreciated.


I've been running an 8,000 watt portable generator to supplement my electricity for the last few months. I built a small shed 8 foot by 6 foot, and went to the nearest thrift store and picked up a bunch of old mattresses to line the walls of my room.

I cut a hole in the roof and installed a 1500 CFM power vent to get the exhaust out of the room, and cut three 4 inch holes in the bottom of the wall closest to where the intake was going to be on the generator.

When the door is closed, it's pretty quiet. When you're standing 10 feet from it, it sounds about as loud as a pressure washer that someone is running a block or two away, fairly quiet. If you have a decent sized backyard, this is effective enough to not hear on the other side of a fence in the neighbor's yard. I don't have a DB meter, but I would say it's maybe 10db with the mattresses and door shut. It's about 90-100db without insulation.

I just purchased a 15KW Onan residential standby generator last week, and am in the process of installing it. It's HUGE, weighs over 1000 lbs, is powered by either natural gas or propane on an inline 4-cylinder engine, and is about 60db with just the exhaust system. I'm hoping that when it's installed and running where the old generator was, that it will be completely inaudiable with the insulation in place. 

At the very least, it will be EXTREMELY quiet. I should have it in place this week... gotta take the door out to fit it in the shed first. (I should have planned better when I built it... but I didn't anticipate ever putting in a massive generator!)

Hope this helps
T8r


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## LuckyLou (Aug 16, 2009)

Thanks BigT. With 1500cfm it sounds like you have any heat issues worked out as well. Bigger may indeed be better.


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## bigt8r (Aug 16, 2009)

I wanted to make sure that there was plenty of fresh air for the generator to consume... I figured it would run pretty horrible if it was running off of exhaust air, especially on days I run it all day. The power vent sucks the exhaust gas out, and with the holes at the bottom, sucks fresh air in. I still wouldn't want to hang out in the room with the generator running, but it's considerably better than nothing...

Oh yeah, the exhaust system on the new generator is threaded steel pipe to a muffler, so I was going to see what happens when I attach more pipe and more mufflers in-line. If I can get it quiet enough, I'll just pipe the exhaust straight out.


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## willhelm (Aug 29, 2009)

Here Here to Johnny. Havnt set up my room yet still in planning stages but I use to be in a band back in NSW and our jam room was basically two shipping containers dwelded together under friends house. Im sure you can imagine the soung in there The neighbours sure as hell didnt have to imagine ; > any way after a few foam matress tops (bout inch thick) and a hell of alot of egg cartons you couls bearly hear a thing.


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## purpleplantsmoker (Sep 2, 2009)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


 in need to know how to grow, n e pointers on space or equipment


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## Jay_normous (Sep 3, 2009)

Here is a few pics of my grow..
This is my first scrog grow.

Im using Lumatek 250w ballast, 2 4" muffin fans for in / outlet and a osi fan..

Note the foam behind osi fan.. this kills any sound echoed from behind and the corners...(will paint white when I get round to it)

Also a pic or two of my clone & veg room..

My exuast fan is linked up to a carbon air filter however has a sheet of thin cloth between them both.. 
The same happens with the inlet too.. by doing this lower the noise of air pulled by the fans.
My muffin fans are mounted to foam thats been cut out inside the same size as the fan turbine, them mounted it on to a small sheet of 1/2 inch mdf also cut out the sime size as the fan and use a hot glue gun, best thing ever it was..

The result: silence.... well cuffed with it...


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## possumjeep (Sep 7, 2009)

Would vibration isolater mounts for automotive use would work well to cutt down vibration niose.

I got some spares from when I bought an MSD box that Im gonna try and mount my exhast fan on


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## jigaman (Sep 14, 2009)

hi all i need a lil help if thats ok
i just got a 100x100x200 grow tent and i have got a tt125 inline fan and five meters of duct and 9inch fan for inside and a cooltube with a 600w hps 
with six 11L pots and im using coco for my cheese cuttings but im not really sure how to set this up without it being loud will the fan be quiet in this tent as i have neva used a tent before


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## Bluemax (Sep 18, 2009)

i have the same size tent buddy,my fan is on the outside,and its well,loud,only had enough ducting to cover from carbon filter to cooltube inside tent,and then from cooltube outside tent to the fan(fan is mounted sideways on wall bracket) but the end its spilling air out of has no ducting after it,its pretty loud,hopefully if i add more ducting that side,it should be all good.

i dont think your meant to put your extraction fans INSIDE the tent

the 9 inch air circ fan should be fine in there,its the other fans that make teh noise


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## DLC420 (Sep 18, 2009)

XReddiWipX said:


> Due to my location, I'm lucky enough not to have to worry about sound issues... But, I had to see this post!
> 
> Bad-Ass suggestion!
> 
> I would have never thought to suspend it like you did!


 yeah rly good suggestion not bad at all


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## tbudmaker (Sep 19, 2009)

had t same tought but 2 c u put it it2 use like tha makes sense cheers bud


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## cappeeler09 (Sep 20, 2009)

ive got 2 small desk fans in my tent and they make quite a bit of noise ones clipped top 1 of the poles off the tent and ones hanging with the wire going out of the hood,is ther anythink i can do


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## splap (Sep 20, 2009)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.



I heard that's not really true. I heard that it just muffles the sound but it's just as loud. Then again, the person who was telling me about that was talking about music, not fans...


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## cappeeler09 (Sep 20, 2009)

no ther not extraction fans,ive got my filter inside and the extraction fan is ontop of the tent connected to my filter,ive got 2 small house fans inside just the ones with a stand wich spin left to right


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## kagenical (Sep 26, 2009)

splap said:


> I heard that's not really true. I heard that it just muffles the sound but it's just as loud. Then again, the person who was telling me about that was talking about music, not fans...


Generally, thin egg crate foam does more to attenuate higher frequency sounds than it does lower frequency ones. In effect, you could say that this open celled foam changes the type of sound you hear, from a higher pitched sound to a lower one. This wouldn't change the apparent volume of music (as it's such a complex waveform that a bit of attenuation at one end does very little to it's overall SPL) but it can help with simpler frequencies.

Thicker, denser foams (especially layered foams... An inch thick rubbery foam plus your egg crate foam make a great combination) attenuate and reduce SPLs for a wide band of audible ranges...

The cheap foams (Like mattress padding) do very little for low rumbles (air pumps for example) but can give you a bit of an edge with the higher pitches (extractor fans aka jet engines).

Other things people can try... How about an AC fan speed controller? Wired in-line with your extractor fan, you can turn it down to the exact level you need. Many of the fans do too good a job at cycling your grow space (especially our cabinet growers) and the top 50% of their RPM range does very little extra over their RPM rating @ 50% speed.


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## Veeznutz420 (Sep 27, 2009)

does anyone have ideas for a safe box to be built for a ballast? i have two pc fans just need an idea of what to put in the box..


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## 2perlight (Oct 1, 2009)

how do i cut the sound of my exhaust from my room going outside its loud outside the window and what do i do about winter my exhaust is going to look like a fire is coming out of the window with so much steam from the heat what to do any suggestions please!!!!


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## sarita99 (Oct 2, 2009)

The solution to getting rid of the loud whooshing noise of the air being pushed outside is a plenum or muffler. Basically it is a box or container that you place in the duct before the air passes out. You can build it out of anything. The box in the first pic is for the exhaust. It was built out of wood and sheetrock. The second box is for the intake, and as you can see it is a bucket. The bucket isn't as good as the wood box. The air gets pushed into the plenum where it disperses, and then it wanders out from there. My back yard used to sound like a tornado, now you can barely hear it, it cut the noise down like 95%.


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## neiltoosweet (Oct 4, 2009)

so what about 1,a box,2, acoustic ducting,and 3, an exhast muffler,
would doing all three make the fan silent?


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## 2perlight (Oct 4, 2009)

thats great what should i put inside the box for the exhaust just use wood? what kind of set up do you have looks like mine


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## sarita99 (Oct 4, 2009)

Just wood. The idea is to slow down and disperse the air so it doesn't go shooting out at high speed through the narrow duct.


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## 2perlight (Oct 4, 2009)

what about steam in the winter?


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## naked gardener (Oct 6, 2009)

Okay, I will admit that I did not real ALL 16 pages of replies--so sorry if it's a repeat (and I'm sure it is)--simple suggestion that worked WONDERS for me---INSULATED DUCT WORK, $30 per [email protected] Depot (and definitely bungees for suspension--tho I use jack chain like a sling, (each side connected to a different hook) from my joists above for the 66CAN & bungee for 8"FAN) Little noise except right near the area and NO vibration
Went from 'holy shit--it REALLY DOES sound like a jet engine' to...well....I'm sitting directly above it now and can't hear A THING--couldn't believe the difference by simply switching the ductwork


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## Hotwired (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm not sure if I ever replied to this thread over the year it has been here but I have mentioned this before in other threads and I have used multiple types of fans from various companies including the big names.

The Panasonic Whisperquiet fans are without doubt the BEST overall for stealth. I did a comparison test way back when I did my tent write up. These fans are awesome if you are worried about noise. I use a 6" in my closet and I sleep 10 feet away and can't hear it.

I saw a few threads about the endurance and strength of the fan. All for the bad side, but I went ahead and ordered one just to see for myself. I hooked it up in my attic back in April of '08 and have not turned it off since. So this proves the endurance. It keeps my tent 2 degrees above ambient cooling a 600 watt. So it has strength in distances under 10 feet.

I will agree that any run longer than 10 feet may have a problem tho. That's where the other fans are better. But you pay for that type of strength with a ton of noise. 

The 8" would probably do a 15 foot run with a few turns in it. There are a few places to grab the specs on these before you order.

http://www.ntsupply.com/files/products/FV-40NLF1_Spec.pdf

This shows the drop off once you get passed the 1.0 static pressure mark. But who cares? You still get 200 cfm at 1 sp and it will be so quiet you can stand next to it and whisper to a friend. If you add insulated duct you would be able to make a baby sleep right next to it. No shit.


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## Krawnik (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm planning on building a grow box that will house like 4-6 plants. Think it'll be necessary to go through the worry of building any sound control??


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## miztaj (Oct 17, 2009)

Krawnik said:


> I'm planning on building a grow box that will house like 4-6 plants. Think it'll be necessary to go through the worry of building any sound control??


depends on if you can hear it outside where people may hear it,neighbors,do u have utility workers checking electric or gas meters monthly that may hear it. Or it may bug the shit out of u hearing fans all the time.


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## DankShasta (Oct 25, 2009)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


Dgital ballast, i got a couple they are amazing for heat and noise. They also turn on super fast!


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## curioushiker (Oct 31, 2009)

Not sure if I need to worry about noise but heres my setup.
25x30' garage with attic space above. 2x4 walls, R-13 insulation, with Hardi panels on the outside and 1/2" drywall on the insde. My actual room in built inside the garage. It is 8'x20' Construction is 2x4 walls, R-13 insulation, 1/2" sound board then 7/16" OSB (wafer board)
I am running lumateks and a 12" max fan and several other cheap standing fans for circulation. 
The 12" max fan will be on top of a 39" can filter with ducting that exits the room through the top and into the attic above the garage. The ducting will then move into the attic space above the house and vent there to flow out the gable vents and soffot vents. The garage attic and house attic are "sealed" from each other.
Of course this is in the blueprint stage so I dont know what my noise will be like, if any.
What do you guys think?


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## elegentsmoker (Nov 1, 2009)

good thread built boxes saved my grow keep on growing my green thumbed brothern .


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## tod (Nov 4, 2009)

yeah tod here england i have had major problems with sound when the bubble pots fans and ballast are buzzing parranioa sets in well you want stealth go to carpet centre thick wood floor underlay and silver sound proof pack your pots underneath and your ballasts even under fans 200 mm or even less .........happy days can't hear a whistle


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## tod (Nov 6, 2009)

johnny go to bQ and buy two big rolls of thick laminte underlay then buy 1 4mtr square accoustic sound padding all your probs will be gone fold the underlay as thick as desired and put sound padding on top hope you do well tod yoda


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## Zecydropourdy (Nov 9, 2009)

why express lies


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## mrdrywall (Nov 10, 2009)

good idea my room is away from the house but still noisy to me when people r around def. gonna try egg crate on the one wall thanx


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## grow space (Nov 11, 2009)

Very good thread....
Also, a good way to bring down the noise level generated from fans, is to not use old, busted down equipment...Like i have and planning to change out my old soviet union fan, that makes the noise of a soviet union tank lol


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## KitchenKhemist (Nov 14, 2009)

My friend is using a caulk called "Grabber Green Acoustical Sealant." I'm not sure where to actually buy the stuff as he picked up 4 large tubes left at our last job site (you'd be amazed at what gets left behind when a building goes up). Anyway, it claims to deaden noise. He used it on all seams/corners of his room.


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## curioushiker (Nov 14, 2009)

Building a box around your fan is a great idea. Another thing, if you have the space is to build an enclosure that your fan and filter can fit into. Line it with "egg crate" foam and remember to leave enough of an opening to allow fresh air in. The foam works well to absorb that sound.


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## curioushiker (Nov 14, 2009)

Just wanted to add that if you are in the market for a new fan I would check out the max fans. When I compared fans I found that a 10" max fan makes about the same noise (different pitch sound though) an 8" vortec. 
The 12" was much quieter than a 10" vortec. There really is more than cool looks to the Max Fan.


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## growin4myhead (Dec 7, 2009)

Anyone think that box idea would work with an air pump? mines noisy as hell


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## VertFarmer (Dec 9, 2009)

From on top of my head:

1. Build a fan box with foam, rockwool and plaster
2. Build a muffler like this one: http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=42646
3. Reduce bends and turns in the ducting as this increases noise, lowers air flow and therefore creates need for higher fan speed.
4. Use straight rather than flexi ducting. Isolated of course.
5. Put air pumps on 4 inch matress foam. It really helps a lot
6. Use more air stones on the same tubing (using T-forks) to increase resistance in the tubing. Tubing clips can also be used. Pumps makes most noise when pumping unrestrained.
7. Test several air pumps before you buy as they differ a lot.
8. Test several circulation fans as these also differ a lot. 6&#8221; clip ons are great for low sound.
9. Building a sound proof grow box with multilayer walls: Plaster-air-rockwool-plaster (plaster is very dense and great for sound reduction)
10. Get your self a big fluffy carpet.
11. Place anything vibrating like reservoir, air pump, PC fans etc. on matress foam as it kills vibration dead.
12. Use a voltage reducing fan speed controller rather than resistance increasing versions, as these can cause fan hum.
13. Keep your big fat mouth shut! Lol!

Stay green and safe: --VertFarmer


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## Reggaemuffin (Dec 12, 2009)

Hey, Can't you just use empty egg cartons and stick them on the wall of your grow room, shut the doors, etc.. sound' shouldn't be to much of an issue I hope.


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## Mogwai5 (Dec 30, 2009)

ez all, was just looking thorugh this and remembered when I had a decent car system in my car I used a load of dynamat for sound deadening, had a look at their website and found this, thought it might be of use to y'all, apologies if repost.

http://www.dynamat.com/products_architectural_dynamat_xtreme.html


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## smokebros (Jan 3, 2010)

lots of good ideas here bros


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## the75bag (Jan 13, 2010)

nice i just mounted my fan on a 2x4 in my box and put a box fan in the window


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## jberry (Jan 30, 2010)

im sure its been said several times, but just in case no one has mentioned it...

i use old bicycle innertubes to hang my fans and they work great for reducing vibrations and u can usually get them for free from the local bicycle shop...

peace, ~J


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## Ole Budheavy (Jan 30, 2010)

curioushiker said:


> Building a box around your fan is a great idea. Another thing, if you have the space is to build an enclosure that your fan and filter can fit into. Line it with "egg crate" foam and remember to leave enough of an opening to allow fresh air in. The foam works well to absorb that sound.


Yeah... I'm sure the carbon filters with all that surface area are designed to USE that area to absorb odors. If you build a box around the filter, your making the fan work harder than it has to and you're defeating the purpose of the carbon filter as the CFM will be drastically limited.


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## newbiebob (Jan 30, 2010)

i am very new at this 
so bear with me ....
i live in a small apartment i am setting up a small grow (10 plants or less). I am using 400 w metal halide in the early stages and a 600 w agrosun super red sodium for the later stages. I will run it off a next gen 400w/d00w electroic ballast. I have a xtra sun air cooled reflector. I havent designed the grow box yet. I think it will be 3x3x5 (roughly). Does anyone know if i have to worry about the extra electricity drawing attention? 
thanks

the newest of the new 


Newbie bob


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## Ap0c0leS (Feb 5, 2010)

Ok dang it im aat work and i cant read this entire thead, although i wish i could.. anyway i have a 120CFM inline duct fan from home depot and GOD DAMN , I bet the lady upstairs feels like shes sitting on top of a rocket ship.. anyway long story short i gotta shut that thing uup QUICK... Im not a very good handy man with wood so i doubt i could make this box.. Would it make sence for me to get a more expensive, and hence quieter fan ? This inline fan is just used to cool my sealed hood for a 250W HPS... 


Can i get some suggestions that dont really require too much construction, if at all.... Great thread btw


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## mex2425 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi can anybody help i have a fan that is noisy i made a box like on first page of this thread but its still really loud.

*Any Suggestions??????*


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## Hoodrich (Feb 14, 2010)

For DWC: My problem isnt at the pump, its at the end of the tubing. I have an idea on how to fix this but havent tried it yet, ill update you guys when I do. My DWC bucket is a 3gal, Im going to set it in a 5gal stuffed with foam of some kind to absorb the sound. water cant pressurize so it will move the walls of what ever it is sitting in (if it can) (concrete buckets anyone?) ... so ill let you guys know soon. also, maybe it would be possible to create a pressure stabilizing "muffler" before the airstone. 

Here is another untested idea, for whooshing duct noise. Besides the fan, the noise is created by the air moving past the ribbed walls at hig speed. SO. at the fan outlet use a duct size adapter to increase the duct size, and use a larger size ducting to exhaust. You will move the same volume of air at a lower speed, thus reducing "woosh". 

good luck!


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## Hoodrich (Feb 14, 2010)

Ok I just discovered something. A t valve has three connections (not what I discovered). Hook two air pumps together, run the third airline to your water and attach the air stone. Plug in only one pump. Its quiet. At least for me it is. If someone else can replicate this let me know. Note: With two different air pumps in use I didn't notice a difference if one or the other was plugged in.


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## jberry (Feb 14, 2010)

Hoodrich said:


> Ok I just discovered something. A t valve has three connections (not what I discovered). Hook two air pumps together, run the third airline to your water and attach the air stone. Plug in only one pump. Its quiet. At least for me it is. If someone else can replicate this let me know. Note: With two different air pumps in use I didn't notice a difference if one or the other was plugged in.


maybe im just stoned but i dont get it... but i have a dual air pump (2 air lines on one pump) and the thing is pretty loud.


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## BoomerBloomer57 (Feb 14, 2010)

and how to quiet it down. 12 air stones in each 120qt cooler gets kinda loud. So I set myself up with the bong and some killer Afghani Kush and took a coupla rips,,,,

Turns out if you put two washers on each stone the stone doesn't come in contact with the bottom of the cooler and I swear to dog that it's whisper quiet now.

Take a stone to Lowes or Home depot and find the rubber washers that fit the stone and use two per stone, one at each end.

Now what's my prize for solving the problem?

ftp


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## Hoodrich (Feb 14, 2010)

I have two single output air pumps. Each one has one air line running to a T connector. The third part of the T connector is hooked to one single air stone. One air pump is plugged in, the other I left unplugged. The result is 90% of motor "HMMMMMMMMMM". Is gone, all I hear are the bubbles. The bubbles are now the loudest part, but unlike motor noise It doesnt travel through walls. 

BoomerBloomer: I cant say if that would do anything for me because my stone was never touching the bottom of the bucket.


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## Hoodrich (Feb 14, 2010)

heres what I did


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## DarkCursade (Feb 15, 2010)

Hey one2threeBUDS4

Great thread I was thinking of making a box like this lined with carpet to help with my can fan noise, however i wasnt sure what temps would i be running inside the box?

Also I know this is off topic but Im constantly battling a heat issue and I didnt know if it would be better to have the boxed fan out side the rooms air mass like in the ceiling to help with heat inside my room?

Also do you think if I made my box a little bigger would it reduce more noise than a smaller box?


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## curioushiker (Feb 15, 2010)

DarkCursade said:


> Hey one2threeBUDS4
> 
> Great thread I was thinking of making a box like this lined with carpet to help with my can fan noise, however i wasnt sure what temps would i be running inside the box?
> 
> ...


The heat that the fan motor puts off is minimal. Unless you are in an ultra small grow then I would not be concerned about it. The heat generated by placing your fan in a "box" will NOT over heat the motor. The air moving through the fan also cools the motor.


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## N Buds (Feb 20, 2010)

Hi chaps just thought i'd chip in my bit on quiet ventilation. Although it may be a bit costly for the non serious growers.

I work fitting vent we fit these really quiet fans called 'ecosmart squrbo' they're available - I think - only from the maker Nuaire's own distributor FansDirect and a company called Lindab - who are all over the country and sell every vent fitting you could ever wish for. It is lined with barofoam silencing and can be used with a speed controller or even a thermostat (ordered with it).

Anyway the fan would be great hung on bungees like someone has done before or maybe on 'Gripple Wires'.

To further quieten I reccomend the use of in line silencers otherwise known as attenuators - available at Lindab - one either side of the fan ideally and as long as possible.. they come in 30,60,90,120cm lengths - they work a bit like the back end of a good car exhaust pipe.

Part of the problem with the 'whoosh' sound is that there is a lot of turbulence in the the air running through the flexible pipe caused by its ribs.. you have 2 options here.. get some lagged flex (insulated) which will dumb down the sound, or ideally - if your a bit braver is to get some duct pipe and run a solid duct to a wall vent - noise is massively reduced that way. If you do this make sure you seal all the joints with silicone or mastic otherwise you will get a hissing noise.

Hope this helps you all..


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## N Buds (Feb 26, 2010)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> one thing i have had recent problems with was an inline fan that shakes or vibrates. this can cause hoses connected to your lights to shake loose or even rip, eventually causing an air leak which will defeat the purpose of having an air cooled system. it can also cause loud vibrations which is the reason i created a housing for the fan;
> 
> 
> this is pretty much what it will look like when it is done. the bungees help reduce the sound by 200% so if you can hang it you will be much happier.
> ...


Nice setup mate.. get some rubber washers on them rods as well as the metal ones - both sides of the board,they'll help dampen the noise.

Better still get some threaded rubber feet for the fan if you can, with fans you want to avoid contacting metal directly with the board otherwise you'll turn it into a bass box.



Should help a bit


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## SteadyChiefin1207 (Mar 1, 2010)

What kind of portable AC unit are you running? My 1000w is putting out to much heat for my inline fan to handle, temps staying around 85 to 90 at the base. Clones ready for transplant in a week, hoping that would do the trick? Hard to vent that heat as well? Im running a similiar setup, same air cooled tube. thanks.


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## horribleherk (Mar 1, 2010)

gonna make me a box too thinking about spraying automotive sound deadener inside of box


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## ffejrey (Mar 5, 2010)

There are a number of principles of physics that are being somewhat overlooked and are quite simple. I did not read the entire forum but this subject is something near and dear to me -- excuse me if some of this has been mentioned... just trying to help.

1. First of all not all fans are created equally. The quality of the original equipment is paramount. A vortex fan is a lot quieter than a cheap imitation because of the thickness of the housing and quality of build. If screws work loose or metal is too thin vibration/noise will be greater and increase with time. Old cheap fans are noisy and shake, not saying Vortex is the best but they are great.

2. Use a duct muffler. As pointed out by others a duct muffler drastically reduces "swooshing" sound. This works best for scrubbing and open ended applications because as others have noted when tubing is connected to both ends of a circular fan the sound is fairly contained. Also increasing the diameter of the duct is very helpful if room permits.

3. Decouple, decouple, decouple. This principle can not be overstated enough. The bungee cords are a great example. If you can decouple and isolate the vibration you are in great shape. There are wonderful products made for decoupling - check www.soundproofing.org for great ideas. Isolation clips rule!! (great for wall mount fans!!)

http://www.soundproofing.org/sales/SSP.htm 

The website is a mess but the information and products are great and work. You can even decouple an entire wall!! If it works for a music studio it will be more than adequate for our needs... (I am not affiliated with them in any way just found them and now thank them!) 

4. Sound deadening versus contaiment - MLV (mass loaded vinyl) is a great sound deadening material, although anything dense has deadening properties. Remember that a solid flat surface reflects sound while softer materials such as rug muffle and disperse. Therefore the thicker the box the better and as long as the box is solid (no holes) reflecting the sound and keeping it internal to the box is the best method. Covering the outside of the box with rug or similar material isn't a bad idea either for the sound that escapes. 

**Note -- whoever thinks that a fan doesn't produce heat is foolish. A fan pushes air, it does not cool it. The motor does produce heat -- a fair amount. While some of the heat is removed by the air movement not even close to all heat produced is removed. (And remember unless the air is exhausted outside of the room the heat generated by the fan is just being pushed not eliminated . If you don't believe me take a fan with both sides ducted to a different room and just leave the fan on. It will increase the ambient temperature of a 5x5 room several degrees. Most people overlook the fact that fans produce heat -- exactly the opposite of what most would hope. A/C cools - fans push air to either remove heat from the room though exhaustion or increase circulation. With that said a vortex fan is rated to operate up to 120 degrees so it shouldn't be an issue. 

You guys are definitely on the right track with deadening vibration and noise at the source. With that said there are also many techniques to deaden sound from leaving the room entirely (if using solid walls not a tent). Green glue is an amazing product that deadens sound and goes in between any two solid surfaces such as two laters of drywall: http://www.greengluecompany.com/ 

Also check out vibration pads on www.soundproofing.org they work and isolate heavy vibration from A/C's etc:

http://www.soundproofing.org/infopages/vibrationpads.htm

These products and principles have helped me immensely deaden sound to the point that you would never know what is in the next room!!

Good luck...


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## joe weed smoker (Mar 15, 2010)

its ok im pretty sure my neighbors grow too


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## Fenster Karton (Mar 20, 2010)

Hedgehunter said:


> great thread,cant understand why it only got a couple of replies, iv just got my new 6' inline and it sounds like a fucking jet , thought i had every angle covered but this noise could fuck my grow op , i need to sort the noise as me and the gf sleep right next to the room....


stay under 1000 feet per minute of flow to avoid noise made by ductwork. there are quiet fans out there - I would not use a fan that could be heard through a closed door. All things being equal if two fans have equivalent power consumption and air flow the larger will be quieter. If you cant get the desired airflow unless you exceed 1000 feet per minute switch to a larger duct.


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## monkeybutler (Mar 22, 2010)

So I've read 16 pages of this thread, but this question is kind of specific... hoping someone can help...

my rooms will be in my crawlspace... it's the best spot for it, however, i have one major issue...

my ventilation system, will be 100% contained in the crawl space. My main goal is to vent this exhast through my roof (possibly merging ducts with my bathroom exhaust fan so i don't have to punch another hole in the roof)..

i mainly want to do this so that any air that might possibly escape and may smell, (i am putting a can fan filter on it tho) will be released about 20 feet in the air, above anyone's head walking by...

i was planning to use reducers and run the exhaust through my walls (i'm very handy, i just gutted and rebuilt 90% of my house) using 2" PVC pipe... my main concern now is noise, if i try to send out roughly 150-300 CFM worth of air up through a 2" pipe (the duct started at 6") - won't all that air rushing through such a small pipe create a shitload of noise?

would i be safe enough to vent the air out into the crawl space, since it'd be after my carbon filter? what if i did that and put an air ionizer or two in the crawl space to double neutralize anythign that got passed the carbon filter..?

I'm super super super cautious. my whole room will be 100% soundproof, light-proof, air tight etc. my only remaining problem is where to vent the air.


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## hotwheelszac (Mar 22, 2010)

this is something to keep in mind:

the smell of cannabis attaches itself to the water that drips from the air conditioner. Its like concentrated ganja water, and it smells noticeably.


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## cymbaline (Mar 27, 2010)

Great thread and some really creative ideas.
I'm trying to figure out how to quiet down my operation as well..
And I figured I would come on here to think out loud and get some feedback.

My objective: deaden the sound of the air intake 

I'm currently running a 6" suncourt/sunleaves windtunnel (which is an extremely quiet fan and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a new one) 
Mated to my 6" is a can33.
I have this setup on a shelf with the canfilter sitting on the shelf and fan sitting on top of that. 
From there I have insulated flex ducting running out the ceiling. In the attic I can't hear any air
noise which is sweet and mission accomplished..
The problem:
I have a bathroom that shares a wall with where my fan is located and the sound in the bathroom isn't acceptable.
The filter also happens to be head height so when you're standing in the bathroom to take a leak you can hear it.
quick diagram 
x | o where x is the bathroom and o is the fan
I bought a speedster controller in hopes of toning down the fan some since I don't need all the CFM it can produce right now. Unfortunate for me I didn't do all my homework and found out the hardway those controllers are a pos ripoff. 
It made that fan hum so loud it was ridiculous.. 
After some more homework I see a lot of people recommend a variac or a environment type controller. 
Has anyone used a suncourt VS100 controller? They pretty much are the same as a speedster but they also have a 
de-hummer circuit in them. They cost about the same as the speedster.
I don't want to buy it and find out that it isn't any better than what I have..
I'm also searching for a environment controller that will control fan speed but obviously won't hum either.. 
That would be more ideal over the variac so I can have more control over temps.
So that brings me back to the sound issue. Say I buy that fancy controller that will adjust fan speed based
on temperature and when it hits the high point the fan will go full speed and my noise issue will be back.

Space is fairly limited so I can't build out the wall.
Lowes for some reason doesn't sell the acoustic board within 50 miles of here so I have to do something
a little different. 

Which foam would work better the eggcrate or the wedge type foam for my issues?
I'm thinking about getting one of the blackout curtains and wrapping it around something fairly stiff
yet would also absorb sound.
Than sticking the foam onto the curtain and placing that against the wall next to the fan/filter.
I'm hoping it will deaden that noise enough since I can't really treat the entire wall.
The best I could do is treat the entire top half of the wall on the fan side.

Someone brought up noise cancelling in here and I have considered that. I'm just not sure what kind of
computer software I need to create that whitenoise. I figured I could create an audio recording of the noise in the
bathroom and than process it and loop it through a stereo 24/7 and cancel the sound of the air movement 
entirely?

Last thing I could try is moving my fan into the attic and put some distance with flex duct between it and the filter
but I think the sound of air intake would still be there. I also wonder if the amount of flex ducting I have on
the exhaust part could be lending to the intake noise issue as well. It's probably 23' of ducting that
comes straight up for about 2.5' than angles off at a 90 and drops back down gradually and runs flat.

Thoughts, ideas please let me know. Thanks for reading through my stoned rambling..


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## ffejrey (Apr 9, 2010)

cymbaline said:


> Great thread and some really creative ideas.
> I'm trying to figure out how to quiet down my operation as well..
> And I figured I would come on here to think out loud and get some feedback.
> 
> ...


Very easy fix -- hopefully this helps. Most of the sound you are hearing in the bathroom is vibrational noise. This is because you have the filter on the shelf and the fan on top of the filter. Fan shakes, can shakes, wall shakes. Lift the fan off the can33 and connect the 2 with 6" insulated ducting. Hang the fan suspended from where permits and use bungee cords to hang the fan. Voila! Fan vibrational noise is decoupled by the bungees and the fan vibrates happily while you pee in silence...


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## ffejrey (Apr 9, 2010)

monkeybutler said:


> So I've read 16 pages of this thread, but this question is kind of specific... hoping someone can help...
> 
> my rooms will be in my crawlspace... it's the best spot for it, however, i have one major issue...
> 
> ...


If you do vent into your crawl space, it is sealed from the house and your growing space you might want to consider a ozone generator. They are relatively inexpensive, quiet and work well for odor elimination. Only drawback is that ozone is not good for the lungs or plants to breathe -- on any level (as in parts per million...).

Another thing you want to consider is that just like with every 90 degree bend in ducting you lose ~40% efficiency, reducing your duct will create turbulence and back pressure reducing your cfm dramatically. From a 6" duct to a 2" duct you are losing about 80% of your capability... (surface area of a circle is pie x radius squared). I wouldn't think sound would be any issue at 300 cfm from a 2" duct out side...


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## cymbaline (Apr 9, 2010)

ffejrey said:


> Very easy fix -- hopefully this helps. Most of the sound you are hearing in the bathroom is vibrational noise. This is because you have the filter on the shelf and the fan on top of the filter. Fan shakes, can shakes, wall shakes. Lift the fan off the can33 and connect the 2 with 6" insulated ducting. Hang the fan suspended from where permits and use bungee cords to hang the fan. Voila! Fan vibrational noise is decoupled by the bungees and the fan vibrates happily while you pee in silence...


 thanks for the reply yet I'm about 99.9999% positive;
this is most definitely not a vibration noise. This is all air movement.
The shelf has thick eggcrate foam on it which the filter sits on. I even doubled the foam and the noise still persists, since it's the air making the noise and not the vibration. I was looking into using mass loaded vinyl on the wall.Instead I have found a humidifier strategically located is the white noise I needed. Unless someone sticks their ear to the wall they probably still won't know what they are hearing.


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## ffejrey (Apr 13, 2010)

cymbaline said:


> thanks for the reply yet I'm about 99.9999% positive;
> this is most definitely not a vibration noise. This is all air movement.
> The shelf has thick eggcrate foam on it which the filter sits on. I even doubled the foam and the noise still persists, since it's the air making the noise and not the vibration. I was looking into using mass loaded vinyl on the wall.Instead I have found a humidifier strategically located is the white noise I needed. Unless someone sticks their ear to the wall they probably still won't know what they are hearing.


No disrespect but egg crate is sub par, these pads work well and are cheap:

http://shop3.mailordercentral.com/supersoundproofing/products.asp?dept=25

They are awesome both the dimple and the cork - honestly... and are $5 to $7 bucks a piece - I suggest using four underneath a piece of ply for best results. (Both separated by ply is incredible even for heavy items like 100 lb portable A/Cs) Leagues better than egg crate I promise... 

If you are hearing a "whooshing sound" (air noise) it's not coming from the can filter inlet and you say you're using insulated ducting so all you can do is add a duct muffler:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=duct+muffler+6"&aq=f&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

If you are exhausting in to another room, using the can filter SECURELY fitted to insulated ducting and the filter - which you say you are... I would bet you $50 bucks suspending the fan with bungees will solve your problem (and quicker, easier and cheaper than buying something online...). Hey $50 bucks is almost the cost of a duct muffler!


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## phonesystem (Apr 19, 2010)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> I have a 6" inline that moves 435 cfm. It was pretty loud until I hooked it up to my carbon filter and all all the ducting. That did wonders for the sound on its own. Probably not much help, but you should remember that in an apartment, there is no insulation on the inner walls separating rooms. However, there is insulation in the walls that separate the different apartments in order to cut down on noise, so it's probably not as loud as you think it is next door.


ya i find it so great. I like it


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## sativasamuel (May 19, 2010)

Any tips on quieting an air pump ?
Sx


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## treeman144 (Jun 1, 2010)

Foam is good.


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## Astaldoath (Jun 7, 2010)

hey guys over all which is quieter? A vortex fan or a centrifugal, both being 6 inch pushing around 450 cfm?

Im gonna get a fan controller, carbon filter and line my cabinet with fiberglass and egg crate foam. Just need my next door neighbors need to not here it (half a double)


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## Cap'n Jack (Jun 27, 2010)

If you add a length of 8 inch ducting lined with egg foam to your 6 inch ducting, you should see a reduction in air noise. The closer to the exaust end the better.


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## heism (Jun 29, 2010)

had to read this, but no need for me  i live in the country good suggestions


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## ME12307 (Jul 1, 2010)

https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/344862-help-my-grow.html#post4346786 <---- if anyone can help


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## CaliforniaGlad (Jul 2, 2010)

"WHITE NOISE"

I was concerned about the sounds of my new, larger exhaust fans. I had to think about finding some way to "mask" that constant noise from the neighbors. 

I had a "Dream Machine" (a multi-sound generating device) that I bought some time ago at a yard sale. Other manufactures have similar 'sleep machines' too.  

I first installed my Machine outside and I made sure my Machine was weather protected. Install the machine outside somewhere between your fan exhaust and your neighbors. You may need a extension cord if you don't have a convenient AC outlet outside?*  

Turn your Machine on and select _* "BABBLING BROOK". *_That sound mimics "WHITE NOISE" very well. Now over a few days _slowly _turn it up_ *just enough to "mask"* _the fan noise and no higher. Now I know my fans are running, but I have to _really _listen to hear it. Now my backyard sounds like a babbling fountain is gently running 'somewhere' and my neighbors love it ~ I do too!

A easy way to test if this approach is good for your needs is to get a used FM radio and tune it  _*between *_stations where a similar "WHITE NOISE" is heard! Don't pick on a ratty portable, but try to use a smaller desktop radio. A FM radio with tone control is even better so you can tailor your 'brook' for_* best *_sounds. This approach should serve you well too. If you are satisfied with the approach, you may want to invest in a 'real' sleep machine... the choice is yours!

Also important ~ No matter what you do, keep your equipment dry.

I remain, 
SOGLAD

*NOTE: What I actually did was to unplug the Machine, remove 3 screws and I drilled one hole in the plastic body just big enough for the smallest speaker wire I could find.  

I soldered the 2 speaker wires to the internal speaker and added a simple knot in the wire to help keep the speaker wire from pulling out. I ran the speaker wire outside to my new speaker up perched up in a eave under the roof line. I picked on a smaller inexpensive speaker to compliment the high-frequency part of the sound(s). Once I had the wire and speaker this less than 15 minutes to complete. 

The eaves added sound depth and dispersion. You may not choose to go through this kind of effort, but so far this very inexpensive project is serving me extremely well! 

I bought my sound machine for $4 used. Check eBay for: "sleep sound machine". Or, place a ad on CraigsList looking for a used one.


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## happihour (Jul 4, 2010)

There is a building material called donna carra it is like a cork board type of material it is extremely sound absorbant and very lightweight so not to stretch the bungees too much


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## cmckean (Jul 7, 2010)

I tried to keep it from my neighbors but they hint around about pot so I know they know. Next thing you know they'll be tryin to buy a bag.


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## cymbaline (Jul 7, 2010)

I did away with the exhaust and turned the room into a CGE and now the filter acts as a scrubber.
Cut off 4 feet from my insulated ducting and put it on the exhaust part of the fan as a muffler.
It's much quieter now than when it was acting as an exhaust. I think part of my issue on the exhaust was I had too long of the insulated flex duct
and it was working the fan overtime. Either way it's all moot now.. I don't even have the foam surrounding it like before.
I still want to try some of that mass loaded vinyl I found that seems like a very good way to deaden noise.


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## meetzu (Jul 28, 2010)

sativasamuel said:


> Any tips on quieting an air pump ?
> Sx


I am curious on this as well. I can keep the vibrations down but if i do any kind of padding box shit with mine it will get ridiculously hot and then that makes for a hot res. In the winter I think I could with temps in the 10's-40's with the pump intake running outside.. but for now I have no ideas.


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## BIGDAVE (Aug 8, 2010)

happihour said:


> There is a building material called donna carra it is like a cork board type of material it is extremely sound absorbant and very lightweight so not to stretch the bungees too much


Anyone have an idea where to buy this stuff?


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## nog (Aug 19, 2010)

i used to worry about the hum from my air pumps, but when i had fish tanks the pumps were running and no one said anything so why should they now? some pumps are louder than others, i have bought "silent" air pumps that sounded like a jackhammer, i have found that Rena and JUN pumps are fiarly quiet. i use 6 through a 6 way manifold into a 13mm pipe, then at the other end is another manifold, i can run upto 12 buckets from this. 6 smaller pumps are better than 1 big one, and running them through a manifold is good because if one pump pcks in the other 5 still areate the buckets, if one big one packs in your knakered. oh, the pumps are situated well away from the grow area, in a quiet isolated place.


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## weedfiend88 (Aug 22, 2010)

what about those acoustic and ISO box fans, how quiet are they really compared to a similarly rated regular inline fan? im tempted by some of these despite their higher prices and lower air rates (mm for mm compared to regular inline fans)


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## Originalien (Sep 14, 2010)

I would think that in an effort to avoid IR helicopter detection, walls should be covered with insulation anways. That in itself is quite a potent noise reducer


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## The Grinch (Oct 10, 2010)

G'day

does reducing the size of the duct on the input of an inline fan increase the noise?


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## curioushiker (Oct 10, 2010)

The Grinch said:


> G'day
> 
> does reducing the size of the duct on the input of an inline fan increase the noise?


Most certainly will. You want to go the other way. If the intake duct and exhaust duct is larger that the diameter of the fan that will help to decrease the noise. 
If space permits, use insulated duct and stay away from the flexible aluminum duct.
Also, if space permits. use a larger fan with longer ducting. This will allow you to direct the sound farther away from the source. 
When running the ducting bends are fine as long as it does not restrict the airflow too much but remember to keep the last two or three feet as straight as posssible.


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## The Grinch (Oct 11, 2010)

hey curious, thanks for the reply.

the problem is that i can't find a cooltube the same size as my fan - fan 200mm, cooltube 150mm.

i'll be going from cooltube, through sound proofed ducting into fan - which will be in one of those boxes from page 1 - from that into a can fan silencer, and from that into a carbon filter. the air is then output into a smallish chamber lined with audio sound proofing foam, and goes through a few bends before outputting into another room (baffle?).

would i be best attaching the reducer directly to the fan, and putting that into the sound proofed box, or attach it to the cooltube, or will it not matter and be about the same for each?

alternatively, could i just attach the 200mm ducting to the 150mm cooltube and use duct clamps and a lot of duct tape or would that lower efficency?

thanks
grinch


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## curiousitykills (Oct 14, 2010)

I just got a variac transformer for 45 bucks .... man did it do wonders !!!! 
The sound of the fan is gone if i need to lower the power , with the speedster , it hummed like crazy , now at nite 
I can have the fan on at less than half speed and it is no sound what so ever , period !!! I was going crazy with the sound at nite 
the Ol lady was gettin paranoid about the neighbors as well . So i did the research and found out about the variac transformer . It fucken works , and if that is your problem , i would suggest you getting one . Make sure that the thing can handle twice the amps you need , for instance , my fan is 1 .19 amps so i got 3 amps . The fan will charge up a lil over the listed amps so you want the extra coverage to ensure safety . Other than that , No worries . 

here is the link 
http://www.officebeyond.com/vaau.html?gclid=CLzNiLeq06QCFQwDbAodQ2ROLQ


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## growit4clinton231 (Oct 14, 2010)

great thread, im going to try this, thanks.


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## Don Tchawanna Kno (Oct 18, 2010)

DUDE, HANG YOU FANS, DUCT WORK, BALLASTS AND EVERYTHING USING RUBBER BLACK BUNGEES, USE 3" DRYWALL TO MAKE LATCHING POINTS. YOU CAN HEAR A SLIGHT BUZZ FROM A NOISY BALLAST, BUT WALK AWAY FEW FEET CANT HERE IT, BUT WHEN BALLAST IS MOUNTED, THEN FLOOR BOARD VIBRATES, THEN UNCLE FESTER IS PISSED ABOUT THE BUZZING OR VIBRATION, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS HANG IT WITH A BUNGEE, ANOTHER OPTION DEPENDING IN SITUATION, BUT OUT BALLAST IN OLD COOLER, (FOAM COOLER) AND COOL DUCT IN ON ONE SIDE OUT THE OTHER, i HAVE A FEELING THE VIBRATION DELETION IS THE TRICK TOOK ME 2 YRS TO THINK THAT ONE UP, LIKE AN IDIOT, HAHHA


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## Clarke28 (Oct 20, 2010)

Why do you have the air duct running right from your lighT??


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## zeropercentthc (Oct 20, 2010)

For drywall, I've heard great things about Quietrock and Quietglue.


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## growingtophish (Oct 21, 2010)

A speedster variable controller is also an easy option though no where near as effective as some of these options listed above. think the home built housing for the inline fan is an awesome idea and would be building mine right now if there was space in the room im working with


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## slow3dup (Oct 22, 2010)

I currently am awaiting a Panasonic whisper inline fan. It's 6" rated at 240cfm and has a 1.4 sones or mid 30ish dba. Its rated for continued use and if I push it through my carbon filter I think it will be quieter. Anyone have any knowledge of this fan? I'll post when I try it out how it works. 

I use a rubber mouse pad for my air pump which cut down on the vibration a lot but it still hums. The egg crate lining helped to reduce the noise a lot which is good for my stealth grow.


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## thedude27 (Oct 26, 2010)

slow3dup said:


> I currently am awaiting a Panasonic whisper inline fan. It's 6" rated at 240cfm and has a 1.4 sones or mid 30ish dba. Its rated for continued use and if I push it through my carbon filter I think it will be quieter. Anyone have any knowledge of this fan? I'll post when I try it out how it works.


 
Yes they are REAL good. Much quieter than vortex fans. Do not connect a fan controller to it they are not rated for that(You will read that in the manual). The only issue I had (I have the size larger than yours) was flexible ducting since it moves a lot of air, the fan itself is very quiet the rushing air is the only real noise. Straight ducting would have been better but insulated stuff works well. Also if you put it in a box (I did) because my room is dead silent and as the air enters and leaves I found the most noise was created(I measured it with an SPL meter that I use to calibrate my home theater), they do not overheat even if you pack them in a box surrounded with insulation. I cant recommend these highly enough. 

Also digital balasts are the way to go my 400s makes almost no noise and my 1000 makes very little noise.

Lastly, I mentioned my Sound meter, you can get one for like 40-50 bucks (from radioshack/etc), if you are really working on quieting down your system this gives you concrete measurements on how well certain mods work and what areas to focus on. It was very helpful to me. 


Thats the extent of my helping now I have a question:

I'm thinking about switching to hydro in my med grow (yea its legal but I dont like to advertise) and I will need about a 1000GPH pump. How much noise do these make? What kind of pump should I get Magnetic/mech/hybrid? Submersible/non?


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## Uncle Giles (Oct 28, 2010)

CaliforniaGlad said:


> "WHITE NOISE"
> 
> I was concerned about the sounds of my new, larger exhaust fans. I had to think about finding some way to "mask" that constant noise from the neighbors.
> 
> ...


Excellent suggestion.

I've just (skim) read through the topic and thought I'd add my tuppence worth from a different angle, albeit similar in some respects to CaliforniaGlad:

Ever noticed how you only "hear" your refrigerator when the compressor switches off? There's a bit of useful psychology to be used here - people tend to notice _changes_ in noise rather than a continuous low-level sound. So if your grow-room noise is borderline, try to avoid sudden changes in the sound it makes. OK si this isn't really practical for ballasts, but IME ventilation is usually the main contributor to noise pollution. 
I leave the fan for my cooltubes on 24/7 and the extraction fan has a continuously variable speed controller so any changes in noise are very gradual.

Gives me peace of mind!


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## slow3dup (Oct 28, 2010)

thedude27 said:


> Yes they are REAL good. Much quieter than vortex fans. Do not connect a fan controller to it they are not rated for that(You will read that in the manual). The only issue I had (I have the size larger than yours) was flexible ducting since it moves a lot of air, the fan itself is very quiet the rushing air is the only real noise. Straight ducting would have been better but insulated stuff works well. Also if you put it in a box (I did) because my room is dead silent and as the air enters and leaves I found the most noise was created(I measured it with an SPL meter that I use to calibrate my home theater), they do not overheat even if you pack them in a box surrounded with insulation. I cant recommend these highly enough.
> 
> Also digital balasts are the way to go my 400s makes almost no noise and my 1000 makes very little noise.
> 
> ...


Yep! Just got it and hooked it up and wow. Really quiet and when pushing through my filter almost silent. Kind of bulky but man does it deliver in power =). I DWC so I'm not to sure about the pumps but I would think the submersible would be quieter but just not sure. Good luck man I'm a convert from the soil grow also and I think you'll like the flexibility of hydro setups. I can say DWC is easy and requires just topping off daily and you can grow several in one container seeing you don't have to worry about root balls and they grow fast.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Im sure the majority of you guys that would even consider building this box have run across a sound/acustic dampening material such as Dynomat/Tackmat, and all the hundreds of nockoff versions that work 95% as well as the original desiging company for 1/3 the cost. Anywho if not Im almost POSITIVE that this material mounted to the actual housing of the fan, ballast, and anything else making a noise/vibration would tremendously reduce if not cease the sound/vibration altogether. ...Now Ive never used it in this mannor I do know that a single 1 sq inch piece just stuck to the item would be a noticeable diference... If not I do know of Several products Just like the one fabricated above made by these same companies that you could fit the fan into. Just saying because that MDF Fiberboard in the picture isnt cheap. And the type of wood used WILL make a difference in the amount of damping... Not to mention that it will ahve to be a sealed box/ one without leaks in the joints where they meet. IE sound waves leak.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

And later down the line youll have to access that fan for service/ cleaning....Just like the fan in a computer... you first buyem and they're compleatly unheard... a Year later you hear the fan...Two years later its all you hear from the computer even over a disc drive. 

My point being (minor) that over time of screwing and unscrewing into that type of board will eventually get stripped and have to be replaced or modified. Meaning its not the 100% answer to the problem at hand. A Great idea none the less!

Fans collect dust on the blades adding to the air disturbance and therefore causing more sound.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

Spicolli said:


> Hanging by bungees does wonders for vibrating fan noise. I've got that covered, but now the loudest part of my closet is the air pumps. Anyone have a good suggestion for getting rid of that annoying hum?


Sadly this is a manufacturing issue. Im not saying the one you have is cheap. But I know for a fact that they sell airpumps that are actually completly quiet...they are not cheap. I would go INSANE if I had to listen to my Aquariums all over the house... almost one in each room....try excaping that Buzz. ::NOTE:: Just becaue the package says wisper quiet dosnt mean that it actually is. Ive been through I dont know how many pumps claming to be soundless until I flat out refused to buy it until I could plug it in at the store and hear it...or eventually in my case NOT hear it anymore. Now youd never know Ive got a pump running in almost every room of my house.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

Hedgehunter said:


> just thought id check this thread...AND lol! without reading it i came up with the eggbox foam idea a few days ago, its doing 2 jobs , light proofing my door frames and helps with noise, keep this thread going anyway
> Cheers


Never thought of that before... Ive been having problems with leaking light from my doors like you mentioned... so far Ive just made a 2 in lip of ducktape on the frame and one on the door, so that they overlap a good 4 inches or so... over time the as i walkthrough or brush agains the tape it would stretch slightly then over time not sit flush with the other flap and hence causing my light leaking that is now occuring... I would image I could find some Strips of really cheap dense foam strips from a scrap pile somewhere that would suffice... Thanks tons for the ideas Its a good one!


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


Id stay completly away from any flamable items on or even near something that has an issue with temperature. Lets just say that if the device's safty cut off fails (if there even is one). This maybe commonsense to most but you never know or just keep saying to your self it wont happen to me. Another example would be to keep your nutes away from heat items as well. IF your do any of the above atleast have a forsure nonfail safty in place and perhaps spray all wood and other flamable materials with a fire retardant material (Just give yourself a fighting chance to save your gear). If not it may just go up in flames ALOT faster than you think!


Idea! Take your Air Intake line and run a splitter to it to also divert the heat through and out of that box with the same single fan. Much like it does for aircooled lights only we're not talking about temperatures that will reach anywhere near the same as a lightblub.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

This is the second time Ive seen you ask about doubling up the box... No a single 3/4"MDF Board is completly effiecent enough.... after all when it comes to car audio we're talking HUGE sound waves and HUGE vibrations(and the 3/4 to 1" MDF Board is all they use)...along with a sealant in the butting joints.... a bead of caulk/sealant along the inside rims. The problem I see would be where the boards meet. Just screws are not enought to sound proof a box. If air can pass through it, it will leak a sound and hence the vibration still continues defeating the purpose of what you were doing in the first place. Perhaps if you could make a door using weatherstripping for door frames AND adding a LockDown Latch MUCH like those old fashion smell proof jars we all have seen at our parents/grandparents place growing up. Or a magnetic strip like a Fridge or Freezer.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

Most if not ALL have a fan to regulate temp... Thus is uses outside air aginst those cold coils of Freeon and into the freezer/fridge. Think about it you put your veggies and other orgaincs in the fridge already... if they got NO O2/CO2 they would wilt and rot. Ideally if you could increase the fan Blower rate in a fridge and dial up the temp you would have a perfect enviornment for your control... Control means that you can adjust/tweek anything and everything, and unless YOUR the one who made the change...a change wont occur EVER! IE in Chemistry/Biology/Physics Class in school we all had to do controlled experiements on something.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

420johnny said:


> I'm still living at home so i have no chance of hiding a growroom but theres a few plants at the side of the house. (my father smokes anyway so if he finds them he wont get mad, its my mother kicking me out im worried about).
> 
> One think i must ask is wouldnt people notice you carrying all this grow equipment into your new apartment? surely someone would see something when your moving in. Oh well.


First if you know your dad smokes then he'll prolly think it was something he caused by empting a bowl or flicking a J on the side of the house. As far as moving equipment think of might be seen... Large Tupperware Tubes...Normal for a moving person. Utility Lights, Ok how about this ITS NOT ILLEGAL TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT. Its illegal to Grow, Posess, and Sell..IF you dont have a license. IE you cant get a license if its illegal where you live. 

Answer to this: Move to where its legal, Farm it, and Sell it to Clubs and dispenseries. You dont want to fuck with distribution ANYWAY. Lol if I was passionate enough about it thats what Id do and sell it by the pallet...  (Starts to day dream)

On another note its illegal to do so with other plants too without a license. You can get into trouble for grownig daisies and selling them for profit without a nursery/business licenses. I believe its even illegal to buy and sell seeds without a license. Big Brother wants to know everything! Forunatly enough though I seriously doubt someone would even bat and eye in your direction even if you did. Some things intended to regulate industries are completly BS.


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## Aseret (Oct 28, 2010)

Hoodrich said:


> For DWC: My problem isnt at the pump, its at the end of the tubing. I have an idea on how to fix this but havent tried it yet, ill update you guys when I do. My DWC bucket is a 3gal, Im going to set it in a 5gal stuffed with foam of some kind to absorb the sound. water cant pressurize so it will move the walls of what ever it is sitting in (if it can) (concrete buckets anyone?) ... so ill let you guys know soon. also, maybe it would be possible to create a pressure stabilizing "muffler" before the airstone.
> 
> Here is another untested idea, for whooshing duct noise. Besides the fan, the noise is created by the air moving past the ribbed walls at hig speed. SO. at the fan outlet use a duct size adapter to increase the duct size, and use a larger size ducting to exhaust. You will move the same volume of air at a lower speed, thus reducing "woosh".
> 
> good luck!


Ive got a Problem with a LOUD as HELL gurggling noise just as my Ebb n Flo completes its drain... its gravity feed... anyone know if I can rig an inline breather tube somewhere in the line to eliminate this noise?


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## Mudslide9791 (Oct 31, 2010)

Good shit!!!!! 

<----- Condo grow, 4" inline hanging by bungees running carbon scrubbed air into the wall that separates my condo to the condo next door. There was a draft when I popped the hole in the drywall. Cold ass air meaning there was a draft from outside (autumn air) somewhere and my warm odorless air is being swept away by the current of cold airflow. 

Bam bitches, my grow lab is an entire walk-in closet and it's sexy as hell, little sound and no odor =)

Keep growing bitches, and keep the creative ideas flowing! (I'm high as hell)


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## zuuluu (Nov 4, 2010)

You can always line the wall with cardboard drink holders like on hustle and flow lolz. It actualy works prety good. Also get a fan just the size you need cuz normaly the biger the more noise it makes ut then again ive used some little whisper fans that where realy loud. You can also use a fan control to make the fan a little slower which should be a lil bit more quiet. I personaly have no trouble. Some people say air is a big concern wich is true and if u dont get realy good air ventilation ur gana kill ur plants but all I do is have a vent for air to seek into and I use a lil 6 inch fan from the hardware store to help pull the air in. Simple, cheap and quiet. As for the ballast I have digital ballasts and they dont make a sound.


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## spookie child (Nov 10, 2010)

I am concerned about the whooshing of air coming from the end of my vent . Any ideas on how to quite it down ?


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## Killface (Nov 28, 2010)

I built an inline ballast awhile ago, It worked pretty well. I bought one of those " build it yourself 1000w hps" ballasts and configured it inside a long rectangular box ( had it custom made and welded by friend ) had the outside spray foamed and had 6 inch ducting attached at both ends and had 4 rubber coated D rings on the top and attaced in at the very beggining of my ducting and then through by lights and it hung from the ceiling with rubber straped..NOTE IF YOU HANG A BALLAST FROM THE CEILING MAKE DAMN SURE ITS ON BEAM!!!!!!!!! it worked extremely well then sold it off when i stopped using 1000s and went to 600s.


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## Killface (Nov 30, 2010)

spookie child said:


> I am concerned about the whooshing of air coming from the end of my vent . Any ideas on how to quite it down ?


 Its called a DUCT MUFFLER, not sure how much they cost but i see them on display all the time at the garden store. it looks just like a muffler on your car....just a thousand time bigger


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## terryleyroy (Dec 18, 2010)

its all about the sound control


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## indoorgrower (Dec 18, 2010)

www.certifiedledgrowlights.com


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## Devildog93 (Dec 21, 2010)

cool thread


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## eddieb98 (Dec 31, 2010)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


think I'll try that, just gotta accumulate the aforementioned egg boxes.


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## KakKakKax (Jan 4, 2011)

LED's are nice and quiet but some only work so-so.

There aren't many side by side comparisons out there so I did one between 3 LED panels and tested using PAR. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4I3bkkfBFE

This compares the strength of the Grow Panel Pro 300, Apache Tech 120 and the UFO 90 LED light arrays. The strength of the light in a plant's usable range is measured in PAR and tested at one foot using a quantum meter, which is explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosyn...


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## stickystink (Jan 7, 2011)

has nyony had someone come visit like the coucil and they see the room youve got the tent in if so have they noticed its not just a wardrobe? wat do u say if this happens and is it best to have other plants in the tent (like strawberries or tomatoe`s).


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## hoagtech (Jan 7, 2011)

I wouldnt do the box. It just seems like overcompensating to me. If you want something simpler. Make sure you install the rubber vibration dampening grommets on your valuline fan. And then buy some 1/4" thick gasket material for mounting brackets to your wall. This will take 65% of your noise from vibration and other than that get some insulated ducting and it will help as well. Boxes are cool though, its just not easy


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## Banbule (Jan 7, 2011)

I use material used on the walls of nightclubs, to line the box where I put my RVK was the best solution found by me!


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ycZvUsEUK_I/Sy7ETdp_0hI/AAAAAAAAAKg/4U21Q-EJdLc/s640/Espuma.jpg


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## ObiJwon (Jan 8, 2011)

I am having a different issue with exhaust noise. I have a closet grow going. My carbon filter is inside the closet. I cut a hole in the top of one of the closet doors and ran the ducting to that hole. The exhaust sound is quite loud. I dont really want to spend the money on a separate speed control for my fan. Does anyone have any suggestions to suppress that exhaust noise?


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## devero420 (Jan 11, 2011)

You could build an inline muffler http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+make+an+inline+duct+muffler


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## Sebastien Blades (Jan 13, 2011)

a quick, cheap and easy solution is putting bubble wrap between your fan and the wall/floor. My bulbs came wrapped in it, so I tried it out... works great, not permanent but works for now.


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## DocGreenThumb (Feb 5, 2011)

Good post. I bought a 6" inline fan that was rated for 3 times the cubic feet as my room and bought a speedster fan speed controller and have it turned really low it's very quite now. Have to see how high it will need to run in the summer but shouldn't be much more heat in my room it stays around same temps even in summer. Now my 16" wall mount fan is very loud when the oscillating reaches its pivot points can hear the vibration rattling the drywall


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## Stalwart (Feb 12, 2011)

I lived with a physics prof in college and asked what he'd done his phD on and he said acoustics. And his work was on killing sound. So first a soft material than a medium material then a hard material and a different medium material That should do it. Line the box tight with the stuff like aluminum or cork or batting material or styrofoam or wood.

Basically it's all about specific frequency of different materials and killing different frequencies with different materials. You have a sound and it passes thru a material and the apparent frequency shifts. You pass it thru a very different material and it shifts again but is attenuated then on to a material between the two and so on.

Air Tight!


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## thegreensurfer (Feb 21, 2011)

build a box inside of a box, that'll be quiet


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## pimpology101 (Feb 28, 2011)

Oscillating wall fans are the worst noise makers your better especially when not mounted with with large screws to the studs. Suspending the oscillating fans is the most effective from what I found.


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## =ian= (Mar 1, 2011)

hate to be the one to continue to necro this thread, but i found this EXTREMELY helpful. sometimes i don't have the time to look at posts that are that deep in the forum, but this one is a gem. 

i have been trying to figure out how to keep my fan from vibrating the living room floor, and i had decided on bungee cords. i had to take a smoke break before starting to hang the fan though, so i stopped by my favorite forum. it was fantastic to see this write-up, confirming what i had planned, had doubts as to if it was going to work, and it seems that it will be great.


edit: i took a break from typing this to go install my own fan, and damn if it isn't quiet as hell now. recommended to anyone.


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## beldar (Mar 17, 2011)

i built a box made w/ soundboard ..... (framed w/ 1x1 wood) .... out of my charcoal to this new box ! out of the box to outside dryer type vent. before it sounded like a jet engine ... now can barely hear a thing.


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## trailerparkboy (Mar 25, 2011)

Ok so ive got a 400cfm fan in my 48x48x78 tent and the fan itself is to loud its hanging so the vibration isnt a problem.Its an exhuast fan not connected to a cooltube or anything just suckin hot air out.

So could i make a box and insulate it and the run some ducting of the fans intake and out the box and have it sucking air out that way. Also any suggestions what to make the box outta to hold the most sound in.

Tried to upload a pic but its not working right now but its basically a inline fan hangin in a tent with ducting attached haha


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## MiKron (Mar 25, 2011)

One question. is your light tube capped off at the end?


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## trailerparkboy (Mar 25, 2011)

no theres no tube its just a bulb and reflector


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## MiKron (Mar 25, 2011)

My friend has the same setup 4'x4'x6.7' tent. We just took 10$ bedding foam that's flat on one side and has cones on the other and zip tied and duct taped the cone side around the fan. 

Hes running 1000watt bulb thru an air cooled tube with a 210cfm scrubber and a 220 cfm can fan. His avg temps are 26*C... Highest 27*C lowest 14*C. Also has a 4" 170 cfm vortex for intake that's also wrapped in foam the same way. works pretty well, insulated ducting works nicely too for the turns and long runs.


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## trailerparkboy (Mar 25, 2011)

ive added some ducting to the intake and that helped some but i may give the foam a try if im not happy with the noise level thanks


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## GANJGUY420 (Mar 26, 2011)

The guy at the hydro store told me to check this out and I'm gald he did. Thanx for the great innovation. Plus repp!! One love


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## spike142 (Mar 27, 2011)

GREAT thread, I live in a town house and will be setting up shop in the months to come. How do you like your HPS? I cannot decide between an LED or HPS, being that Infrared Heat Signatures are the DEA's favorite tool I cannot decide if it is worth the risk..

Also to add: http://www.foamorder.com/acoustic.html
For Acoustic Foam I used it in my studio, neighb's can't hear shit through my walls during late night beat sessions!


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## TheInsider (Apr 3, 2011)

I just use an LED panel and I don't have to worry about fans/exhausts and all that stuff that comes with them. Depends how big your operation is, but I've not once had to worry about odour or air flow - I just crack a window and use a plug-in room air freshener. That's growing both autoflowers and standards in a 60x60x120cm tent, with a top quality 180w LED. Prevention is better than cure.


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## sworth (Apr 3, 2011)

specialkayme said:


> You are probably being paranoid, but sometimes a little bit of paranoia is a good thing, as it keeps us in check.
> 
> 1% risk is enough for my attention! Aim for perfection all ways and always...just don't beat yourself up when you never achieve it


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## SgtStadanko (Apr 3, 2011)

homerdog said:


> The fans I use are $32 for an 8" fan that puts out 420cfm. I have read that they are not meant to push against resistance and are not as efficient as a squirrel fan, they more than serve my purpose, prob the same fan hydro store is selling for $100. I could put the carbon pre fan and honestly it would make changing the filter easier. I like to sit a $1 cone air freshner in the duct to cover up anything the carbon doesn't get. Oh last time I was at home depot I saw they had an adjustable temp cut off for the fans for $30, might be something to play with. Lowe's doesn't carry the fans.


Grainger Catalog FTW! Everything you might need for indoor/outdoor electrical... Get their catalog...


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## Lady Ash (Apr 3, 2011)

_*I'm running air through a carbon filter->inline fan->ducting->out a window , like this...

I need to reduce my exhaust noise blowing out the window, as I can hear it from halfway around the side of the house. It's not bad when I have the fan turned down, but with my t5s on it heats up and I need it full on. I had come across a diy page one day for a muffler made of egg crates and a box pretty much. Anyone know where I can find that or something similar?*_


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## TheInsider (Apr 5, 2011)

Lady Ash said:


> _*
> I need to reduce my exhaust noise blowing out the window, as I can hear it from halfway around the side of the house. It's not bad when I have the fan turned down, but with my t5s on it heats up and I need it full on.*_


_*

Oh really? A friend advised me that T5s wouldn't be that hot and add much to my tent. I'm just on LED at the moment so don't need to bother with any air fans/ventilation for cooling reasons. This is slightly worrying if you've experienced the need for such things, but perhaps your environment is not as open plan as mine? I have pretty good air flow throughout my flat.*_


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## Lady Ash (Apr 6, 2011)

TheInsider said:


> Oh really? A friend advised me that T5s wouldn't be that hot and add much to my tent. I'm just on LED at the moment so don't need to bother with any air fans/ventilation for cooling reasons. This is slightly worrying if you've experienced the need for such things, but perhaps your environment is not as open plan as mine? I have pretty good air flow throughout my flat.


*
The guy at my local hydro store told me the t5s wouldn't throw much heat at all, I'm finding out that they throw waaay less heat than hps or mh, but still enough to raise the temperature 10*F or so. With an 8", 6" and 4" fan going plus 2 humidifiers i can maintain a pretty solid 80*F with lights on. As far as air flow goes, I have my grow-lab tent in it's own room upstairs in my house. The intake air is from whatever is in the room, I have to keep the door closed and rely on the air coming in from the central air duct. *


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## Nitegazer (Apr 8, 2011)

Lady Ash said:


> *
> The guy at my local hydro store told me the t5s wouldn't throw much heat at all, I'm finding out that they throw waaay less heat than hps or mh, but still enough to raise the temperature 10*F or so. With an 8", 6" and 4" fan going plus 2 humidifiers i can maintain a pretty solid 80*F with lights on. As far as air flow goes, I have my grow-lab tent in it's own room upstairs in my house. The intake air is from whatever is in the room, I have to keep the door closed and rely on the air coming in from the central air duct. *


This is a thread regarding noise, so my apologies for going off-topic for a sec, but please note that it is a myth that t5s produce less heat. Heat is a result of a light's inefficiency, and t5s produce less lumens per watt than HPS. Inefficiency ends up as heat, so T5s lighting systems produce more heat than HPS lighting systems-- however, that heat is more broadly dispersed than it is in HPS (ballast and long tubes), so HPS gives the impression of being hotter. So, although HPS is more likely to burn the tops of plants, t5s will feed more heat into your tent given the same amount of lumens or watts.


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## Shadeslay (Apr 12, 2011)

A ton of good info on this thread.


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## WeeGogs (May 4, 2011)

Lady Ash said:


> _*I'm running air through a carbon filter->inline fan->ducting->out a window , like this...
> View attachment 1531203View attachment 1531204
> I need to reduce my exhaust noise blowing out the window, as I can hear it from halfway around the side of the house. It's not bad when I have the fan turned down, but with my t5s on it heats up and I need it full on. I had come across a diy page one day for a muffler made of egg crates and a box pretty much. Anyone know where I can find that or something similar?*_


double the size of your fan bore, always go with a high volume fan, you can turn it down to a whisper.


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## Detroit J420 (May 11, 2011)

I got 2 tents in my basement both with panasonic wisperline fans 340 cfm and 440 cfm both with exhuast mufflers not the quitest but u cant hear shit upstairs right above grow in a condo so dont wanna bother neighbors either


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## lsmartman1982 (May 14, 2011)

Good thing my neighbors are at least an acre away from me


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## lsmartman1982 (May 14, 2011)

I dont use exhaust tips to quite my fans, I have 2 12 inch hurricanes on carbon filters that run all day, and the AC runs all night and you still cannot hear anything right outside of my home.


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## thatsme (May 15, 2011)

I had the same problem in my apt. I bought a 6 inch muffler and a fan speed control.. Solved my noise problem completely.


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## DoctorSmoke (May 16, 2011)

lol reduce the sound by 200%. from that alone i know u are talking out ur ass.


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## inferno420 (May 17, 2011)

i have a 4 inch sunleaves windtunnel cooling a 6 inch 400 watt cool tube and venting air, i have my tent in my bedroom and the noise is comparable to a oscillating fan. quiet as hell.
i dont a a carbon filter on now, so im not sure if the 4 will be enough to cool and vent when one is attached. i think i might need a 6 inch.


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## blackjones (May 20, 2011)

I mounted my 6 in vortex in a box i built out of MDF with holes for intake and exhaust and stuffed with insulation material.Took care of nearly all the fannoise. Had it blowing into a Can 50 filter, so that muffled the airflow noise.


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## cmercer418 (May 24, 2011)

you can go to any hvac/ air conditioning supply store and they sell these rubber squares that are used to reduce vibration of industrial motors and big compressors anyone can buy them and they are sold either one by one or you can buy the whole mat with is like 50 or 60 little squares in a waffle pattern and already have predrilled holes in the middle air conditioning techs use them everyday. should help with fan noise and for the ballast you could construct and padded wood box with 4-6 computer fans one set for intake and and one for exhaust



Medi user said:


> Another way to reduce fan noise is to use rubber feet either side of the fixing plate and screw through them, using a suitable washer on the screw head side.
> 
> Also car acoustic deadening rubber will help with general vibration. Not sure if I'd put it in a tank, but underneath on the floor it should help. Example: eBay Store - Sounds Great: Dynamat Cascade: 10115 DYNAMAT Original 2-Sheet Speaker Kit Brand New
> 
> ...


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## GreenthumBum (Jun 10, 2011)

some hydro stores offer air duct mufflers i have a 6inch by 20 inch and it works great. The only problem is that it will only silence one side so you might have to put one on each side of the inline blower/fan. And the closer they are to the blower the better as far as noise reduction goes.

but the diff. is like night and day. check em out. u might like what u find.


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## Plornef (Jun 14, 2011)

For fluorescent / high pressure sodium (HPS) / metal halide (MH) lighting:

* if you want more quiet, less heat, and more power savings you need a "digital ballast" or "electronic ballast". 

* look for 98+% efficiency and a power factor as close to 1.0 (the maximum) as possible. This will reduce the amount of waste heat coming off the ballast, and will help cut down your power bill.

* These also sometimes have "soft start" which makes the light bulbs last longer. Regular cheap magnetic ballasts don't have this.

These digital/electronic ones may cost more than a typical coil ballast, but they work better and you won't have to spend so much on cooling.


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## Plornef (Jun 14, 2011)

Also for quiet and less exhaust heat, you could try dumping the heat down your bathroom drain, using cold water as a heat sink.

1. Get an old vehicle "heater core", "oil intercooler", or an air conditioner radiator from a junk yard. (Should look like it's a long twisty coil of tubing, and may have fins on it.)

2. Make a cardboard or wood box to surround it as an air duct.

3. Get some plastic tubing, a sink faucet adapter, a small heavy piece of metal tubing or pipe, and hose clamps.

4. Attach: faucet adapter -> tubing -> heater core or cooling coil -> tubing -> heavy piece of tubing/pipe

5. Connect faucet adapter to your bathroom sink, put the heavy tube/pipe in your shower/tub. (The heavy weight is needed so the tubing won't fall/flop out and flood your floor.)

6. Turn on the cold water full blast to fill the tubing, then adjust the flow down so just a dribble of water comes out into the shower/tub.

7. Use the water-filled coil with a fan to:

cool the room air and replace a room air conditioner


 cool exhaust air to reduce heat signature
 8. Occasionally check the outlet water temperature at the tub/shower with a thermometer. If the water temp exceeds ambient room temperature, increase the water flow rate for more cooling.


This will increase your water usage, but will cut down your electric bill if it means you don't need an air conditioner or so much exhaust air blowing around.


Additional notes:

* When disconnecting from the sink, a water siphoning effect may cause water to suddenly gush out of the lower side. This can happen just moving the disconnected hoses higher or lower if they are full of water.

(Valves on the tubing would be a good idea, so that when the tubing is removed, you can close the valves and keep the water in the tubing from leaking out all over. Note, cheap clear vinyl tubing cannot handle house-plumbing water pressure and will blow apart if you try running the water into the tubing with the valves closed.)


* Water should enter the coil from the bottom and exit at the top. This keeps the coil full of water and you can run the water supply at a slow dribble.

(For some coil shapes, if the water enters at the top it races through the coil to drain out the bottom and the cooling capacity won't be very good.)


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## ray420365 (Jun 15, 2011)

Bangers999 said:


> *Its not the noise we all have to worry about its the eye in the sky and its just going to get worse, its all over the uk the now people are getting done all over the place, they are coming down hard.*
> http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1039768/Police-raid-home-Blunkett-Bobby-infrared-helicopter-mistook-bad-insulation-cannabis-factory.html


just lol'd @ that!

if you know what i mean..


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## ray420365 (Jun 15, 2011)

bigt8r said:


> I wanted to make sure that there was plenty of fresh air for the generator to consume... I figured it would run pretty horrible if it was running off of exhaust air, especially on days I run it all day. The power vent sucks the exhaust gas out, and with the holes at the bottom, sucks fresh air in. I still wouldn't want to hang out in the room with the generator running, but it's considerably better than nothing...
> 
> Oh yeah, the exhaust system on the new generator is threaded steel pipe to a muffler, so I was going to see what happens when I attach more pipe and more mufflers in-line. If I can get it quiet enough, I'll just pipe the exhaust straight out.


Dont forget, your engine wont like having more than the originally designed muffler on it, as your tampering with its back-flow pressure..


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## NoDrama (Jun 17, 2011)

I vent to the outside during the summers, My vent is right behind the Air Conditioning Unit, the AC makes plenty of noise to mask the sound of blowing air. During the Winters I vent back into the house and help heat the home. My grow room is double insulated and uses norbord for walls instead of Sheetrock, you can stand right next to the wall and not hear a peep, open the door and its a different thing altogether with all those fans running (16 total). When im in my room I can't hear anything, I miss the phone ringing, people at the door, GF calling for me.


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## jefski1 (Jun 26, 2011)

A simple solution to your probleb is to mask the sound issue with another sound that is not un pleaseant to your neirbours, IE if you have a garden build a pond with a water fall \ fountain as near to your outlet as poss. Can be as shit as you like nieghbours might think you got crap taste in decor but won't call police


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## jasons (Jul 20, 2011)

I have a 745 and a 440 cfm fans mounted to my wall at my apartment. Getting a really bad vibration from this. Dont have any where else i can mount them other than this wall. I was thinking of maybe getting some egg shells or some kind of padding to put between the wall and fan. Does this sound good or does anybody else have any ideas?


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## TJames (Jul 23, 2011)

Some good thoughts here. Fans vibrate and transfer that vibration right into your framing via conduction. You can attach the fan to the framing using resilient clips and channel. You can also suspend the fan with cables, some with spring isolators. This makes for a much less efficient conduction path. Insulated flex will help. Buying an oversized fan that you can run at 1/2 speed will really help.Egg cartons for soundproofing is an urban legend


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## arn1016 (Aug 21, 2011)

i have a 2 ft wide, 2 ft deep , 3 ft height grow cab made of plywood. i use a 135 watt led ufo that has 3 fans in it , along with a fan to exhaust and a fan for air flow my box makes a humming sounds and i need it to be silent any tips or ideas would help


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## BigFloppy2020 (Aug 22, 2011)

I didnt read all the post but i will add something i recently thought of. Im about to build a grow box and i have designed a utility room ontop ( inclosed, part of box ) and im going to line it with sound reducting material. you can get it at home depot or lowes. it is designed to go under carpet. Im going to measure and cut and surround the inside of my utility room with it. not sure the correct terminology for it, but you get the idea. so see where you could us it. it comes in different thicknessess to.


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## pennie (Aug 22, 2011)

amazing info


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## BigFloppy2020 (Aug 22, 2011)

thanks. i havent grown yet. still gathering materials over the next few weeks. kinda broke.


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## Rrog (Aug 23, 2011)

BigFloppy2020 said:


> I didnt read all the post but i will add something i recently thought of. Im about to build a grow box and i have designed a utility room ontop ( inclosed, part of box ) and im going to line it with sound reducting material. you can get it at home depot or lowes. it is designed to go under carpet. Im going to measure and cut and surround the inside of my utility room with it. not sure the correct terminology for it, but you get the idea. so see where you could us it. it comes in different thicknessess to.


Just an FYI: These thin types of of absorption can reduce the echo in a room. *They won't do much at all to soundproof a room.* If you look at rooms that were built for sound isolation (recording studios, home theaters) they use a lot of mass like extra drywall. Mass stops sound from traveling from one room to the next. Insulation items are not heavy enough. There's a lot of data on this online. Weed sites often use this insulation technique, the problem is... it doesn't work.


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## BigFloppy2020 (Aug 23, 2011)

i'll look into it, thanks man.


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## Rrog (Aug 24, 2011)

yea, insulation on a wall is expensive, delicate and a place for moisture to accumulate = mold. The second layer of drywall is cheap and sturdy and will do much more to stop sound from leaving the room. I just paint the walls white. Easy to clean, no spots for mold to hide, etc.


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## xsvthoughts (Aug 29, 2011)

good info here


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## AlwaysToken12 (Aug 31, 2011)

I installed a fishtank in my room.. That way the filter and bubbler disguise the humming of my fan.


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## BigFloppy2020 (Sep 4, 2011)

i hope you dont sleep in that room. must be noisy.


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## Dorian Gray (Sep 7, 2011)

Very cool do you know the DB that is putting out .. this is Informative I need to worry a bout sound and light


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## mastiffkush (Sep 8, 2011)

SayWord said:


> u dont need a warrant to use an infared in residential areas in the US. i got picked up by one in my teen years stealing fireworks out of a guys garagewith like three other kids. cops all swarmed with guns at pointed at us and shit. but u definately dont need a warrant to use one.



Thats not true, you do have to have a warrant in order to use the information used by infrared cameras...they might scan with the cameras, but in order to use them legally they have to show a warrant to scan your property specifically. google infrared camera search warrant us, you will find the info there.


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## mastiffkush (Sep 8, 2011)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> one thing i have had recent problems with was an inline fan that shakes or vibrates. this can cause hoses connected to your lights to shake loose or even rip, eventually causing an air leak which will defeat the purpose of having an air cooled system. it can also cause loud vibrations which is the reason i created a housing for the fan;
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Great design, i also found another thread on a different forum that they had used the little foam packing peanuts inside of the box....They also manufacture sound deadening baffles that you can connect to your inline ducting, you know how you can get the sound from the swirl of the high flowing air through vents, its virtually a 2 ft foam filled piece of ducting that you attach to your fan or carbon filter! Keep the thread going, Educate....


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## grizlbr (Sep 8, 2011)

Just stick an air condition in the window. Tell people/neighbors it is a heat pump. I rented an efficiency and my unit ran 24/7/365. As long as I paid the rent. If they did not like my radio get your ear off the wall.


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## mastiffkush (Sep 8, 2011)

grizlbr said:


> Just stick an air condition in the window. Tell people/neighbors it is a heat pump. I rented an efficiency and my unit ran 24/7/365. As long as I paid the rent. If they did not like my radio get your ear off the wall.


No sense in creating any kind of unwanted attention..the best bet honestly is to talk to your neighbors, get cool with them and they are much less likely to complain/intrude on some stranger! "Keep your friends close, enemies closer"

Im not saying tell them, just create a friendship....even if its a brief "whats up"


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## stelthy (Sep 22, 2011)

I have only just modded my cab to take both and 8" In-Line fan and an 8" RHINO Carbon Filter.. However my exhaust (goes into surrounding room) is still very quiet.. like a standard oscilating room fan.. I took the time to fully insulate the top section of my cab with both Accoustic Sound-mat and Dyna-Mat foil.. I have no vibrations and always have a good nights uninterrupted sleep  ...Although I still need to tidy the top section I am happy that I can run my 'Full-Spectrum' grow (730W total) and still have everything running as quietly as when I run just 1x 250W HID   - STELTHY


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## what what (Sep 24, 2011)

ok my second post and my first grow. I have a 8in sunleaves windtunnel fan. Its suposed to be a quiet fan already but I live in a condo and share a wall and I like my peace and quiet so I went all out to make this quiet. I got some half inch mdf(this thin stuff sucks, I wanted to have it light weight but its just too thin to screw into, go with the 3/4 mdf) and made a box to fit my fan. I lined the box with half inch styrofoam insulation board that has an r value something around 4ish. I got it at lowes. I hooked up insulated 8" ducting hose to the box and made the hole 9 inches around and it fit perfectly tight. I hung up the box on bungy cords and let me tell you this, it is very quiet! The sound that comes out of the hose is quiet too. Im venting the air out of the fake gas fireplace. The hole is only 5" so I will have to use reducers but my grow room is 8ft high and that should let a lot of hot air go up and stay off the plants. I found this thread very helpfull and enjoy this site very much. I dont really even smoke weed that much but just like to garden and so far this indoors growing is fun. Everything grows fast, so its entertaining. Im growing super lemon haze mostly and I got some free seeds along with the order from the attitude.com. I just need to figure out how to make a door. I have the stick on zipper door but I dont think I will be able to get into the room with the zipper opened up. I think I need some velcrow from left to right on the bottom and the zipper straight up and down. I have a raptor hood that Im going to get a 600 wt hps light for. My room is 5.5 by 4 by 8 high.


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## Rrog (Sep 24, 2011)

I like it!


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## roundplanet (Sep 24, 2011)

WOW! Man what a great idea. Once again weed growers should work for NASA. I am not being sarcastic, I am serious.


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## Doer (Oct 21, 2011)

I've discovered that coolers can be used for a stealthy appeareance and for sound deadening. My grow is apparently just a pile of junk in the corner of the garage.

Also, water is a great sound insulator. In my grow I move much more water than air for cooling.

100 gals of AC cooled water and I find if I suspend the sump pumps in the middle of the water column instead of sitting on the bottom, then I can't hear it. The air pump is the worse, but need it for DWC.

The Whisper brand pumps are very quiet. But, I also have a 110 liter farm grade air pump. That goes in a dry well surrounded by water in the dwc pond, which itself is a big 76 liter cooler. Over that is a 50 gal square garbage bin with 2" foam outside.

The carbon fan exhaust into the wall and up to the attic. It is in a 13 gal plastic 
garbage can. That is in a 2" foam wall box. Pretty quiet over all. Can't hear it 
outside the garage. 

The challenge I'm working on now is the unrecognizable AC unit. I have the cold side
in water and the hot side in another water circulating loop. That goes to a DIY
cooling tower over the hot tub in the back.

Looks like a gazebo with a fan on top. It's a crossflow tower, so the water is pumped to the top and trickles down the "fills" as air is pulled through by a fan.

Got the idea from cooling swimming pools. I'll only need to rig it in the summer.

Love to just un-plug the air fan (loud) but, the fan motor is what charges the start 
and run capacitors for the compressor. Grrrrrrr.

And the fan blades are what cools the motor, as well as provide the air interface for the coils that I don't need. Using water.

IAC, I can seperate the fan motor into...
wait for it...a cooler. And that just goes on the junk plie.


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## Rrog (Oct 21, 2011)

When looking at materials to soundproof, keep in mind that heavier is better than lighter. Drywall will stop more than foam. Heavy plywood or MDF is better than fiberglass. After that, it's a matter of how you assemble the heavy panels.


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## Doer (Oct 22, 2011)

Hmmm....heavy panels. I agree, if you can stiffen across any wide drum like surfaces. Also, heavier
panels can reflect sound to other walls that might not be so soundproofed. Most times I think one would need sound absorption as well as sound barriers.

A case in point is a pair of drywalls and studs. Insulation will make all the difference in sound passage.
For an easy structual panel, I'd suggest MDF with 2" of styrofoam on each side. That way no reflections
from the MDF. So, of couse you are right, but thickness, reflection and drumming need consideration, also.


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## Rrog (Oct 22, 2011)

Lemme lend a bit of clarification if I may.

Walls and ceilings, even floors will isolate sound better when loose, not stiff. Like a 24" OC stud wall will perform better than a 16" OC wall. Kinda counter-intuitive, but true.

I agree that all surfaces should be soundproofed (except a cement slab in a basement) if you're serious about soundproofing. However installing foam or otherwise absorptive materials to the surface of a wall won't assist with sound isolation. You can treat your grow room walls just as you would any other room. Paint 'em, whatever.

Insulation isn't a bad thing, but not a big deal, either. Another counter-intuitive thing, maybe. You would get a much bigger bang for your buck by adding a second layer of drywall instead. If you'd like to insulate the inside of your walls or ceiling, then plain old fiberglass is great. Don't compact it. Leave it fluffy. 

When it comes to heavy walls or ceilings, it's hard to beat plain old cheap drywall. 5/8" thick for $7 or $8 a sheet. Easy to cut, install and seal. Really cheap mass, and that's what you're after. 

The two biggest routes for sound to escape the room is through the door and the ventilation. These will in all likelihood be your weakest links, and no sense overbuilding elsewhere if you're not prepared to address building mufflers for the vents (supplies and returns) and beefing up the door and it's seals.


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## knourgro (Oct 22, 2011)

also any hydroponic store will sell an inline ducting silencer. its a metal tube but the inside is filled with that matress padding foam. the sell em in any port size and i can say from experiance that they work great!!


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## Rrog (Oct 22, 2011)

How long are those vents, typically?


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## Doer (Oct 22, 2011)

Yeah, the door. Good point.


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## Rrog (Oct 22, 2011)

As a small word of caution, the rigid vents that knourgro mentioned would perhaps quiet the sound of a fan, but not much more. There's not enough absorption in the lining of those tubes. Like if you wanted to have a CD player rockin', the vents wouldn't help much.


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## amitgoheritage (Oct 23, 2011)

thanks for nice information.


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## Rrog (Oct 25, 2011)

Jesus that sounds like a complete scam. Like soundproof paint. I call bullshit


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## Rrog (Oct 26, 2011)

And a bottle of Youth Cream


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## CanniCastro420 (Oct 28, 2011)

SayWord said:


> u dont need a warrant to use an infared in residential areas in the US. i got picked up by one in my teen years stealing fireworks out of a guys garagewith like three other kids. cops all swarmed with guns at pointed at us and shit. but u definately dont need a warrant to use one.


 You're situation is a little different. In pursuit of someone, such as the scenario you described, police can use IR. Police cannot use IR to surveillance with out a warrant in the U.S.


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## Rrog (Oct 28, 2011)

I would imagine that these guys fly around with FLIR going nonetheless. They couldn't use it in court, but they'd pick up some good prospects for a drive by during the daytime. Now you're on their unofficial radar as having an odd heat signature.

That's why my little grow is in the center of the basement, and I vent everything within the house. No heat sig, no vented smell for dogs, etc.


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## kannibis (Oct 28, 2011)

Everyone is going on and on about duct mufflers/boxes for your fans..... Pick up some *insulated ducting* from lowes. Its around $25-30 for 25'. It's amazing how well this ducting cuts the sound of my 424cfm 6" inline.....takes it down to what a 170cfm 4" sounds like on medium-low.


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## Rrog (Oct 28, 2011)

The boxes block the sound from the fan itself, 'cause the boxes are massive / heavy. The fan motor and turbulence vibrations (sound) come right through the metal fan housing, so while I agree the flex duct helps, you need some mass to stop the mid and lower frequencies.


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## kannibis (Oct 28, 2011)

You are right, you can still hear some of the mechanical noise, but it cuts out all of the air movement noise, which seems to be most of the total noise. Also, just to clarify, I'm speaking of insulated ducting, its got the flex ducting inside of a layer of fiberglass insulation wrapped in black plastic, it also doubles for a light block to keep light from leaking into your other tents/rooms if they are connected....


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## what what (Oct 30, 2011)

kannibis said:


> Everyone is going on and on about duct mufflers/boxes for your fans..... Pick up some *insulated ducting* from lowes. Its around $25-30 for 25'. It's amazing how well this ducting cuts the sound of my 424cfm 6" inline.....takes it down to what a 170cfm 4" sounds like on medium-low.


 I have the 8" windtunnel fan with the lowes insulated ducting too and there is almost NO noise coming out of the hose. I can kinda hear the fan still even with my box I made for it but its quieter than a normal house fan on a stand. I am on laminate flooring and I bought some insulated white foam board from lowes too. It comes in a 4x8ft sheet I believe and comes in .5 to 2 inches thick. I put that under the grow tent to cut down the viborations to the lower neighbors and that worked too. Next grow I am going to wrap the fan in another box made out of cardboard and line it with some sort of insulation. I like quiet!. I just build a clone box out of cardboard and used one 140mm 60cfm computer fan that is rated at 16db and wow I can not even hear it working. I have to put my hand over the light trap I made for it to see if its on. Wish my big fan was that quiet.


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## un named (Nov 5, 2011)

thought i would post on here insead of making a thread. so i want the quietest 8'' fan out there any suggestons?


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## Dont Fear The Reefer (Nov 5, 2011)

Not sure other than maybe some kind of fan for electronics. You might look into an HVAC "duct" fan, would be high capacity and one would think they would be fairly quiet Here is a link:
http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?Ntt=duct+fan&storeId=10151&N=0&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&rpp=24
May be just what you want, you can hook up the flexible duct right to it....


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## un named (Nov 5, 2011)

i was looking for something like this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/8-INLINE-230-WATT-CENTRIFUGAL-DUCT-FAN-BLOWER-/220863074826?pt=AU_Seed_Starting_Hydroponics&hash=item336c77120a i think ill have heat problems so i need something that will echange the air a bit better


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## Superman44108 (Nov 7, 2011)

might be a little more expensive but you get what you pay for, get 1 or more 4x8 sheets of "sound barrier insulation" contractors use it in residential attics to muffle the noise of any indoor air handlers, exhaust fans, etc. Dynamat (yes the stuff they use to muffle car audio sounds) has worked quite well for me and also adds more reflective surfaces to your grow room.


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## Rrog (Nov 7, 2011)

If you want to block sound you need heavy material. Massive material like drywall. Cheap and very heavy. If you're looking to absorb sound, not so easy unless the sound is high frequency (pitch). Insulation works well in that case. Compressed fiberglass and foam is what is inside these short mufflers. Insulation and sometimes baffles.

So if you want your room more soundproof consider using 5/8" drywall instead of 1/2". Or double up on the 5/8". Treatments ON the inside of your grow room, like foams and fiberglass will quiet the room by absorbing some of the echo, but not do anything to soundproof the room. Drywall on the other hand will stop much sound.


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## RockCreekRanger (Dec 7, 2011)

Yeah. If my tv isn't on you can hear my little computer exhaust fan running. I have to get some tubing and a box. Kinda useless to have a secret closet that hums and whines.


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## burninbush (Dec 7, 2011)

Any way to stop the sound of air going thru scrubber? I have a 3'x3''7' tall closet,scrubber mounted in top left corner,10" duct going thru ceiling into 90 degree elbow which is connected to 4" htg fan in attic. I eliminated vibration noise from fan with a 1" styrofoam cushion between it and floor,i've wrapped all the ducting in insulated duct wrap,i removed the shelf the scrubber itself was sitting on as it had a vibration and bungeed it. The only sound i got is the air being sucked in thru the scrubber in the closet.Being as i live in a small studio apt above my shop the sound is noticeable but kind of sounds like my furnace running.Anything else i can do or just live with it?


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## newbuilding11 (Dec 7, 2011)

I do not know much how to use control sound system, that's why I found your interesting site after many days searching on google. Hope that I will learn many new things from all your post.


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## Phatman (Jan 8, 2012)

The life is shortened by about half when air is pushed through rather than sucked through


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## Phatman (Jan 8, 2012)

Burninbush... if you get a bigger filter this helps a lot as the air travels through it easier as thats what you can hear.. air struggling to get through the filter


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## nas2007 (Jan 22, 2012)

i was thinking of building this box and then screw couple layer of plaster board on it and make make rubber feed to stand on, what yeh guys think


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## youngdog (Jan 22, 2012)

Ive got a air pump making some noise. I beleive its around 1000 gph output not real sure I know it cam with a 12 way splitter. eitherway no matter what i put it on or in it continues to vibrate everything. my house sounds like a giant dildo. any sugestions. this sucker is puting off some heat to fyi.


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## stickystink (Jan 22, 2012)

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


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## Hoag (Jan 23, 2012)

Great thread thank you!


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## Ganjalee (Jan 25, 2012)

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


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## irish519 (Mar 17, 2012)

Sound controll? Good thing i live next door to old people! They can barely hear there own doorbell...........I can bang my missis into next week, shes a noisey one!


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## abelincoln23 (Apr 8, 2012)

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.


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## puffthemagic (Apr 12, 2012)

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.


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## Rrog (Apr 12, 2012)

I would be careful about spending money on specialty plasterboard (drywall). Just get what's heavy and cheap. Two sheets of standard drywall will weigh a lot more than one sheet of specialty drywall. Also likely to cost less.


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## ThegrowerMOJO (Apr 14, 2012)

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 )


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## purple puffinstuff (Apr 19, 2012)

Ive used 1 in styrafoam beforeto build a box and then suspended it.


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## Tremayne (May 29, 2012)

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.


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## Powder Kutz (Jun 18, 2012)

Tremayne said:


> 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.


I have more experience with audio engineering than plants.
Egg cartons are useless,that shits an old wives tale. someones been watching too much Hustle & Flow.


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## Rrog (Jun 19, 2012)

Thank you!!


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## hotrodharley (Jul 21, 2012)

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.


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## B.B.V.C. (Aug 25, 2012)

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


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## Malevolence (Aug 30, 2012)

That's fuckin ballsy having a grow tent in an apartment.


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## SKOre (Sep 6, 2012)

sound board from home depot ect.. 4 by 8 sheet roughly 6.00 thin light wait and they will cut your deminsions..people like to use this in bathrooms..it works well for a full room never tried a tent grow so...


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## Jack London (Sep 11, 2012)

How do species in the bedroom, in case of fire?


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## DiscreteMeat (Sep 18, 2012)

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.


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## hmmmmm..... (Sep 20, 2012)

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.


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## iadburner (Sep 21, 2012)

B.B.V.C. said:


> 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
> 
> ...


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.


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## Rrog (Oct 31, 2012)

There are two types of noise to be aware of. Airborne and impact. Motors can introduce a structural vibration (impact noise), so best to have them decoupled from the walls and ceiling, or the floor (if wood). Airborne noise is more easily dealt with by adding more mass like drywall


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## hazey grapes (Nov 9, 2012)

> *you should remember that in an apartment, there is no insulation on the inner walls separating rooms. However, there is insulation in the walls that separate the different apartments in order to cut down on noise, so it's probably not as loud as you think it is next door.*


then i always wind up with crazy effing tweakers that listen through my walls with microscopes as in the past, they've given me grief over a freakin' box fan on low, mixing soil in a plastic tub, opening closet doors !!!, and even freakin' watering plants where the soda bottles i put a few little holes in the cap for make little bubbling sounds. it REALLY gets in the way! oh i effing hate apartment neighbors!!!!!!!! the nosy old bitches where i am now not only got in the way of my transplanting when they started acting up over mixing soil in my livingroom with a neighbor on the other side of my kitchen being the most likely to hear... i'd like to run that bitch over let me tell you, but also managed to ruin the grow when i ended up putting my fan on manual when my lights would turn on and one night i forgot and everything got scorched.

for fans, speed controls DO help, but then as you lower your speed, they freakin' start humming! i really like that MDF & bungee setup... that should dampen sound nicely. i just piled a bunch of clothes over and under my plastic duct fan that's quieter than an inline donut as i heard it side by side when the first speed controller i bought failed in just a couple days. it would be nice if they'd make a version that's lower output so it naturally runs slower so when you put it on a dimmer, it runs even slower and quieter. sound control just doesn't seem to be any manufacturer's priority. i'm way more concerned about dBs than CFMs.

another way that should help dampen noise would be to not use the light poly hoses and use the stamped steel ones, though it makes for a big, heavy and expensive system, but if you're doing a permanent setup, you could even wrap your hoses with fiberglass or something to further dampen noise. i don't think hoses are the loudest thing though, it's that exhaust! they make inline mufflers that are basically stamped steel cases lined with perforated ducts just like a glasspack muffler, but without the fiberglass. those are a couple hundred dollars or more though.

i plan on making my own version when i get back up and running using cardboard concrete pouring tubes that are less than $10 and either lining one with "egg crate" foam mattress liners, or getting some perforated sheet metal to make and inner tube with just like the factory units. if anything, that should be even quieter too as heavy cardboard isn't going to ring like metal wants to.

i don't see why anyone would use an old school magnetic ballast anymore as digital ones are quieter, more efficient, and even have higher outputs. i know 600w lumateks in particular used to have reliability issues, but the last i've heard, those have been worked on. they don't have many miles on them yet, but both of my lumatek 400 watters are still working fine.

i don't get hydroponics either. it's way too much fuss. when something goes wrong, things get bad quickly, you create humidity issues, all of the added technology increases likelihood of failures by going again the KISS principle, and the last i heard, you still get better flavor out of organics. oh yeah... best reason for organics... it's so much cheaper!

as to using egg crate foam for sound INSULATION, as on a wall, i don't think it would help much as it doesn't have much density to it, but it is good for breaking reflections back into a room up. if you want to dampen TRANSMISSION of sound waves, i'd say mass is the way to go like sand and lead shot filling in speaker stands or rubber mats for autosound. before i'd put mattress liner foam on a wall, i'd use a heavy old school sleeping bag, or those heavy moving mats movers use. those are really cheap too i think.

then there's though heavy duty foam "puzzle piece" tiles designed to be used on a floor... i bet those would dampen sound a lot better on a wall than 1/4" - 1" thick egg crate foam. i've used it on my walls in the past for stereo use because it's so much cheaper than actual acoustic tiles, but it didn't seem to help with my neighbors much. i'd use something heavier and denser to insulate for sound.

regarding floor noise, the former dealer i showed my room to suggested putting plywood or MDF down. that sounds like a good dense solution and could be applied to walls as well just by leaning them up against them. not only would they insulate with their mass, but the angling would also break standing waves and reflections up by making walls non-parallel, but carrying a bunch of sheets of plywood into an apartment is a suspicion magnet for sure.

hey... here's a really cheap and easy way to add mass to a wall... get some boxes and fill them with hay or some other cheap stuffing material with some weight. the modular approach always works for moving stuff in stealth. "visual noise" is noise too.

if no one mentioned mylar insulation yet, that's really good for blocking most light and heat. it's about $50 for a roll of of mylar "bubble pack" if you get it at a home store and $100 or more at grow shops, but it works. getting it stuck to a wall, especially one that has plaster it's hard to thumb tack is a bitch though and masking tape just doesn't cut it, but you might get it to stick with duct tape, especially high tack, but then you're going to stain your walls and have deposit and/or landlord suspicion issues.


STILL reading this thread... WHOA! blow through carbon filters? SHIT that's an awesome idea! it prevents any possible blow through of carbon dust into your lamps first off as i had a TERRIBLE experience trying to use natural charcoal and a sweatshirt for a filter... basically my room smelled like a fire and my fan was covered with dust, but the REAL benefit would be that it should make for an AWESOME noise filter!

i like that idea A LOT! going to scratch the DIY system i started with a pair of milk crates with a lower airtight vented chamber underneath a 2nd crate lined with screen material at the bottom i intended to put ahead of my lights, but you REALLY want to blow a DIY unit off outside before hooking it up to your system if you're using aquarium activated charcoal.

i really like that trick... hope i learn a few more. i just always think of air in terms that it's easier to pull than push, so an exhaust filter never entered my mind. another perk of doing your filter on the exhaust end would be that you could easily incorporate it into a light leak barrier. i always vent indoors, and getting a light shield to work with a door has always been a pain, but with the filter itself serving as a light block, then a simpler lighter wind shield to guide warm air out of the room could be taped directly to a door.

i wouldn't be surprised that not blocking the intake might help airflow when you're pushing your exhaust right by your fan.

it's too effing bad you can't get freakin' precision wood cuts at home improvement shops. having a woodworker make cuts for a box ain't cheap! you could probably get a raw speaker box cheaper and hack it yourself.

regarding adding "extra walls", plasterboard is heavy & dense, and very non resonant besides being dirt cheap. plywood makes a lot more noise when you wrap on it, so it's very good for dampening noise. (i'm only up to page 13 here).

the best trick to use with extra walls, just like hanging motors on bungee (there's also the hifi trick of floating them on hemorrhoid inner-tubes as done with turntables) would be to isolate them. that's what recording studios do with their floors. they "float" the studio by resting the floor on hockey pucks on top of a sub floor. just put an air space between your walls with as little hard contact as possible to transmit vibration. that's why insulated windows are so quiet. making them non parallel helps too. if you've ever seen a recording studio window, it's at least 2 panes thick with the glass angled. just leaning plasterboard into a wall seems the simplest route, and is easiest to break down.

if you need to stop vibrations between surfaces that are in contact with each other, nothing beats expensive sorbothane which, if you sandwich and egg inside, you can smack with a hammer and not break the egg. it's been used as feet and record mats on turntables for it's dampening qualities. bungee and springs are much cheaper though.

regarding bubblers, instead of using those, put a fishtank "waterfall filter" in your water reservoir. those are virtually silent if their lip is submerged, and even if they aren't the sound of trickling water is less obtrusive and more likely to make someone think fish tank or even indoor waterfall. as much water as they move, i'd bet they're more efficient than bubble stones too.

dynamat doesn't exactly "stop sound" at the minimal thicknesses it's used in, what it does is dampen resonances in the steel of a car's body. though it does add a layer of density. it's main purpose though is converting the vibrations of whatever it's attached to into heat. if, say, you were to sandwich in between two sheets of MDF, it would dampen more noise than if you directly bonded them together by "resonating at a different frequency". mixing materials is good for noise reduction for that purpose.

CHEAPEST sound deadening tech? mount your fans as far from any shared walls, floors, or ceilings as possible.



> * Does anyone know if i have to worry about the extra electricity drawing attention?
> thanks*


that's why i like to run my lights at night. meter readers etc. are more likely to notice your meters spinning in the daytime. i like to run 7-7.



> *A/C cools*


actually, the same principle as fans applies. A/C produces gobs of heat. it's just that it's all outside. that's why they have those big heat exchange radiators on them. ANY powered device produces heat. the inside of your fridge might be cold, but you can feel the geat from that when it's running too.



> *i mainly want to do this so that any air that might possibly escape and may smell, (i am putting a can fan filter on it tho) will be released about 20 feet in the air, above anyone's head walking by...*


it doesn't matter. you've never smelled someone's fireplace running? once the air gets outside and cools down, it disperses and some of it falls down so you can smell it. you should still use odor control. i worked with a buddy that had just one plant on a second story using a simple passive open window for cooling. one day, when there wasn't any wind, you could smell the gal from half a block away in any direction. wind can blow air down too. that's what a downdraft is.



> *Someone brought up noise cancelling in here and I have considered that. I'm just not sure what kind of
> computer software I need to create that whitenoise. I figured I could create an audio recording of the noise in the
> bathroom and than process it and loop it through a stereo 24/7 and cancel the sound of the air movement entirely?*


you're only adding noise to noise with white noise. the best you can do is MASK noise, but do to the random nature of white noise, sometimes you'll cancel sound, but others, you'll re-enforce it. the person that mentioned miking your duct was on the right track. that tech has also been used in automotive systems where a speaker plays the sound of the motor out of phase with the exhaust so that it cancels out, BUT you should be able to do the same thing with at most, a mic, amp, speaker and digital delay. mic the output of the fan, and, in theory, if you adjust the delay time, you should be able to cancel out the sound when the delay puts it out of phase with the original sound, BUT it might only work at specific frequencies. reversing the polarity of the speaker's + & - might be needed too to get an exact opposite phase output, but, you might be able to do it even simpler by just adjusting how far the speaker is away from the mic until you reach a phase cancellation distance. that's why, if you have an unboxed subwoofer, you can barely hear it at low frequencies because the back wave cancels out the forward. with a mic, you use the sound itself to cancel itself out if you can get a precisely out of phase signal, but it seems rather tricky as fan noise isn't generally at a fixed frequency, like a car motor, which is much easier to cancel, but then again, if you're using the exact sound as your source, and it remains the same from it's origin to the exhaust, you MIGHT be able to get a precise out of phase sound. moving a speaker further or closer would alter the time differential to possibly get an out of phase sound. it'd be best to experiment with that in the day time. then there's an even WORSE possibility that you get feedback howl. to work properly, a manufacturer should probably design the system themselves, but you can get mics, amps and raw speakers dirt cheap, heck, you could use PC speakers and i've seen dirt cheap mic kits that include preamps. it's worth a try, but it might not work as easily as theory says it should. subwoofers don't totally cancel themselves out in free air.



> *If you do vent into your crawl space, it is sealed from the house and your growing space you might want to consider a ozone generator. They are relatively inexpensive, quiet and work well for odor elimination.*


don't believe the hype! i bought a used ionizer tower cheaply and it did little for odor other than create it's own nasty metallic odor that was even worse.



> *does reducing the size of the duct on the input of an inline fan increase the noise? *


 as mentioned, yes. it's called the venturi effect. that's why you see "velocity stacks" on top of hot rod carburetors sometimes. it makes the air move faster as it gets squeezed. jets work more or less on the same principle and they're anything but quiet.



> *I just got a variac transformer for 45 bucks .... man did it do wonders !!!!
> The sound of the fan is gone if i need to lower the power , with the speedster , it hummed like crazy , now at nite I can have the fan on at less than half speed and it is no sound what so ever , period !!!*


cool! i'd give you rep fort hat, i'm i've given too much out already. the speed controller i used on my fan barely helps as once you lower the speed a certain amount, it starts humming even louder defeating the purpose entirely. if you REALLY want silent air moving and don't care so much about CFM, those ionic breezes are silent, but are likely health hazards or might give you that nasty metallic taste a regular ionizer can



> *I currently am awaiting a Panasonic whisper inline fan. It's 6" rated at 240cfm and has a 1.4 sones or mid 30ish dba.*


 panasonic fans are $200+ when i looked into those. i bought a soler and palau TD-150 6" duct fan for under $140 delivered, i think, and has similar noise specs to panasonic units with some of the smaller ones rated as low as 21dB. i was trying to fuind the thread where i originally posted for a link to the noise levels, but it's probably in their PDFs. there's an "S" model that's supposedly their "silent" one, but i can say for sure mine's quieter than a dayton and cheaper than a panasonic. just don't use the internal low speed setting along with a speed controller., that might be why the 1st one i bought got fried. you also have to wire a plug into it yourself which is a pain, but worth $50 or more in savings. it's a lot easier to mount too than a big heavy steel donut.


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## Rrog (Nov 10, 2012)

The Lutron brand of variable speed fan controllers keeps that hum down. Model FS-5FH.

Dynamat between two layers of MDF, drywall, plywood, etc is very costly per square foot and very inefficient. Dynamat is designed for surface application not for use in between. If you're using two sheets of drywall, use Green Glue instead.


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## hazey grapes (Nov 10, 2012)

i spent a little time thinking about that phase cancellation idea when it occurred to me that ANOTHER stumbling block to making it work would be wind noise being picked up by a mic which ALSO gave me "proof" of why an egg crate mattress liner is a TERRIBLE material to use to stop sound TRANSMISSION...

sound goes right through foam for the most part, otherwise it wouldn't be used in microphone wind screens, or as dust shields for speakers as it was in a boombox i took apart once. it IS good for breaking sound reflections up though when it has a 3D texture as mattress liners do. SOME sound gets absorbed, but in studios, it does a better job of diffusing the reflections. most of the noise reduction it does is inside the room. it DOES help, but not as much as something with more mass that would resist vibrating more. if it really did a good job of blocking sound, it's be a terrible material to make wind screens out of.

if anyone DOES want to try and make a phase cancellation system, don't put the mic directly in the path of the moving air and put it behind some cheap fake fur as a wind screen as that's even better than foam at diffusing wind noise. really, it wouldn't be a bad liner to put inside a cardboard concrete pouring tube and might work better than the original egg crate foam idea i had.

if you REALLY want to build a better muffler, use gun silencer tech. get a ton of cardboard the size of whatever muffler you want to build, and cut holes the same size as your duct in them. then, stack them with air spaces in between them 1 or 2 thicknesses of cardboard thick. basically like this, but without the inner liner

the air spaces in between your layers will serve as chambers for sound to expand into more efficiently than an off the shelf muffler which has an open inner chamber. 

another way to do it would be to line a chamber with a bunch of scrub brushes as sometimes silencers use bristles to diffuse sound too, but that could get expensive.

if you aren't so worried about efficiency and REALLY wanted to muffle sound, you could make a direct barrier to sound and diffuse it by forcing the air through something like a box filled with coarse steel wool or some other material with a lot of air space between it like a loofa, but steel woold isn't going to be as flamable which can be a concern too.

really, people clinging to the CFM ideal are going to be most at odds with damping sound. you cut your CFM with speed controllers too, but if you can diffuse the sound with obstruction or air chambers, you can raise your speeds back up. 

earlier, someone argued against labyrinth tunneling your exhausts as it would impede air flow, but i'd say not that much as real duct fans have serious air pressure. if you made air zig zag back and fourt 3-4 times in a non resonant wood chamber lined with fur, i bet you could almost totally cancel exhaust noise. it'd be a big and heavy solution, but it would work i'd bet. sound likes to travel in a straight line, after that, it relies on reflections and if you cancel those, there's your solution.

i also thought you could get a similar effect a little easier by coiling an exhaust duct like an old school phone cord to break the soundwaves up.


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## HeartlandHank (Nov 15, 2012)

I like large fans dialed back with a speed adjuster. a 747 cfm fan dialed back to just below 50 percent is super quiet... I keep all fans in the attic. But I live next to a highway.


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## hazey grapes (Nov 22, 2012)

my soler and palau starts humming louder than the fan itself on a dimmer. someone mentioned a speed controller with a transformer for taming hum, but transformers turn A/C into D/C. i would picture them shorting a motor out. maybe they act as filters when used only on a positive or negative circuit.


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## WeedChip (Nov 25, 2012)

Here's how I made my fan shut up! Once I did this my only problem was the sound of air going through the ducting and the oscillating fan (noisy bastard!) 

View attachment 2419541

It's mounted to a wooden frame with rubber washers to help with the vibration, then it's basically completely surrounded with rock wool insulation and wrapped in a bedsheets. Simple cheap and it works.


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## fattiemcnuggins (Nov 26, 2012)

Wow..hazey went ham..when you gonna stop this nonsense


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## gooseyboy (Nov 29, 2012)

i use a smscom smart controller for my fan !!! really do work well here in uk were its pissin down all the time lol


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## hazey grapes (Dec 5, 2012)

gotta stop trying to help people? what lousy advice!

i'm liking the idea of taming exhaust noise by obstructing the flow and diffusing it with some kind of open air mesh or even the carbon scrubber. people get all worked up about CFM, but have you ever tried breathing through a really porous sponge? it's easy, and if you get something with even more airspace in a larger than 6" space, obstruction should be minimal with serious noise reduction like those hot rod mufflers with the stacked discs you can tune for noise or horsepower. if there's enough open surface, you don't obstruct the flow as much as disrupt it. try bunching up one of those mesh shower scrubbies and breathing through that... very little obstruction. the biggest issue i could imagine would be trapping heat, but the air that comes out a vent is only warm, it's the bulb that's really hot.

oh yeah... i meant stethoscopes, not microscopes.


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## PJ Diaz (Dec 5, 2012)

hazey grapes said:


> gotta stop trying to help people? what lousy advice!


"Trying" is the key word there. Trying to help is not the same as helping. If you give advise, that's only a good thing when it's good advice. See a pattern here? No? OK, let me spell it out for you..

You give lousy advise. You should stop for a while and gain some real knowledge. The truth is simple.


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## Relaxed (Dec 6, 2012)

sure is quit in here. I here the chirp of silence........


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## xp0c (Dec 24, 2012)

I've been looking at this fan. Anyone here using one? 
TD-150s (silent version)
http://www.amazon.com/Soler-Palau-TD-150S-In-line-Exhaust/dp/B007MRSL7I

Edit: nevermind


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## hazey grapes (Dec 26, 2012)

> *You should stop for a while and gain some real knowledge.*


i have REAL knowledge in acoustics fool! thiele small, resonance control, studio design... down to hocky puck floated flooring, convection A/C... absorption vs. diffraction, standing waves, diffraction, resonant modes and the golden ratio etc. so, fucking einstein... stop talking shit of which you know nada, or point out EXACTLY where i erred from facts, besides theorizing on designs with my superior intellect i'd beat the shit out of you with in a battle of wits to the death like, oh, say, a game show... and correct the info, or get made a fool out of and bookmarked for future reference like your ADD butt brothers arguing stupid ass shit like skunk #1 isn't 75% sativa by every source but one dutch breeder, including... cannabible #1, or my favorite... questioning why i got a delicous grape pheno out of super cali haze because i grew it under SUPERIOR QUALITY producing halide, just as the original sage cervantes espoused way back in the 80s at the fucking BIRTH of sea of green cashcrap greedy mitts losers are STILL polluting the streets with. they shut the fuck up when i produced links discussing pheno expression and spectrum (know what the fuck a tertiary color is there einstein?!) as well as DJ shorts himself's article on breeding that suggests halides over douchebag shwag making sodiums. they knew they were the fool when their misguided infantile personal attack was in opposition to DJ... one of the most respected breeders in the world.

i dabble in all kinds of information, and have read much more on weed than you since the mid 80s when you weren't even crying on your momma's tit yet. i was just re-reading cannabible tonight to refresh my memory on THAT knowledge on a couple hundred strains.

whut up chump? break some facts down or shut the fuck up. you want start arguing laws of thermodynamics and conservation of energy junior? quantum mechanics? materials engineering? whut? whut? whut?

oh yeah... i'm going to make a scruffler, probably out of MDF soon. i'll have to get an SPL meter... that stands for sound pressure meter which measures in dbs... that means decibels, to measure just how much i can reduce noise without needing a speed controller maybe even. it should be easy as simply obstructing exhaust flow with my hand decreased noise significantly. time to improvise a better solution than overpriced and sized tin mufflers.


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## Rrog (Dec 27, 2012)

It's all about the mass. Depending on how much isolation you're looking for. You can decouple the mass, damp the mass, install absorption in the cavity that the mass defines, but at the end of the day it's all about the mass. That's why plain old cheap 5/8" drywall is so great. Massive, cheap and easy to work with.


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## Canibitual (Dec 31, 2012)

The Max-fans are pretty quiet to begin with... the older vortex style fans are noisy as heck though... of the max-fans the 10" and 14" are very quiet... I have a 12" that is pretty noisy though.... Not sure about the smaller sizes...

make sure to use ducting on both ends of the fan, and a carbon scrubber on one end, it really lowers the noise... but be sure to compensate for the constricted airflow by buying a larger size... the wost thing you can do is cheap out of a fan to cool the room... if you buy a big enough out take fan, you won't need an intake fan... negitive pressure will pull enough air back though an empty ducting as long as the ducting comes in from a cool area...


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## brandon. (Jan 2, 2013)

If anyone is interested in using car audio "sound deadeners", e.g. Dynamat, then don't spend your money on companies like that. I install car audio (used to be professionally, now just a hobby) and all the products I order from http://www.sounddeadenershowdown.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi (not affiliated with them at all) are far superior to Dynamat, Fatmat, etc.

The prices are much more reasonable as well!


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## hazey grapes (Jan 4, 2013)

dynamat looks like the same material used to make prints you carve out. i bet the material is cheaper that way, but if you could get sheets of rubber, i bet that would work too. dynamat works particularly well in auto applications because metal is so resonant. as mentioned, simply mass loading is one of the best solutions as i said. it's hard for sound waves to move heavy objects. that's why you see 100 pound turntable platters and sand/lead loaded speaker stands. sand and lead shot work especially well because they aren't solids. they diffuse sound waves as well as transmit them poorly. as the scientific definition would always say about such processes, including dynamat... the materials convert sound into heat as with pretty much any form of energy conversion..


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## Rrog (Jan 4, 2013)

If you're wrapping something like a fan assembly, then Dynamat, MLV, etc is useful. Expensive, but useful.

If building a wall or ceiling, then neither product is relevant.


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## Lilstoneddude17 (Jan 4, 2013)

if you live in the city you should invest in a inline muffler very cheap n effective ebay has best prices


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## Sincerely420 (Jan 5, 2013)

DO NOT! I REPEAT.....DO NOT! Get any variety of the 8" duct fans for between $30-$40 from eBay or Amazon thinking that it might be doable.
It's not. Not if you live in apartment or are worried about any sorta sound control.
I'm stuck trying to sell it now because I don't wanna invest another $25 for a fan speed controller because I've read several reviews of them NOT WORKING w/ DUCT FANS.
I got an 8" duct fan becauase I got an 8" in duct ozone generater. The fan moves 420CFM but at quite the decibel...So it's growing dust right now.....
If you're gonna get an inline fan, don't skimp on it. The headache from a cheap fan is no bueno..And def. hang it some how...It's the best way of dealing with the vibration and sound IMO


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## Rrog (Jan 5, 2013)

Any fan should be run at 1/2 speed to be quiet. If I wanted to move 200 cu ft per minute, I'd buy a 400CFM fan and run at 1/2 speed. 

The Lutron brand of variable speed fan controllers keeps that hum down. Model FS-5FH.


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## lykarckstar420 (Jan 7, 2013)

My 4" inline fan sounds a like a swamp cooler. It has to be in my bedroom.. Tried a silent clamp thing on the end of my fan and that DID NOTHING> .. any ideas.


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## glann (Jan 26, 2013)

Does fabric hanging in the room kill sound? They kill echos in big open rooms, wondering if it just hanging in the room would absorb sound. Saw this and thought about it.... http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Blanket-Single-Super-Premium/dp/B005T5S68E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359232025&sr=8-1&keywords=sound+absorbing+blanket


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## Rrog (Jan 26, 2013)

Hanging stuff on the wall (short of drywall) will do very little. Fluffy stuff stops echo, but will not soundproof. 

An echo is a weaker sound wave that doesn't have enough energy to actually enter the wall and leave the room. These weaker waves that can't leave the room bounce back into the room. Because they are weaker sound waves they can be dealt with by the fluffy stuff. Stronger sound waves will simply pass through the fluffy stuff, enter the wall or ceiling and is conducted away from your room forever.


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## Myles117 (Mar 3, 2013)

what is the easiest way to cut the 7 inch hole in the board? i have a 6 inch diameter bit for my drill but it wasnt cheap and id rather not buy another that is even more expensive.

thanks


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## Myles117 (Mar 4, 2013)

this is the only option im finding and its an 80 dollar investment to drill two holes... i really hope someone out there has a better cheaper alternative 

http://www.customholesaw.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=116_118&products_id=695&zenid=0180c6239b111030f6cb6c18845b362f


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## Rrog (Mar 5, 2013)

What "board?"


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## Myles117 (Mar 5, 2013)

the only board that needs a circular hole cut in it lol. on both ends of the box where the duct comes through


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## Rrog (Mar 5, 2013)

I'd use a jigsaw, then


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## Myles117 (Mar 7, 2013)

i didnt much want to add a jigsaw to my tool arsennal so i got one of these. much more versatile and i've heard great things from owners of the tool. figure i can use it to cut the circular holes in the bucket lids for net pots too. 

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW660SK-Rotary-Cut-Out-Collets/dp/B00005RHQ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1362671222&sr=1-2&keywords=dewalt+rotary+tool


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## Rrog (Mar 7, 2013)

I have one of those... Everyone's different, but I'd reach for the jigsaw myself. The saw blade cuts, where the rotary tool sort of uses a drill bit. Works great with drywall, but never likes it with plywood. I'll be curious what you find. If you're working with MDF, cut the board outside, as the quantity of fine dust will shock you


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## hotrodharley (Mar 7, 2013)

Here you go $23 at Amazon.







Called a "Heavy Duty Hole Cutter" for your search term.


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## hotrodharley (Mar 7, 2013)

Adjustable. Cuts through a variety of materials. Warning: you must be smarter than the tool you are using or risk serious injury or death.


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## Javadog (Mar 7, 2013)

That is basically a "dremel" Myles, and you will benefit from having 
it for other reasons too. 

Put a carbide disk on one of these things and you can cut case hardened 
stainless steel. (you might burn a couple up, but they cost very little)

Now that tool has me stoked HotRod....really. It is like someone sold me
a set of Jarts (remember the old lawn darts). It is like "I get to think! Yay!"

I see the potential hazard of that thing when it gets going, but with great
power comes great responsibility. Thanks for the idea.

JD


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## Myles117 (Mar 7, 2013)

hotrodharley said:


> Here you go $23 at Amazon.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


i looked at oen of those in home depot and if you'd attack plywood with it, you are not smarter than your tool lol


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## Myles117 (Mar 7, 2013)

Rrog said:


> I have one of those... Everyone's different, but I'd reach for the jigsaw myself. The saw blade cuts, where the rotary tool sort of uses a drill bit. Works great with drywall, but never likes it with plywood. I'll be curious what you find. If you're working with MDF, cut the board outside, as the quantity of fine dust will shock you


all of the construction is kept outside for that reason, i like to skip the cleanup portion of DIYing when at all possible 

i just dont want to buy a jigsaw when i wont use it again in the foreseeable future.


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## diggabyte (Mar 15, 2013)

First-time poster, long-time reader. 

As many others in this thread, I too use a tent grow and have had to deal with noise (and heat) in a small living space. To reduce my need for a huge, noisy ventilation system, I use a 250W Induction lamp in my tent. It's like a super-powerful fluorescent, comparable to a 400w HPS but with a fraction of the heat (there are other threads that debate this topic). The general idea is less heat = less air flow needs = less noisy fans.

That being said, I don't require a 6" inline vortex just for my light or anything like that. I just need some fresh air to keep the plants happy, keep the smell outside and to flush the limited (but noticeable) heat buildup. Everything out on the market for ducting fans is like industrial-grade, very loud. Airplanes taking off and such.

My solution was to purchase a $60 extractor fan used for bathrooms from Home Depot. It's rated 60cfm with a 4" duct and is nearly silent. 60cfm flushes my 4x4x2 tent (32cfm) every 30 seconds or so. The loudness of the unit is 0.5 sone (a loudness scale used for fans and such), which is absolutely whisper quiet, about as loud as the typical PC. I can sleep right next to it. 

The extractor fan is designed to be mounted flush in the ceiling, like in your bathroom. So in order to mount it cleanly to my tent, I used 2 pieces of corrugated plastic as makeshift flange, using the existing ducting holes in the tent. The fan sits happily on top of the tent. I run 4" ducting for the outlet a few feet away in my window. 

For the window, I used a foam-core board (art supply store) which I cut to fit. In between the foam core and window screen, I simply slipped in the original grill/face that came with the extractor fan (which would normally be mounted to your ceiling). From the outside, the windows looks like any run-of-the mill window AC unit. No one would be the wiser.

Without the airflow, aside from just being cruel to my girls, the canopy temp was about 92f (ambient room temp ~72f). Since I've added the extractor airflow, the canopy temp hovers right around 80f. 

Now it's important to note a few things here:
1) this solution will not suffice for a HPS / MH lamp. Don't even think about it. There's too much heat. 
2) If you use CFL, T5's, LED or Induction lighting, this might be a viable solution for low-volume ventilation. 

There are all sorts of makes / models of these extractor fans. You'll have to do a little DIY to mount them, regardless. If you don't use a grow tent but have small grow room, you could mount one (or more!) in the ceiling for excellent, nearly silent ventilation. 

I've attached some photos... enjoy!


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## Zippo Guy (Mar 15, 2013)

I have that same tool ("Heavy Duty Hole Cutter"), I bought it to cut fan holes... do not get it is all i can say.
Took me about 20 mins to get through 9mm of MDF, and it's so messy and unstable to use by hand, I ended up having to buy a new panel and use my jigsaw.
My Hand-held Drill didn't have enough torque to cut larger holes with this, even my big mains powered one bounced about every now and then, but I must stress that it's very unstable and hard to do a good job with it by hand...
This attachment is more suited to those big heavy duty drills on stands, found in workshops ect.

For fan holes, Solid Ducting and other lil jobs like that you should have a look at 'Oscillating Multitools', they're great!
Got one a while back, now i only need to use my Jigsaw for long straight cuts or thick beams.

Anyway, I checked in here with some soundproofing advice, but felt compelled to share my waste of money with all, and hopefully save you all some cash!

-----------

I've been a sound engineer for the past 7 Years and have even taken part in a few commercial studio constructions...
During this time I have worked and spoken with many Acousticians and Specialist Contractors, so without being up my own ass... I do know what I'm talking about when it comes to Sound!

The number one rule you need to know about sound insulation is that it's all about the Frequencies!
Let's not make this too much of a Sound Engineering lesson, but basically we mainly want to concentrate on the Lower-Mid to Upper Frequencies, as fan noise is most resonant in this range.
Egg Crate type insulation can help, just like acoustic/foam padding, and actual insulation...
That's all good, but the number one thing you can do, is concentrate on the construction of the walls of your cab/room ect.

The key to Blocking Sound is to have a solid surface for the sound to hit, then a hollow space, followed by another solid surface (hope that explains it).
*That doesn't mean that you can insulate a cab or a fan with 2 layers of 3mm plywood!!*

here is what I have done from inside out:

3mm MDF board Sandwiched onto a 9mm MDF board with 'Green Glue' (a bit expensive, but if you apply it as per the instructions, a tube will go further than you might think. I used less than 1).
This already gives me 2 hard surfaces with a gap inbetween.
Then on the other side of the support frame, I have 12mm MDF board covered with some light carpet (heavy duty is best for sound, but not great for temps), as carpets are often used to control High Frequencies. Put on with Staple Gun a tiny bit of Green Glue of course  (Love that shit!).
Outside was filled in with good old wood filler, then painted.

If youre dealing with an actual room, make a frame all around your room and put some Drywall/Plasterboard on the outside and MDF or something inside (Plasterboard is better than MDF, but will degrade if it gets wet so should not be used for the inside).
You don't need to shrink your space or spend £$£$ lol, a single layer of 12mm MDF framed up about 2 inches away from your actual wall will do wonders!
A cubic foot or two of space are worth the peace of mind in my eyes...

For an actual interior door, you can use screws in the corners, all screwed to leave an inch or 2 sticking out. Then simply push MDF board up to it and crew it to the door, this will leave the all important gap, whilst not adding too much weight to the door, as I've seen a Studio Door practically remove fingers! :S

Unless you spend a shitload of cash, there will always be some noise... especially as inputs and ouputst are a fact of life for us.
All i can hear from my grow which is near where I sleep, is a gentle hum from Airflow... and as far as that goes, Blowing through Oversized Carbon Filter with Solid Ducting is what will make the most difference (In my opinion).
I can sleep no worries, and with my headphones on but no music playing, I can't hear it!

Hope this helps anyone having issues...
Remember that the planning stage is the most important... and Green Glue is awesome!

Zip.


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## Javadog (Mar 15, 2013)

I wonder if the Whisperline line of fans have this sort of baffling already included,
as they are something of a box like shape; one that clearly houses a more typically
shaped rotary fan.


I hope so....I have one on the way. :0) 6"

Take care,

JD


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## Rrog (Mar 16, 2013)

Great write up Zippo! Props!

Side note: The Green Glue is effective if placed between two rigid panels like plywood or drywall. Not going to do anything between carpet and ply, for example, because the carpet is floppy.


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## Uniqueturk90 (Mar 19, 2013)

sleeping bag and bungee cords insulate the fu*k out your ventilation.


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## Javadog (Mar 19, 2013)

I just got a Whisperline 6" fan and can report that it is more
than quiet enough for my needs. I added a new length of ducting
to for my tent, where carbon filtration happens, to take as input
air from my mothers area. 

The mothers area started to stink without flowering (deadhead, 
Blueberry BX, Qrazy Train, Chem 40G, and Blue Cheese) and so
I needed to start filtering that air.

This is working, but it is making a negative pressure in the tent.
So, I am adding a fan to push air into the duct from the mothers area.

Take care,

JD


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## sephiclo (Mar 23, 2013)

Why do that...negative pressure is a good thing.


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## Javadog (Mar 23, 2013)

I agree completely. I just want it to be less, as it is really sucking
the sides of the tent it. ...or was, I should write, as I realized that
all I need to do is use the Whisperline inside the tent and the switchable
fan that I have in the tent in the mothers area.

The reasoning here is driven by the fact that the Whisperline only
runs at one speed, but it is very quiet. The fan currently inside the
tent has three speeds, and only the lowest is nearly as quiet as the
WL. 

I am pretty sure that the WL is more than powerful enough to avoid
a positive pressure in the tent if the other fan is on low, in the mothers area.

...but you are spot on. I came to realize this quickly. :0) Thanks for the time!

JD


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## Sativied (Mar 23, 2013)

I didnt go through all pages, so may have been mentioned already, but the box on the first pages to mute the ventilator we in the Netherlands refer to as a softbox. Every grow store sells them, nearly as common as a lamp (small houses packed together, need odor and sound control). In addition to foam on the inside the ventilator hangs on rubbers, and the box itself too, and the commonly attached carbon filter too.

Search for 'softbox wiet' in Google Images for tons of DIY examples. Mine actually consist of just the foam (with the pyramids) as I'm growing in a wooden/gypsum closet already. I use the foam on top of my closet too though, just in case (got neighbors above me).

The metal versions have become popular over the past years. More expensive but effective.

I also use Sonodeck vent hosing, makes a major difference by itself.

I'm planning to get an aquarium and make sure the neighbors know of it. If then they hear something buzzing they'll suspect the aquarium is standing against the wall (somewhat of a cliche).


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## BeastGrow (Mar 23, 2013)

Aeroponics is very loud it shakes the whole house.. hanging on rubber loops on rubber hooks reduces the vibration of air pumps a little... the air in the buckets creates a little vibration too so having a rubber mat for aeroponic buckets would be a good idea.

If you can work in the basement then aeroponics might not make much noise.


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## bass1014 (Mar 28, 2013)

thanks to this thread i have built a box for my turbo fan and i also built a box around my carbon filter so when the air comes out of the filter in the box i have a 6'' inline fan pulling the air from the carbon filter/box i now send it outside with no smell and the sound is a lot more covered up then just a box around the fan.. i also used an old pillow and took the insides out and put it in the box around the fan..


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## bass1014 (Mar 28, 2013)

thanks to this thread i have built a box for my turbo fan and i also built a box around my carbon filter so when the air comes out of the filter in the box i have a 6'' inline fan pulling the air from the carbon filter/box i now send it outside with no smell and the sound is a lot more covered up then just a box around the fan.. i also used an old pillow and took the insides out and put it in the box around the fan.. View attachment 2590546View attachment 2590547View attachment 2590548 the other end of the box has a 6'' inline fan to draw the used air out to an outside vent.. instead of having the carbon air blown into the same space your trying to clear..


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## bass1014 (Mar 28, 2013)

sorry for the double post.. that's why they call it dope..


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## diggabyte (Mar 28, 2013)

Sativied said:


> I didnt go through all pages, so may have been mentioned already, but the box on the first pages to mute the ventilator we in the Netherlands refer to as a softbox. Every grow store sells them, nearly as common as a lamp (small houses packed together, need odor and sound control). In addition to foam on the inside the ventilator hangs on rubbers, and the box itself too, and the commonly attached carbon filter too.
> 
> Search for 'softbox wiet' in Google Images for tons of DIY examples. Mine actually consist of just the foam (with the pyramids) as I'm growing in a wooden/gypsum closet already. I use the foam on top of my closet too though, just in case (got neighbors above me).
> 
> ...


Good tip on the 'softbox wiet'. I have not been able to find them commercially available outside of Europe. They can obviously be built, but seems like there would be a big market for small growers here in the US. I've tried searching for many combinations of terms extractor/fan/enclosure/box/softbox/silent/acoustic and am having trouble. What would these things be called in the US? Any ideas?


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## diggabyte (Mar 28, 2013)

Some images for inspiration... these boxes are apparently quite common in the Netherlands.


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## Sativied (Mar 28, 2013)

diggabyte said:


> Some images for inspiration... these boxes are apparently quite common in the Netherlands.


Yup, pretty much standard growing gear. Actually the carbon filter and the "offsucker" lol: verbatim translation usually no good - the ventilator that sucks off the air through the carbon filter, pulling fresh air inside) are standard because of snitching neighbors that might smell something. And since those make noise AND vibrate, they are put in a softbox. 

Ruck is a popular (german engineering...) brand for tube ventilators, but the soft boxes work better with snail ventilators.

As for the US term, we have this weird habbit in dutch to combine words, so I'd just add a space and call it a soft box, but Google tells me that's used in photography already.

It's a ventilation silencer?

I see my previous reply above, didn't stress the sonodeck hose enough. So let me put it this way, I consider it (or similar insulated hosing) an essential part of the softbox (without it it will blow out the noise ).

I'll paste in a photo of my setup from my pc in a few min.

EDIT: last pic is outside the grow closet. As I mentioned previously I don't actually have a softbox myself. Most because I just had to invest in other stuff first, so I went with just the padding. All on ropes, but the ones with weight on it have rubber bands at the top. 


Would have been optimal if there was a small piece of that hosing between the carbon filter and the ventilator (which is an awesome thing by itself, thermostat, only goes as hard and as noisy as it needs to).

People who grow in tents here, or small closets, often place the softbox outside the tent/closet (which especially in DIY cases gives a lot of options).


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## Javadog (Mar 28, 2013)

I have to spread reputation around? I already got you I guess. Great post! LOL


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## hutchy69 (Mar 31, 2013)

hey guys .

i was just reading some posts. i have a same sort of problem but the noise is not coming from the my carbon fillter. sound like a sucking noise.
i do have two silencers on eather side of the fan. im using a can fan and same silences. i was just wondering if anyone had made a box for there carbon filter?
any tips to help me make it more quiet then what it is now. thanks


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## Sativied (Apr 8, 2013)

hutchy69 said:


> i was just reading some posts.
> 
> ......
> 
> ...


I guess those posts you read where in a different thread/forum? Your questions are answered in the previous posts, scroll up for pics 



hutchy69 said:


> sound like a sucking noise.


Sounds like you are not using the insulated ducting.


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## Storm (Apr 10, 2013)

Honestly, if your ballast makes noise, ditch it. We have electronic ballasts... lets not be ghetto Secondly, pumps do not make noise. Lastly, your neighbors have no proof your fans are not an indoor AC exhausting. If they have an issue, it is not hard to play off your neighbors. If you are growing in a state that does not have a medical program, you should stop, it could ruin your life.


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## Nursemajor (Apr 10, 2013)

I'm going to be living alone in my next rental. I was thinking of getting an extremely noisy fan and leaving it on 24/7, in case the landlord shows up. Besides, my grow room will be my storage/workout room.


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## MARLEYBLUNTSÂ® (Apr 18, 2013)

I will definitely copy this Idea u answered my question thanks!! Great thread.


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## dictate (Apr 19, 2013)

Hi guys, just a quick question on the duct mufflers, DIY or Phresh... I'm going with a DIY. 

My question is, do I have to attach it directly to the intake/exhaust part of the fan? I was thinking my setup would be like this:

[CF]==insulated ducting==[Exhaust Fan]==Insulated Ducting==[exit tent]===[Silencer]

Will it matter if I have ducting between the fan and the silencer? I don't have enough room to line them up, as my fan is 20 inches long and my DIY muffler is 24 inches. I have a 3x3 tent.


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## Sativied (May 3, 2013)

My plants stretched a little more than expected so I had to make some room to raise the lamp. I moved the exhaust into a diy softbox and attached it to the outside of my grow closet (which is why one side is left open).

All material I had lying around, not necessarily a recommendation. The exhaust is hanging on rubbers inside the box. The box itself also hangs on rubbers. This is to prevent vibration/buzzing sound to enter neighboring apartments. Again the insulated ducting, on both sides of the exhaust, makes a huge difference. The longer (especial 'after' the exhaust) the better.


(the dark foam is a left over from previous situation, covered with foil, but see previous posts in this thread for old situation)


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## Sincerely420 (May 3, 2013)

Sativied said:


> My plants stretched a little more than expected so I had to make some room to raise the lamp. I moved the exhaust into a diy softbox and attached it to the outside of my grow closet (which is why one side is left open).
> 
> All material I had lying around, not necessarily a recommendation. The exhaust is hanging on rubbers inside the box. The box itself also hangs on rubbers. This is to prevent vibration/buzzing sound to enter neighboring apartments. Again the insulated ducting, on both sides of the exhaust, makes a huge difference. The longer (especial 'after' the exhaust) the better.
> 
> ...


Nice bossman! Thanks for point me here.
I was subbed up but I left a while back so I've missed a lot of whats gone on, but I think if we wanna buy anything similar pre-made in the states, it's gonna be the duct muffler that bro was talking about from above.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_7/191-9885630-0658647?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=duct%20muffler&sprefix=duct+mu%2Caps%2C187&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aduct%20muffler&sepatfbtf=true&tc=1367604553384

I was looking into getting one before and I'm DEF. gonna get one now, since I'll have to cool a couple HPSs with the next run. I'd love to build a box, but I don't have the resources to get it done ATM. And it's funny that you're setup looks like the studio that I had setup at the last place lol, rather than the grow room! I'm about to see if I can find a pic of it for ya!

Def. gonna have to sound proof the walls as well. I'm thinking I'll just reflect the sound around the room with foam, rather than doing anything to the walls..
Hmmm...I wonder if I can find someone one craigslist that can cut and build the box for me lol...
Maybe....just maybeeee...

Gotta love the high mind and the random ideas haha.
Or maybe I should check Angie lists..that's like our equivalent of maarktplaats ..

Will def update here agin tho, with what I decide!


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## Sativied (May 4, 2013)

Sincerely420 said:


> it's gonna be the duct muffler that bro was talking about from above.


I wonder if it does much more than let's say 2 yards of insulated ducting (10inch more or less already makes a noticeable difference). Probably great for the larger exhausts. They do sell'm on this side of the big pond as well but I rarely see them.

For soundproofing walls of a room, plates of that same rockwool-ish insulation material that's inside that ducting works better than the foam I used on the inside of the softbox but that's partly because it's usually also thicker (so costs more space as well).

I had all the resources and tools I needed but if I had to buy the wood, foam, rubbers, saw, drill, screws, clamps, etc, etc, it would cost me about the same as buying one from a grow shop.


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## Bleezyboy1990 (May 31, 2013)

im sorry if somebody has already asked this question and got an answer, but im rollin balls with my girl mollly lol. im going to get a 600 with a cooltube and using a 6in fan and filter. i plan on having this set up filter==fan==light=== exit tent. when i do that and i plan on hanging everything with bungee cords besides the light and im just wondering if thats gonna be a good noise damper? idk if my tent will support the fan box that is on the first page here or not. is there any way i can make that without using the wood? maybe cardboard or something lighter weight than that? or would adding extra ducting outside of the tent be good enough? sorry if im rambling! thank you to anyone who can help!


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## Rrog (Jun 1, 2013)

Soundproofing = heavy. Sound waves are like bullets in some respects. You need mass to stop it.

Insulation does little, except at high frequencies. This is why guys use heavier MDF to build boxes. It's one of the denser building panels readily available.


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## Commander Strax (Jun 1, 2013)

*

rollin balls with my girl mollly lol ???


​
​

*


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## Javadog (Jun 1, 2013)

Bleezyboy1990 said:


> im sorry if somebody has already asked this question and got an answer, but im rollin balls with my girl mollly lol. im going to get a 600 with a cooltube and using a 6in fan and filter. i plan on having this set up filter==fan==light=== exit tent. when i do that and i plan on hanging everything with bungee cords besides the light and im just wondering if thats gonna be a good noise damper? idk if my tent will support the fan box that is on the first page here or not. is there any way i can make that without using the wood? maybe cardboard or something lighter weight than that? or would adding extra ducting outside of the tent be good enough? sorry if im rambling! thank you to anyone who can help!


While they are a fair bit more expensive, either a Panasonic Whisperline
or a Soler & Palau fan will operate as quietly as you could hope for.

I have the former, and the push-fan in the window on the man-cave makes
the fan inside my tent inaudible.

Good luck,

JD


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## Commander Strax (Jun 2, 2013)

I have the s&p TD100x it is great


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## mrhydroman (Jun 12, 2013)

Hedgehunter said:


> great thread,cant understand why it only got a couple of replies, iv just got my new 6' inline and it sounds like a fucking jet , thought i had every angle covered but this noise could fuck my grow op , i need to sort the noise as me and the gf sleep right next to the room....


lucky you, i have a 2x2x2m tent in my bedroom which is 2.5mx6mx2.5m with 12" an broke atm to change my fan box to a 7" is annoying lucky the time we go to bed i change from a fan box to a second inline fan (hung reversed to take the air out) 

still back to the point, dont have alot of room


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## BeastGrow (Jun 12, 2013)

i had problems with air pumps.. i found using multiple small pumps made less vibrations and noise than using 1 large pump. id say get 1 or 2 small pumps for each plant. Also hang them from bungie cables.


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## BeastGrow (Jun 12, 2013)

Bleezyboy1990 said:


> im sorry if somebody has already asked this question and got an answer, but im rollin balls with my girl mollly lol. im going to get a 600 with a cooltube and using a 6in fan and filter. i plan on having this set up filter==fan==light=== exit tent. when i do that and i plan on hanging everything with bungee cords besides the light and im just wondering if thats gonna be a good noise damper? idk if my tent will support the fan box that is on the first page here or not. is there any way i can make that without using the wood? maybe cardboard or something lighter weight than that? or would adding extra ducting outside of the tent be good enough? sorry if im rambling! thank you to anyone who can help!


the filter should be the last thing the air goes through as it leaves your tent.


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## skunkd0c (Jun 12, 2013)

dunno if anyone has mentioned this before big thread , not quite a sound issue but related 
i recently discovered that the large kind of bubble wrap works very well to absorb vibrations !!

i recently put my fan that is already inside a metal box (bought that way), inside another box because it was still too loud
i filled the box with some old rockwool i had laying around and am using silenced ducting too
the noise has reduced a great deal i am happy, but the box was vibrating quite badly not making noise but putting alot of vibrations through the floor and building lol

there was no place practical for me to hang it with cords i tried using different things to absorb the vibrations which were going through the floor
pretty badly like some kind of sub-bass speaker my fan is 270w i think that has something to do with it, for a 6inch fan it is a beast 
just a few layers of bubble wrap did the trick, i am happy now 

peace


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## Javadog (Jun 12, 2013)

BeastGrow said:


> the filter should be the last thing the air goes through as it leaves your tent.


I have gotten the impression that filters do a better job of
sucking air through a filter than they do of pushing air through
a filter.

Usually the train starts with the filter, going to the lamp, then
the fan, and then out of the tent.

onward and upward,

JD


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## skunkd0c (Jun 12, 2013)

Javadog said:


> I have gotten the impression that filters do a better job of
> sucking air through a filter than they do of pushing air through
> a filter.
> 
> ...


some folk do it that way to save space in the tent, it does work, but you have to make sure you seal everything
overall its not really a good idea, the smell can leak out of the fan casing etc as smelly air is pulled through the fan before reaching the filter


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## Javadog (Jun 12, 2013)

Right. Good stuff. Thanks!

...and nice cupcakes! :0)

JD


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## RedRick (Jun 13, 2013)

skunkd0c said:


> dunno if anyone has mentioned this before big thread , not quite a sound issue but related
> i recently discovered that the large kind of bubble wrap works very well to absorb vibrations !!
> 
> i recently put my fan that is already inside a metal box (bought that way), inside another box because it was still too loud
> ...


Never thought with this before and it's so simple really. Nice idea, thanks. Oh yeah, and (as has been stated before) nice cup cakes.


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## sworth (Aug 4, 2013)

I've been looking for a new air pump and stumbled upon this video

[video=youtube;4BaTCe8VqdE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BaTCe8VqdE[/video]

I paid good money for my last one, expecting less noise, wish I'd seen this cos I think mine vibrated itself to death lol.

Top tip, that's new on me anyway


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## newbuder420 (Aug 5, 2013)

i have a 10x10 room and am seting up a 400w hps light in it and putting 2 plants under it is this going to work i dont have money to buy things to make a great room just yet


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## Javadog (Aug 5, 2013)

Well 400W will not fill that room, but you know this.

It could do a few plants, positioned under it's sweet spot.

Good luck,

JD


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## iFreeSki420 (Aug 11, 2013)

Is it quieter to get an 8" fan or 6" fan? Either way I plan to get a bigger one than necessary and run it on half speed.


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## rarebreed619 (Aug 15, 2013)

Daveinca said:


> hello to all,
> I am new to growing MJ, actually i havent started yet, my background is commercialy growing cut flowers. it seems that every picture of mj farms i have seen a huge amout of fans moving air through the growing area.
> 
> my question is why does mj need so much air movement?


for the air exchange, picture yourself in a hot ass cramped room with no air circulation. would be pretty uncomfortable.


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## Jar Man (Aug 26, 2013)

Nice informative thread. Recently bought and mounted a 6"-500cfm Can Fan/carbon filter combo in an upstairs bedroom window only to discover far more of a rushing air sound than I expected would be audible outside from the second floor. I screwed a 4x4 3/4" plywood panel flush to the inside walls over the window inset and flush to the sill. This creates a stealth mini-plenum behind the closed Levelor blinds, leaving no visibly tell tale signs for snoopes who seem evermore on the prowl for brazen break-ins the cops care ever-less about if it's a MJ grow. The slider window is left open just an inch, allowing enough volume of air to pass outside unnoticed otherwise. It's still summer and not too unusual to hear a lot of close neighbors window A/C units buzzing. But once the weather turns and it gets quiet in those winter months the rushing air sound is bound to raise eyebrows, directing attention to an upstairs bedroom window open curiously in the cold dead of winter. I just moved to eastern Wa. and this now becomes more of an issue near the Ephrata/Moses Lake area where growers seem scarce, but the market is surprisingly hot. And wouldn't you know, a buzz-cut cop lives just 2 doors down. Am pricing silencers and plan on hanging everything bungee-style from the ceiling. Snuffing out sound and odor in slightly larger appt grows can be a real trick that discourages many from the adventure.


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## kiteflyer90 (Dec 11, 2013)

I was a little paranoid of the sound when I first started my 6 inch fan but after a few weeks it seem to run a lot smoother and now I can barely hear it


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## East Coast (Dec 29, 2013)

I only have one question on the above arrangement - Does the heat being pulled through the fan from the room and the lights cause the fan to run hot - potential fire problem?

Personally I would rather have the fan pushing air passed those heated devices for peace of mind.


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## East Coast (Dec 29, 2013)

I was also thinking that any connection from the heat tube to the ducting should be made with ali tape and use ali / metal ducting. If the fan skips a beat or stops for what ever reason - those heat tubes will heat up and may cause plastic tape, cables ties to melt and start a little fire


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## Myles117 (Dec 29, 2013)

the fan wont have any issue. the air wont be all that hot since it is constantly being pulled.


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## bgg (Dec 29, 2013)

Buy a bathroom fan and blow it into the box. build a box out of drywall and use fibre glass insulation much less flameable than cardboard and towels.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 27, 2014)

I went with the room-within-a-room for my grow lab and it's completely silent. The walls and ceiling are framed and insulated with soundproof/fireproof insulation and then drywalled over.....even if I crank up my fans to the max, it's completely silent outside my room when it's all sealed up.


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## Rrog (Feb 27, 2014)

When building these structures, keep in mind the the cheapest fiberglass insulation is the one you want. Spending more on mineral fiber or anything labeled "sound control" won't work better than cheap fiberglass. 

Double 5/8" drywall is a quick, down and dirty improvement


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 27, 2014)

Rrog said:


> When building these structures, keep in mind the the cheapest fiberglass insulation is the one you want. Spending more on mineral fiber or anything labeled "sound control" won't work better than cheap fiberglass.
> 
> Double 5/8" drywall is a quick, down and dirty improvement



This is simply not true, not sure where you are getting this. Rockwool or high-density fiberglass is going to absorb and dampen much more sound than simple pink insulation and has been extensively proven to do so.......it's basic physics. Other than material type, the two important parameters when it comes to controlling sound waves is thickness and density. Corning 503 or Roxul Safe n Sound is 3-4x as dense as a slab of regular fluffy pink insulation of equal thickness.

There is a reason the stuff is used extensively in recording studios and other sound-sensitive applications...it works, and extremely well! If it didn't, I wouldn't have used it to design my grow room and home recording studio which are right next to each other and need to be completely isolated acoustically. Anyhow, there is a ton of great information and data which supports this on all of the recording and home audio forums.

Here is a chart with different insulating materials and their sounds absorption data. You can clearly see that Roxul or similar high-density soundproofing insulation performs much better across every sound frequency range than an equally thick portion of fluffy pink fiberglass.

http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 27, 2014)

The data speaks for itself, but the the real-life test is easy to do. All walls in my basement are insulated using 3" Roxul Safe N Sound, while all the upstairs walls are are insulated with regular pink insulation of the same thickness. Same thickness of drywall on both levels. The difference in the amount of sound that passes through the walls between room is PROFOUND. Downstairs, if you put 2 people in adjoining rooms and close the door, they would have to yell to be able to have a conversation through the wall. Upstairs, the two guest bedrooms share a wall and you can hear someone whispering in the next room.

Sorry for the long-winded response, but I have some expertise in this area and did not want people buying into pink insulation being just as good as Roxul or other high density soundproofing insulation because it simply isn't true. They are totally different products desinged for completely different purposes. Fluffy pink stuff was designed for the sole purpose of thermal insulation. The insulating materials of which I speak are designed specifically for acoustic insulation. These materials are fantastic options for controlling grow room sound and staying safe, and everyone should look at using them. The added bonus of many of these types of insulation is that they are also fire retardant, making them ideal for use in grow room applications. Where I live, a bag of Roxul Safe n Sound is only $10 more than a bad of crappy fluffy stuff, making it a no-brainer for anyone serious about keeping quiet.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Well, that's incorrect. Look online at the data from the NRC in Canada. Biggest acoustic lab in north america. Then stop by forums where professional acoustic designers hang out. Gearslutz, JohnLSayers, AVSForum. You will see there are entire threads on insulation. 

You are comparing surface response data (NR coefficient) ON a wall, but it's a different environment IN a wall. The data is out there, and it says use standard fiberglass insulation and quit wasting your cash on exotic insulation.

EDIT: Just read your previous post and yes, you are way off what hard lab data clearly describes.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Hmmmm, then what about my whole upstairs/downstairs comparison then? The proof is in the pudding so they say. Like I said, the difference is DRASTIC....same thickness of insulation, same thickness of drywall. Downstairs (with Roxul) you have to yell between rooms to have a conversation....upstairs, with the pink stuff, you can whisper. 

This isn't my mind playing tricks on me, so I'm calling BS on what you are saying. My uncle is also a contractor who swears by Roxul when doing renos for clients who want quiet, so that should also say something. Anyhow, saying pink crap = specialty acoustic insulation with no data or proof to back it up is just silly......you said so yourself, you are just going on what someone else has said. I have used the stuff extensively and know very well the difference that it makes and what it can do. have you tried firsthand? or are you just regurgitating things your read without trying it yourself?


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

The proof is in the lab data which is specific, reproducible and detailed. 

Individual jobs that you or your uncle did are fine, but lab data is true data. There are hundreds of variable on the jobsite. Was one wall sealed better? Were there other framing connections creating flanking pathways into adjacent surfaces? Wood floor vs. slab? Many variables.

So we go to a lab where these variables can be either removed, or known and measured. Then we get a clean picture of what is going on.

There are other things that affect isolation a lot more than insulation. The mass of the wall (double drywall vs. single), if the wall is decoupled, and if the drywall is damped with a damping compound. Any of these items might be expected to add 10 STC points or so to a structure. The insulation would only get 3-5 points.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

You've yet to show any data showing that specialized insulation is no better than fluffy pink stuff. The walls were all framed at the same time, exact same drywall, thickness, compound, etc. Walls were built within days of each other to the same standards, just different insulation. 

I'm not talking a difference of a couple of decibels, I'm talking a MASSIVE difference. Yelling vs whispering. And I'm sorry, you have no experience with the stuff or have tried it for yourself.....you are just regurgitating what others of said and that acoustic insulation makes no difference. I know first hand, that without doubt, this is not true......the small potential variables that you mentioned are not factors here, and even if they were, they could not explain the huge difference. I run a recording studio in the other half of my basement, I could easily run a test signal through the wall to my SPL meter both upstairs and downstairs and post the results to prove my point.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Dude. You are talking ghetto data.

Google the NRC of Canada, first of all. They have better equipment than you or your uncle. It's considered by many to be the finest acoustics lab on the planet. Certainly North America. Look for test reports IR 761 and IR 693.

Compare similar walls with the only variable being the insulation type. Look at frequency bands below 125Hz. You will see standard fiberglass has the edge over mineral wool (Roxul). This is why people designing high isolation environments spec standard fiberglass. Superior bass isolation. 

As I mentioned before, all of this is largely meaningless. The factors of mass, damping and decoupling are far more impactful than the presence of absorption (the insulation).


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

My point is that WITH EXPERIENCE with the product, it makes a significant difference. They can prove whatever they want in a lab, as with most things, theory doesn't always pan out in real life. I just have a hard time with someone telling me the stuff doesn't make a difference when they have never even seen the stuff in action, while I stand next to a wall filled with it and can hear perfectly well that it works?

Ghetto data? I have $2000 studio monitors and a $300 professional SPL meter. I'm pretty sure that I could get some reasonable real-world results with that.....like I said, I'm not talking about a decibel or two here. The sound transmission through the pink isulated wall is literally double if not more. Saying that any measurements I take are invalid is just being stubborn and silly on your part. Can't argue with a brick wall, so I'm done here. I'll let the readers in here decide if they want to use a product that can help them based on the opinion of those that are familiar with it and employ it, or if they want to trust the armchair opinion of someone who has never seen it used in practice.

I just checked, the stuff costs 10% more than the pink crap where I live. For the fire-retardant properties alone, using this stuff in a grow room makes financial sense. With the drastic reduction is sound transmission, it's a no-brainer. I have a recording studio within 8 feet of my 10x4' grow room with 1200 in lights and 700 CFM in fans along with pumps and other equipment.......there is total silence. Again, hands-on, real-world application results will always tell much more than a simple data sheet will.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Devil Lettuce said:


> They can prove whatever they want in a lab, as with most things, theory doesn't always pan out in real life. Again, hands-on, real-world application results will always tell much more than a simple data sheet will.


What do you want? You're suspending the laws of physics because you don't agree. The above is so flatly wrong it's not worth replying to. A 20+ million dollar acoustics research facility. Hopefully others reading this will do themselves a favor and:

Use the cheapest insulation available

Understand that insulation doesn't do much compared to more drywall, decoupling that drywall or damping that drywall.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Shouldn't you be somewhere else online submitting reviews for other products that you have never tried or have experience with?


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Real life experience and results > unexperienced armchair expert's opinion. And you still haven't shown this data you speak of proving that there is no difference between pink insulation and acoustic insulation, so it's really just words and nonsense on your part.

My EXPERIENCE: used pink insulation in grow room walls first, could not record in the next room due to very loud hum from fans and lights. Swapped out for Roxul high density Safe N Sound, and now it's dead silent, that was the only change made. I don't need a data sheet to tell me that that stuff works, and extremely well.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Really, man? Do I sound like I have no experience with these things?


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Rrog said:


> Really, man? Do I sound like I have no experience with these things?


Based on the fact that you have never used it, and are discounting my real life experiences to blindly believe what other have told you about this stuff? yes.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Who said I've never used it? I believe lab data. You should too. We are not testing theoretical things here. Sound is one one side of the wall, you measure by frequency the dB on the other side. Measure from 125Hz to 4000Hz. Plot the data, use software to determine the STC contour, and bingo- you have an STC test. ASTM e-90 and e-413. All reproducible.

See, there's absolutely no guessing. It's extremely simple and straightforward. Irrefutable.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

and still waiting on this mysterious data "proof" that acoustic insulation makes no difference compared to the cheap pink stuff.....


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Ooooo big words! Must be true then. 

I don't need any of that nonsense, I am standing next to a wall filled with the stuff! lol I know what it sounded like with the cheap pink stuff in there......I couldn't record over the fan noise and light/pump hum. Now it's silent. I don't need any more proof than that. THAT's irrefutable in my books. Any of my many musician friends that have tried recording in my studio before and after the insulation upgrade would whole-heartedly agree.

I repeatedly keep telling you that there is a profound difference with the Roxul in there vs. the pink stuff, and that there are no variables present that could explain this....same materials, stud spacing, drywall brand and thickness, mudding compound, everything is identical except for the type of insulation between the studs. Despite this, you are so fixed in your views and unwilling to hear anything else that you are basically telling me that either I am a liar, or that my hearing is so badly damaged that the extreme difference in sound transfer between the different mediums is only in my head. When I offer to measure for you, and back this up with real world data, you immediately discount this because I'm not in a $3 million dollar lab even though the difference in sound pressure levels between the two mediums would be far greater than any minimal error introduced by my new and high end pro-sumer audio testing equipment. There is no point arguing with someone that is so close-minded and shut off that they aren't willing to accept or consider anything that conflicts with their pre-established opinions.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

And if your musician friends would visit studio building forums (Gearslutz, JohnLSayers, etc) you would see none use mineral fiber my friend. They have read the data.

I gave you the test report numbers IR 761 and IR 693. Google it and compare the data as I already laid out.

I'm thinking that the casual reader of this thread will understand the path. More posts from me won't reveal more. So I'll let you reply with something snarky and you'll have the last word.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Closed-minded stoner you are.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Oh, and long-time member of Gearslutz here, but nice try. That's where I learned to acoustically treat both my studio and grow room. Here is a link to a very popular sticky in the "Acoustic Treatment" section of the forums: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-traps-acoustic-panels-foam-etc/54765-treating-studio-rooms-pictures-added.html

Guess what kind of insulation is used in all the DIY acoustic treatment stickies in this forum? Not the pink stuff.......


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Those are surface absorption panels, amigo. Remember my previous post about testing the NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) - Bob Golds spreadsheet, and how that had no relevance to the insulation properties IN a wall?

Sorry man, you're comparing oranges and apples


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Rrog said:


> Those are surface absorption panels, amigo. Remember my previous post about testing the NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) - Bob Golds spreadsheet, and how that had no relevance to the insulation properties IN a wall?
> 
> Sorry man, you're comparing oranges and apples



That's just one sticky. There are many more about building room-within-a-room recording setup, and all use high density acoustic insulation between studs in the isolating walls, not pink stuff. I can post all those too, but don't want to spam and clutter up this thread, there's a lot of them. Also tons of photo journals of professional studio builds......there's no pink insulation to be seen in any of those builds and for good reason.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Here's another quote for you, directly from the highly respected builder Mike Holmes himself, straight from his own website: "I use Roxul batt insulation made from mineral wool especially when I want a fire break and sound barrier."

If it's good enough for Mike Holmes, it's good enough for me  He doesn't BS, if he says it works, it works.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

I just got a nice message from a long-time member of this site, which reminded me of the whole purpose of this thread: SAFETY. There are plenty of areas where growers can skimp and save a few bucks, but safety is always #1 and the one area to never cut corners is on grow room security. You can cheap out on bulbs, nutes, grow with bag-seed, etc., but when it comes to sound and odor control, every reasonable precaution should be taken. Considering the minimal additional cost of upgrading to specialized soundproofing insulation (~10%), it would be silly for anyone that needs to stay quiet to not spend the extra few bucks and help keep things silent. 

This is very much like using a trusted name brand carbon filter vs. a cheap made in China filter.......The cheap filter is $80 cheaper, but only works 50% as well (I know from experience, a mistake I made on my first grow). Is it really worth saving $80 when your safety and freedom is on the line? There are a TON of unnecessary expenditures when it comes to growing, and plenty of ways to save money.....I know, I'm a cheap old bastard myself. Just remember that safety and security is #1 and that an extra $50-80 spent on a brand name filter, or upgraded sound-proofing is a lot cheaper than one phone-call to a lawyer.


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Devil Lettuce said:


> That's just one sticky. There are many more about building room-within-a-room recording setup, and all use high density acoustic insulation between studs in the isolating walls, not pink stuff.


That's completely incorrect man. Completely. 

Look, you don't feel lab data is worth anything. Groovy.

And I'd spend 10% more on anything that had a proven advantage. It's just that the proof says fiberglass, just so happens it costs less.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Rrog said:


> That's completely incorrect man. Completely.
> 
> Look, you don't feel lab data is worth anything. Groovy.
> 
> And I'd spend 10% more on anything that had a proven advantage. It's just that the proof says fiberglass, just so happens it costs less.


My inbox is getting flooded with messages from growers telling me to stop feeding the troll and that they also use upgraded acoustic insulation with positive and noticeable results. That's good enough for me


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## Rrog (Feb 28, 2014)

Sorry dude. The laws of physics don't stop at your door


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

And no offense, but I'll take Mike Holmes professional opinion on a product that he regularly uses and recommends over yours. He is using it in precisely the same way as any grower would, to reduce sound transfer between rooms.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Rrog said:


> Sorry dude. The laws of physics don't stop at your door


What law of physics states that having an insulating material of higher density and mass inside of a wall is not going to reduce the amount of sound transfer through the wall? Enlighten us.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Also, last I checked, companies like Owens Corning and Roxul are doing extremely well and their products are flying off the shelves. I really don't think the masses would be paying extra for this stuff if it didn't do what it says that it does/what it is designed to do.


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## Devil Lettuce (Feb 28, 2014)

Anyhow, I don't have time today as I'm supposed to be working on a project, but I will conduct the test when I have a spare afternoon and post my results. I'll take pictures of exactly how everything is set up, along with the SPL meter readings at the speaker and directly on the other side of the wall for both the wall insulated with 3" of pink, and the wall insulated with Roxul. I'm tired of repeatedly stating there is a huge difference and you essentially calling me a liar.


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## Hablamos (Mar 13, 2014)

I dont understand why inline fan manufacturer took 10 year to realize their inline fan are more noisy then f-18 hornet engine.. Thank Vortex!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## DapperDon (Apr 9, 2014)

Hablamos said:


> I dont understand why inline fan manufacturer took 10 year to realize their inline fan are more noisy then f-18 hornet engine.. Thank Vortex!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> View attachment 3021611


I have 2 of the 8" S-lines. These things are very nice. I plan on replacing all my fans with these.


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## Myles117 (Apr 9, 2014)

im quite impressed with the phresh filter brand duct silencers. i pop one on both sides of each fan and id estimate 75% noise reduction easy. its heaven!


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## JointOperation (Apr 16, 2014)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


we built a box.. and used a exhaust fan.. to get rid of the heat.. works great.. and the buzzing isnt loud at all anymore.. before u could hear the room was there running.. now.. NOTHING and ontop of that.. the ballast heat. is now not incorporated into the lung room. so the entire grow dropped 3-5 degrees just like that.!


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## Myles117 (Apr 16, 2014)

is it the magnetic ballasts that buzz or just something that happens to older units? my digitals dont make any noise at all


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## skunkd0c (May 12, 2014)

they make a little sound when first switching on but after this should be silent


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## SmokenToke1 (May 21, 2014)

Used to live in a tightly-packed apartment block with thin walls. Cheap. Hey, I was a student! Sometimes I thought that worrying about sound from fans and such was just unhealthy paranoia, that the smell was the main thing (since I had been found out once before because of the smell, although thankfully that wasn't law enforcement who found me out). Nevertheless, I did what I could to minimize the noise, and when another guy a few apartment blocks over got busted his fan was old, clunky, and loud and it was bothering his neighbors at night - that's when I thanked my lucky stars that I chose to be smart about that thing. Now I live in a detached house and never want to live in block housing ever again.


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## PaulyWalnutz (Jun 18, 2014)

I use a Sunleaves WindTunnel Inline Duct Fan with silencers in both the intake and exhaust. They are very quiet, and you cannot hear anything until you are in the same room.


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## abe supercro (Jun 18, 2014)

ez construction on low budget silencer 
w cheap mattress top pad foam on inside of wider round cylinder metal duct section, worked well. 
likely already mentioned here. maybe ill bake more


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## Rod Roc (Jun 20, 2014)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


Man this is so true. Even talking about smoking marijuana, could lead to some neighbors listening. 

Regards
Rod
Zip 420


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## Hablamos (Jun 21, 2014)

To shut my Vortex 8'' i put the fan on an old couch and covered with bunch of clothes and other shit to kill the vibration and noise, With all those think to kill noise i can't go over 1/2 of the power it's to damn noisy for my place! If i let the vortex ride on full power without protection it's look like F-18 hornet jet engine .

When i water the plant i try to not using water and walk to other chamber. I wait like 5 or 10 min or simply fill my bucket couple hour before watering, and try to water the plant gently.


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## AltarNation (Jun 22, 2014)

Hablamos said:


> I dont understand why inline fan manufacturer took 10 year to realize their inline fan are more noisy then f-18 hornet engine.. Thank Vortex!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> View attachment 3021611



Can anyone compare the volume levels from the S-Line to S&P's TD lines? I run an 8" TD-200 now, got it because it was supposed to be pretty quiet. Well, it isn't, really. I mean it's all relative... it's definitely quieter than some jet engine fans I tried before it, but it's not really at the volume level I'm looking for without doing some work.

I've done my best to mute the hell out of it with a lot of wrapping and duct muffler and shit but GOD what I wouldn't give for a genuinely quiet self-insulated fan. I even heard the TD silent series weren't really a huge improvement over the TD's...

So has anyone switched from a S&P TD unit to one of these S-Lines of a similar size/cfm, and can you give us your input on noise levels?


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## Javadog (Jun 22, 2014)

I love my panasonic Whisperline, but I do not need 0 dB, as I have a
window fan in my man-cave window, set to drive air out, that runs 7-24.
(so, there is always some ambient background noise in the cave)

...but the WL is quieter than a fan running in the same room and it
keeps my odor down and tent cool.


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## Hablamos (Jun 22, 2014)

AltarNation said:


> Can anyone compare the volume levels from the S-Line to S&P's TD lines? I run an 8" TD-200 now, got it because it was supposed to be pretty quiet. Well, it isn't, really. I mean it's all relative... it's definitely quieter than some jet engine fans I tried before it, but it's not really at the volume level I'm looking for without doing some work.
> 
> I've done my best to mute the hell out of it with a lot of wrapping and duct muffler and shit but GOD what I wouldn't give for a genuinely quiet self-insulated fan. I even heard the TD silent series weren't really a huge improvement over the TD's...
> 
> So has anyone switched from a S&P TD unit to one of these S-Lines of a similar size/cfm, and can you give us your input on noise levels?


A nice video, but something is for sale. We need a real test where nothing is for sale!!


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## AltarNation (Jun 22, 2014)

I ran a whisperline before the TD... it was a little quieter than the TD... but I'm looking to take it farther than that even if possible! haha. I rely on the sound of my PC's fans to mask the sound... haha... it's pretty effective as is (thanks to some isolative procedures, a custom built closet door, etc) but I would love to get it to a level where I could be running quiet enough to not think I need anything to mask. My REAL plan is to move into a place where I can get the room in the basement or something, somewhere farther from living space. But right now I gotta work with what I got... 

I really like the look of that backdraft damper addition... that looks nice. It's too bad they aren't comparing the sound levels to the S&P TD series or the silent series would be even better... ah well.

Also... what the fuck... the S-series is actually louder or equal to the rebel? Fuck it then.. lol


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## Hablamos (Jun 22, 2014)

I think it's better to buy 2x 80$ muffler and keep our old fan, the vortex s-line are well designed and look less vibrating then the other Series. ! It's on my list, i will buy one for sure, my vortex vibrate as hell no matter what i do, I do not have the choice to change sooner or later. but i think it's not enough well designed to kill the problem, the home made muffler is a must for appartement grower!


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## gucio19 (Jul 8, 2014)

Insulated ducting, fan on rubber, good speed controller, duct mufflers. I like centrifugal blowers, they are small, and make good flow. They also have got higher static pressure that other fan. Flow don't drop, you could have carbon scrubber, ducts, bends and move nice airflow.


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## Prefontaine (Jul 9, 2014)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?



Your ballast relies on air circulation to keep cool, boxing the ballast will likely lead to a fire or over heating the ballast and reducing its life expectancy, I'm as suing you use one of those big box ballasts in which case you should look around for one of the slim ones, they tend to be more quiet and use their shell to transmit the heat. 

or just hang the one you have so it doesn't vibrate on things.


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## IndicaAngel (Jul 20, 2014)

I just wanted to say thanks for this post and there really is good info if people take the time to read it all.
I had questions on fans, and noise etc. I read all the posts from start to finish and was able to then go buy
a fan/filter combo that is very quiet, I cannot even hear it in the same room hardly. and certainly not in another room
So thanks you guys!


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## jfm2143 (Jul 26, 2014)

AWESOME THREAD super useful. So I'm in the proccess of upgrading my set up. I'm outfitting a 4x4 gorilla grow tent, which btw I AM A HUGE FAN OF, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SPEEDING THE EXTRA CASH FOR THE GORILLA! I This tent runs a 600w hps, two 6" max fans (one for lamp cooling one for ventilation) a 4" can fan HO for intake. All set up, the noise was becoming a concern. most of the noise was was coming from my two max fans. so after reading this thread I went to hime depot and bought a 25' long roll of 6" r-6 insulated flexible ducting. it was $30 well spent. I re ducted my fans, repacing my non-insulated 6" semi rigid ducting. I added a one foot section of insulated ducting to my intakes and a 4' length to my exhausts. the difference was insane. I was actually pretty proud of the results. You cannot hear any motor noise at all. you cannot hear any duct noise, and with the bungee suspension you can't hear any vibrations either. The only noise one can hear is the white noise sound of rushing air. barely audible through an interior door. so my suggestions, insulated ducting and bungee cords. I was gonna build boxes for my fans but now I think that would be overkill.


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## playermic (Aug 1, 2014)

Yeah if its hydro, make the return line goes all the way into the reservoir, that way it wont drip.
-Also wall mount ballasts first on a piece of cardboard, also you can add rubber to the corners so it wont buzz as loud


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## Michiganja Meduana (Aug 27, 2014)

How do you soundproof a hollow core door?


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## abe supercro (Aug 27, 2014)

1) replace it, or...
2) fill it with soundproofing.


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## Michiganja Meduana (Aug 28, 2014)

Replace it with what?


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## abe supercro (Aug 28, 2014)

a better door


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## Hot Diggity Sog (Sep 3, 2014)

Clever...I like it.


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## Michiganja Meduana (Sep 3, 2014)

Apartment?


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## Hot Diggity Sog (Sep 3, 2014)

Ugh...I think I accidentally commented on the wrong thread. Will remove.


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## Michiganja Meduana (Sep 3, 2014)

lol


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## Jason Hadley (Sep 3, 2014)

What about the lack of airflow to the unit and keeping it in such a confined space? Do you find you have overheating issues? They make a silence for these that keeps them pretty quiet.



one2threeBUDS4 said:


> one thing i have had recent problems with was an inline fan that shakes or vibrates. this can cause hoses connected to your lights to shake loose or even rip, eventually causing an air leak which will defeat the purpose of having an air cooled system. it can also cause loud vibrations which is the reason i created a housing for the fan;
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## daybreaker (Oct 2, 2014)

best sound cover is a radio.put it on the same timer to a jazz station.AND the plants love it.HEavy Metal might work...but only for indicas..


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## Rrog (Oct 12, 2014)

Best budget door is a simple insulated steel door. It's kind of heavy, and kind of sealed. You want pro-level isolation? Install a second door to make an air lock. Like between two motel rooms.

You'll find filling a hollow core door fruitless. They're not exactly hollow.


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## roldgoldrlg (Oct 29, 2014)

DapperDon said:


> I have 2 of the 8" S-lines. These things are very nice. I plan on replacing all my fans with these.


YES! I agree 100% I live in a studio with neighbors all around me. Love this thing. Gonna replace all fans too.


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## shotc4ll3r (Oct 29, 2014)

JointOperation said:


> we built a box.. and used a exhaust fan.. to get rid of the heat.. works great.. and the buzzing isnt loud at all anymore.. before u could hear the room was there running.. now.. NOTHING and ontop of that.. the ballast heat. is now not incorporated into the lung room. so the entire grow dropped 3-5 degrees just like that.!


thats cool bro... all tho i never even kept my ballast in the same room anyways...


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## jinxjj (Nov 19, 2014)

A few things i have noticed/learned since i am working on my ventilation system right now:

- The two main enemies that create sounds are vibration and airflow obstructions. Running the fan at higher RPMs will create more vibration and noise. Having a lot of bends in your duct run will also create airflow disruptions which will create noise (although not as intense as vibration noise). 

- Don't have an elbow/bend right at the exhaust of the fan, try to keep at least a 2' straight run from the exhaust of your fan to prevent noise from air turbulence. Every bend in your duct run (usually 45-90* elbows) is equivalent to about 15ft of straight duct. 

- Duct materials in order from best to worst sound wise: Rigid metal ducting > Semi Rigid Metal ducting > Flex ducting .

- Go BIG with your fan and run it at 50% power or less. I went with the 6"Hyper fan and a 6"x24" 550CFM Phresh filter for my 10'x3'x7' total grow area. I can run it on the lowest setting (35%) and still maintain a negative pressure in my tent, the fan is practically silent until you get up around 40-50% power. By getting a bigger fan than you need and running it at reduced power not only do you deal with the sound issue, you save money on your power bill! (some speed controllers may not actually reduce input voltage to the fan so beware of that...) If you need a 6" fan for your setup, upgrade to an 8" and run it on lower power.

- If you are going to use a Phresh filter, i would recommend the Hyper fan since its a perfect fit with the filter and a very compact and quiet unit (and it comes with a built in speed controller). I believe Phresh makes the Hyper fan so that would explain why they fit together so well. I did research on fans for weeks before making a decision and the Hyper was the best bang for the buck in the short and long run IMO.

- The "duct silencer" from Phresh appears to just be a piece of egg crate foam padding inside of a piece of ducting. I am sure you can build one for a hell of a lot cheaper with some ducting and 2 reducers from home depot. For a 6" duct you would probably want to buy a section of 8" duct, attach some egg crate foam inside, and then rivet/tape a 8" to 6" reduction joint onto each end, Bam you have a duct silencer for a lot less than retail. If noise becomes a problem for me, i may end up building one of these and I'll throw up some instructions. 

- Insulation around the ducting and fan will help with noise. Heat is not really much of a concern because the airflow from the fan will cool itself. Unless you are pulling really hot air non-stop i doubt you will have any overheating issues with a wrapped up fan/duct. Pretty sure most of these fans are rated to operate at 120*F since they are mainly used in heating ducts.


----------



## Rrog (Nov 19, 2014)

Excellent post


----------



## DabberDan (Nov 27, 2014)

Try using some egg cartons(the cardboard ones) and place them around the units that make the most noise. Should reflect and disburse some of the sounds your getting or if you are having a serious issue with it being too loud, get professional quality sound dampeners from guitar center.


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## Rrog (Nov 27, 2014)

Dabber- super cool that you are helping, and the egg carton thought is common on the web. 

The egg carton deal won't stop / reduce noise, however. It will reflect and diffuse the sound waves, just as you said.


----------



## 420KushPharm (Dec 10, 2014)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> im sure if you build a good box that has vents and fan(s) you could handle this heat issue. i will make up some plans for a box and throw them on here tomorrow..


Or get a digital...mine is silent


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## FreedomFighter2014 (Dec 21, 2014)

I have a problem with the sound of the air being moved through the fan. I have a 450 CFM and standing on the other side of the wall it sounds like a dryer vent.


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## a senile fungus (Dec 22, 2014)

FreedomFighter2014 said:


> I have a problem with the sound of the air being moved through the fan. I have a 450 CFM and standing on the other side of the wall it sounds like a dryer vent.



Try insulated ducting.


----------



## Maude (Dec 28, 2014)

I don't have any problem with my fan, i have a controller to slow it down. If i don't use the controler, it's like a huricanne in the grow room !

The problem I have is with my air pump, is there any way to silence it so I can sleep without the ''Bbrrrrrrrrrrrr'' . 

It's a 18w like this one.

Thank youuu !


----------



## d0rk2dafullest (Dec 28, 2014)

FreedomFighter2014 said:


> I have a problem with the sound of the air being moved through the fan. I have a 450 CFM and standing on the other side of the wall it sounds like a dryer vent.


What u can do is get some styrofoam and when u mount your fans put pieces of styrofoam in between the mount or feet and the wood to dampen the vibration of the fans. i do that with ALL my fans. works pretty well. U can also Hang your carbon filters and fans off the ropes as well the ratchet ropes for lights , having it cause no vibrations thru the walls is key in noise. 

if u go outside, and cant hear it, ur all good tho. (the air moving) i know at my setup... if i turn everything off.... u can hear my whole house power down. its quite scary.... and then u can hear the neighbors go... "wtf?....."

i've had blackouts in my part of town and u can literally hear all the fans and ac's power down and it gets so fucking quiet....SOOOOOOOO fucking quiet...... it's scary as fuck


----------



## Rrog (Dec 28, 2014)

I built a nearly silent box for that exact type of pump. That's loud, so you need some mass to stop this. Then some soft foam or rigid fiberglass (duct liner, not batt insulation) inside the box for absorption. I used MDF for the box itself. Heavy. By resting the pump on the rigid fiberglass you cut much of the physical coupling of pump-to-box, so all you're left with is the airborne noise from the pump.

You'll need holes for ventilation, however. I'd test what works, but have a thermo probe in there to watch temps. My last box I built oversized (20" x 20" or so) more so that gave me headroom for heat. There's a LOT of sound coming out the air pipe, so I wrapped a couple feet of the air line with some heavy Dynamat-type crap. That drops a lot of the noise coming from the first couple feet of airline.


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## a senile fungus (Jan 5, 2015)

Rrog said:


> I built a nearly silent box for that exact type of pump. That's loud, so you need some mass to stop this. Then some soft foam or rigid fiberglass (duct liner, not batt insulation) inside the box for absorption. I used MDF for the box itself. Heavy. By resting the pump on the rigid fiberglass you cut much of the physical coupling of pump-to-box, so all you're left with is the airborne noise from the pump.
> 
> You'll need holes for ventilation, however. I'd test what works, but have a thermo probe in there to watch temps. My last box I built oversized (20" x 20" or so) more so that gave me headroom for heat. There's a LOT of sound coming out the air pipe, so I wrapped a couple feet of the air line with some heavy Dynamat-type crap. That drops a lot of the noise coming from the first couple feet of airline.



I didn't realize how freaking noisy these things are!

I bought a heavy duty pump (20watt, 571gph) and the damn thing is louder than my 863cfm exhaust fan!

I'm gonna try to run it on a controller to reduce it's operation but if that doesn't work then I'll have to build a box for it.

Thanks Rrog!


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## FreedomFighter2014 (Jan 18, 2015)

d0rk2dafullest said:


> What u can do is get some styrofoam and when u mount your fans put pieces of styrofoam in between the mount or feet and the wood to dampen the vibration of the fans. i do that with ALL my fans. works pretty well. U can also Hang your carbon filters and fans off the ropes as well the ratchet ropes for lights , having it cause no vibrations thru the walls is key in noise.
> 
> if u go outside, and cant hear it, ur all good tho. (the air moving) i know at my setup... if i turn everything off.... u can hear my whole house power down. its quite scary.... and then u can hear the neighbors go... "wtf?....."
> 
> i've had blackouts in my part of town and u can literally hear all the fans and ac's power down and it gets so fucking quiet....SOOOOOOOO fucking quiet...... it's scary as fuck


HAHA thanks bro. I am going to try that out.


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## AUSCraig (Mar 4, 2015)

Regarding air pumps. 

Having been into fish keeping for years the only way around it is too purchase a quality pump. 
It will run better , more efficient and quieter. Most pumps from hydro shops and cheapies from eBay are useless.


----------



## budman111 (Mar 7, 2015)

AUSCraig said:


> Regarding air pumps.
> 
> Most pumps from hydro shops and cheapies from eBay are useless.


Really? you are going to all the wrong shops for sure.


----------



## tyke1973 (Mar 9, 2015)

Have the pump out side the room,but have it on a piece of rubber matt or polly board this will sort any noise out.compressors will make far more noise than say a fish tank pump but it all dep,on how many plants that you are doing,get air rings into the bottom of the pots if growing with coco and lava rock,or soil.the noise will be cut right down once the compressor or fish tank pumps are set up right has for noise from fans ext the best way long term is to use something like styrafoam boards glued orscrewed to the wall that the room is nearest to the neighbours wall.Got to agree with bud man grow shops should sell far better pumps than say a shop like the b%g for the simple reason they know the crack on how long there on,turn the pumps of when the lights are off no need for them to be on during lights off


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## Beer Belly (Mar 10, 2015)

I built a sound box for my air pump a 

https://www.hydroponics.net/i/136485 its a noisy MoFo! I lined with soundproof and fire retardant foam and including an intake muffler. Super quiet now.


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## Rrog (Mar 11, 2015)

That's a cool deal you made. That bastard looks massive, which is the key. You could have all that foam, but if the box was cardboard, you'd hear everything. Foam lacks mass. Really nice job, man

Can you tell us about the muffler??


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## brimck325 (Mar 11, 2015)

Maude said:


> I don't have any problem with my fan, i have a controller to slow it down. If i don't use the controler, it's like a huricanne in the grow room !
> 
> The problem I have is with my air pump, is there any way to silence it so I can sleep without the ''Bbrrrrrrrrrrrr'' .
> 
> ...


put in styrofoam cooler and cut holes for hose n cord.


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## Rrog (Mar 11, 2015)

I recommend using a box heavier than styrofoam. You want the mass. Like Beer Belly did


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## a senile fungus (Mar 11, 2015)

Beer Belly said:


> View attachment 3369201
> 
> I built a sound box for my air pump a
> 
> ...





Rrog said:


> That's a cool deal you made. That bastard looks massive, which is the key. You could have all that foam, but if the box was cardboard, you'd hear everything. Foam lacks mass. Really nice job, man
> 
> Can you tell us about the muffler??





brimck325 said:


> put in styrofoam cooler and cut holes for hose n cord.





Rrog said:


> I recommend using a box heavier than styrofoam. You want the mass. Like Beer Belly did



I found that my pump was much quieter when pumping against a bit of resistance, just a bit.

Makes a huge difference in the amount of decibels that thing is putting out, lol


----------



## brimck325 (Mar 11, 2015)

i'm not following, resistance on the air hose? or do you mean attaching the whole unit firmly?


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## Rrog (Mar 11, 2015)

a senile fungus said:


> I found that my pump was much quieter when pumping against a bit of resistance, just a bit.


SF, you mean if the insulation is in contact with the pump? There could be some damping of vibration, I suppose. Might be the fact the laying of the pump on fiberglass in the box is essentially setting the pump on a spring, which (like a bungee chord) transfers less vibration to the box itself.


----------



## a senile fungus (Mar 11, 2015)

brimck325 said:


> i'm not following, resistance on the air hose? or do you mean attaching the whole unit firmly?





Rrog said:


> SF, you mean if the insulation is in contact with the pump? There could be some damping of vibration, I suppose. Might be the fact the laying of the pump on fiberglass in the box is essentially setting the pump on a spring, which (like a bungee chord) transfers less vibration to the box itself.


Sorry, kinda stoned, meant to clarify.

I meant resistance of the airflow from the unit.

I use my oversized pump to make teas. I use a clamp to keep the hose in the bucket. I slightly compress the tubing until I hear the pump get quieter, then leave it like that.

Also, I'm getting a diff pump, that thing is noisy and loud as fuck. 571gph.


----------



## brimck325 (Mar 11, 2015)

a senile fungus said:


> Sorry, kinda stoned, meant to clarify.
> 
> I meant resistance of the airflow from the unit.
> 
> ...


thank you!


----------



## Beer Belly (Mar 11, 2015)

Rrog said:


> That's a cool deal you made. That bastard looks massive, which is the key. You could have all that foam, but if the box was cardboard, you'd hear everything. Foam lacks mass. Really nice job, man
> 
> Can you tell us about the muffler??


The box was made of some 1\2 melamine I had from an old bookshelf (cruise your local alleys people toss these things out all the time. ) I lined it with this stuff fearing the heat (up to 120 degrees) that eco 7 air pump may cause a fire.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#9190t5/=w9o74i a freebie from an R&D job I did.
Silence intake muffler http://www.mcmaster.com/#98305k73/=w9o50r
I also used some rubber stoppers like these to isolate the vibrations of the pump in the box and on the bottom of the box itself. Just put a screw thru them. works great. http://www.mcmaster.com/#6448k92/=w9o8wr
The box is about 18" square. Silicone all joints for air/noise leaks. Works awesome! Almost no sound. I also have a timer built in so it only runs when the ebb-n grow buckets have water in em. The girls like it!


Cheers man
Your Bro on the Grow
Beer Belly


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## Rrog (Mar 11, 2015)

Love it!! Love the intake muffler!


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## Javadog (Mar 28, 2015)

I was looking at that pump....3 amps...then I googled this:

For AC power supply, watts are equal to the power factor times amps times volts.

watts = _PF_ × amps × volts

For resistive load without inductors or capacitors, the power factor is equal to 1:

watts = 1 × 3A × 120V = 360W

For inductive load (like induction motor), the power factor can be approximately equal to 0.8:

watts = 0.8 × 3A × 120V = 288W

.....so, I am to conclude that this pump take 300 W to power? Wow.

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing.

JD


----------



## orangesabc123 (Apr 25, 2015)

Anyone familiar with voltage reducers for fans?

Specifically how reducing volts correlates to noise or air flow reduction? Also which type would be best suited for said purpose.


----------



## xps (Apr 25, 2015)

Gr8fulGreen said:


> You can easily get acoustic foam, the type they use for studios. Some is very decorative, so having it covering walls might not seem so obvious. One could always just have some musical instruments or sound equipment sitting nearby as well. Should anyone be in the room and ask, its easy to just say its so you don't disturb the neighbors with your music.


Old thread but the acoustic foam does not soundproof, only reduces echo so is a waste of money... fibreglass, chalk but don't buy foam


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## Rrog (Apr 25, 2015)

Agree 100%. In fact foam can conduct vibration from one side of a wall to the other. Exactly what we're trying to avoid


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## Beer Belly (Apr 25, 2015)

I almost completely quieted my fan by putting it into the attic, using 6 insulated ducting, hanging it all suspended with (rubber snubber) bungee cords, using a 8" duct muffler and 8" fan controlled by a small variac  to control the speed. Those speed controlers at the grow shops all suck! Undetectable unless you knew it existed and were trying to find it. Super stealth.


Hope this will help someone else. Works kick ass for me.

Your bro on the grow
Beer Belly


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## Rrog (Apr 26, 2015)

A general truth regarding isolating heavy things like this fan, or a pump, or a rooftop AC unit - You Want Oscillation. 
You want an attachment that you could theoretically bungee jump from. 

BB's rubber cables allow the system to oscillate. That's why they work. Substitute rigid cable (or rubber that's too stretched) and you have no oscillation. You wouldn't bungee jump with a solid cable, either.


----------



## Devildenis69 (May 5, 2015)

Hey guys, 

I'll power a 250m3/h Torin, throught a multi output transformer (80, 110, 160, 200, 230V), with its outputs linked to a selectror, one of the position would be the off one ...
My question is, should the off position, be next to the 80V or the 230V one ?
Nothing seems wrong with starting a three-phase motor with lower voltage ...
What's about the Torin ? I'm wondering about the "launching capa" ...

any ideas on that ?


----------



## paparov (Jun 9, 2015)

Guys, i checked this in a growshop: http://sativagrow.es/tienda/cyclone-/9212-extractor-vortex-iso-150mm-500m3h-cyclone.html and i was amazed to say the least by how silent it was without any ducts at all! I imagine with soundproof ducting this would rock. At least the 500m3/h model i checked. Of course it is pricey, i could get 2x500m3/h extractors with that money (rvk models or something similar).


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## 9leaves (Jul 11, 2015)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


Remember if the fan is screwed to a floor beam or ceiling joist that nose will go far. Just wanted to mention it.

9


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## 9leaves (Jul 11, 2015)

JohnnyPotSeed1969 said:


> There is always that egg-crate foam mattress padding too. You can easily line the adjoining wall with it for cheap. Disperses the sound waves, preventing penetration through the walls.


Remember if the fan is screwed to a floor beam or ceiling joist that nose will go far. Just wanted to mention it.

9


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## Rrog (Jul 11, 2015)

Just a reminder that the quote from Johnny is not correct. Soft, low-density absorption has insufficient mass to prevent sound from penetrating walls. The soft material simply reduces the reverberation (echo). It does not soundproof. 

To soundproof you need mass, which is why cheap 5/8" drywall works so well. Damned heavy


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## greendave (Jul 14, 2015)

nice thread 123 this issue is often overlooked,and can lead to big issues.again don't forget we are enemies of the state!


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## DarthBlazeAnthony (Jul 26, 2015)

I installed this and it sounds the same. Does anyone here use this? The exhaust fan noise sounds about the same.
*6" Inch Duct Muffler Inline Fan Hydroponics Noise Reducer Silencer*
* *


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## Hotwired (Aug 20, 2015)

I think I posted in this thread years ago. I still use the Panasonic whisperline fans and they still work 5 years running 24/7. These things are great. I drop mine right on top of a 6 x 16 carbon filter while cooling a 600 watt bulb and pulling fresh air into the tent. The 340 cfm 6" is what I use. Damn things work great. You can also use the weaker 240 cfm 6" for a 400 watt and a 6 x 16 filter.


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## Tim Fox (Aug 29, 2015)

Hotwired said:


> I think I posted in this thread years ago. I still use the Panasonic whisperline fans and they still work 5 years running 24/7. These things are great. I drop mine right on top of a 6 x 16 carbon filter while cooling a 600 watt bulb and pulling fresh air into the tent. The 340 cfm 6" is what I use. Damn things work great. You can also use the weaker 240 cfm 6" for a 400 watt and a 6 x 16 filter.


the panasonic fans now come with speed controllers , some have the speed controller build it, with differant levels, others you can purchase for just over 20 bucks a really good speed controller built by panasonic for thier whisper fans 
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-FV-05-11VKS1-Whisper-Green-Select/dp/B00JALSA0C
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-FV-VS15VK1-Whisper-Select-Plug-Multi-Speed/dp/B00JALSFN4/ref=pd_sim_60_6/188-6715564-1396810?ie=UTF8&refRID=0H5AEZEKS0P827KM6WCK


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## Hotwired (Aug 31, 2015)

This is the type I use http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php?p=panasonic_fv-30nlf1&product=111091


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## tomuch (Oct 6, 2015)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks EXTREMELY familiar, lol. The only difference is, that I have got a 2x2x3 (metres) big area (meant for a bed or some such in studio apartments here), but with light-insulated "curtains" so that yeah - I sleep next to the "room" I've made for my garden, but I'd rather post pictures once I've got my tent I'm eager to set up once it's delivered... Nice tip, that box for the 6" inline, btw!


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## DarthBlazeAnthony (Oct 6, 2015)

Hotwired said:


> This is the type I use http://www.iaqsource.com/product.php?p=panasonic_fv-30nlf1&product=111091


Can you use a speed controller on it?


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## Final Phase (Oct 6, 2015)

Seven years ago I put in this exhaust fan. A very low hum can be heard from 15 feet away. Any distance from there a little sound can be heard. If the neighbors can hear it I'm sure it can't be traced back to my house unless someone comes onto the property.

The exhaust is a 9 inch fan running on ball bearings which makes it super quiet for the amount of air it's pulling through.
To complete the exhaust it's connected to a day/night thermostat.


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## Hotwired (Oct 11, 2015)

DarthBlazeAnthony said:


> Can you use a speed controller on it?


They are SO quiet you don't need one. Keep that puppy at 100%


----------



## BigDoobie (Nov 4, 2015)

Would it work if you put your inline fan inside a sealed cardboard box and cut holes for only the intake and exhaust? Not the best option but a quick fix?


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## weatwardhole (Nov 13, 2015)

BigDoobie said:


> Would it work if you put your inline fan inside a sealed cardboard box and cut holes for only the intake and exhaust? Not the best option but a quick fix?


Look for something called egg foam. It's basically acoustic foam and really cheap. Fill all the gaps in the cardboard box with that and you have yourself a budget muffler/fire hazard


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## damnsmoker (Dec 31, 2015)

The first thing that popped into my head, when I saw the title of this thread, was: "put a couple of pillows between wall and the headboard!" But I do have a trick that I thought I'd share: I hung my fan from two sets of bungee cords. This does two things, it damps the vibrations so they don't get transmitted through the floor boards and provides redundancy. Only one of the bungee cords is carrying a majority of the weight of the fan. Should it fail, the other bungee will keep the fan in place.


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## pink isn't well (Jan 6, 2016)

Hi guys. buy yourself's a varii speed fan controller. a little bit of buzz/hum but for ten of you'r
English pounds, (which is about equivalent of around 3000 US dollars) you really cant go wrong. 

this makes your room very quiet. I am using a red scorpion 6" inline extractor.. way too LOUD and powerful for a home set up.
I have neighbours who live ABOVE me ,and I'm sleepin easy at night, worth every penny. 

Even if it only lasts one grow (3months-ish) I'll keep buying em 

http://www.hydroponics-hydroponics.com/ventilation-c17/fan-speed-control-c24/ventilation-accessories-variispeed-fan-speed-controller-p568/s1267?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=variispeed-fan-speed-controller&utm_campaign=product+listing+ads&gclid=CJai56XVlcoCFQaeGwod_xQMlg


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## Rrog (Jan 6, 2016)

Here in the states, look at the Lutron brand of vari speed motor controllers. Stocked at HD and Lowes. These controllers introduce less hum


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## pink isn't well (Jan 6, 2016)

I was slightly miffed at the hum... as its an extra noise. but the woosh and whirring is gone. just the hum.. which is a bit louder than an old skool P.C.


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## Jeanpaulsastre (Feb 2, 2016)

All hail the lord foam


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## Rrog (Feb 2, 2016)

Use standard fiberglass for this. Foam is a bit dense for use in a sealed box. Bungie chords to decouple. Fiberglass for absorption.


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## Jeanpaulsastre (Feb 3, 2016)

Rrog said:


> Use standard fiberglass for this. Foam is a bit dense for use in a sealed box. Bungie chords to decouple. Fiberglass for absorption.


Fiberglass is much better but is too expensive where I live, foam has worked well so far


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## plantsinpants (Feb 6, 2016)

Nice info on the fan .. Instead of bunjee chords you could go to a hvac supply outlet and get vibration isolators that are screw ins they work exactly the same way but look way nicer


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## questiondj42 (Feb 9, 2016)

Picked up one of the Phresh Hyperfan Stealth. 6" It is insanely quiet. Paired up to a filter, my commercial water pump is louder, even when the thing is on 100%. Highly recommend the device.


----------



## Javadog (Feb 9, 2016)

That sounds like a wise choice.

That, or a Whisperline, or Soler and Palau, will drop your fan noise
down below some other thing in the area. :0)


----------



## plantsinpants (Feb 9, 2016)

questiondj42 said:


> Picked up one of the Phresh Hyperfan Stealth. 6" It is insanely quiet. Paired up to a filter, my commercial water pump is louder, even when the thing is on 100%. Highly recommend the device.


Nice,, if you don't mind me asking, how much do those cost ballpark


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## questiondj42 (Feb 10, 2016)

plantsinpants said:


> Nice,, if you don't mind me asking, how much do those cost ballpark


Growers house has the 6" for $250. The form factor is smaller than fan+muffler as well.


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## NVGrower (Feb 19, 2016)

When you go around the side of my house where my exhaust and intake lines are you can hear it sucking in and dumping out. Sounds like a dryer vent.


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## plantsinpants (Feb 19, 2016)

NVGrower said:


> When you go around the side of my house where my exhaust and intake lines are you can hear it sucking in and dumping out. Sounds like a dryer vent.


Hope you have the exhaust far enough from the intake ( usualy 5' )
To stop exhaust air from being sucked back in


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## NVGrower (Feb 19, 2016)

plantsinpants said:


> Hope you have the exhaust far enough from the intake ( usualy 5' )
> To stop exhaust air from being sucked back in


It's working so far


----------



## Puff_Dragon (Feb 24, 2016)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hey, we seem have the same grow room 
Is that roughly 1 meter square by 2 meters high?


Incidentally, next grow I'm placing a nice thick sheet of sound proofing (slightly larger then the room) under my grow room tent to see how that works at stoping vibration and sound travelling to the floor below. Fortunatly i have the room below too ..so i can observe the effects 
I might also try wrapping my inline fan in a sheet of sound proofing (again just to see the effect). On Ebay you can pick up big sheets of sound proofing for very cheap prices (some even have on sticky side to make it easy to attach)


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## plantsinpants (Feb 26, 2016)

NVGrower said:


> It's working so far


Im sure it does if you have odor control..but if your running co2 its not worth the riskof having them close together cheers.. Playsafe


----------



## Big smo (May 8, 2016)

Wow an old thread but something I'd like to add is there is options during construction of the room.

Insulation during construction is huge, not just the pink shit but for twice the price of the cheap fiberglass you can use roxul insulation. It's anti organic which means there is nothing in it that mold can feed off of. It's also a lot better for sound. Another thing is they sell quiet-rock it's Sheetrock with a layer of material between the gypsum that greatly reduces noise. 

If the rooms built you can and should hang everything for less vibrations. Cheap epdm rubber between things also helps reduce sound. Bungy cords are great. Also the use of prefilters on intakes and exhausts help too.


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## Rrog (May 8, 2016)

For soundproofing, per lab data nothing works better than cheap fiberglass. Per lab data 

You would do better to use 5/8" drywall at $11 a sheet rather than quieteock at $50-$80 a sheet. 

The bigger issue is decoupling the drywall from the original framing.


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## Big smo (May 8, 2016)

Rrog said:


> For soundproofing, per lab data nothing works better than cheap fiberglass. Per lab data
> 
> You would do better to use 5/8" drywall at $11 a sheet rather than quieteock at $50-$80 a sheet.
> 
> The bigger issue is decoupling the drywall from the original framing.


I threw it out there as an option. I personally doubled my drywall, used roxul insulation and did 1 1/2 ridged foam on the floor with 3/4 plywood over and tile.its as sound proof as anyone could hope for


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## anony42017 (May 9, 2016)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> hey hedgehunter try the box it will work rather well.. you can also add insulation to the inside of the box to help reduce noise. i also live in an apartment and sleep right next to my room>>>>>>>>>
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How the fuck is this not obvious lol? That fan is coming out the window right? Can't people clearly see that. Hmm.


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## Big smo (May 10, 2016)

anony42017 said:


> How the fuck is this not obvious lol? That fan is coming out the window right? Can't people clearly see that. Hmm.


Maybe it's an interior window


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## coreywebster (May 16, 2016)

To expand on the box idea on page 1, if anyone needs further improvement. This would involve a larger box but if its needed its needed!! Box as made or a box frame filled with whats known in the UK as rockwool rwa45 (roxul in USA do similar). Either add the box around that then a layer of greenglue followed by a reasonably thick plasterboard (wallrock). The greenglue is to kill the low frequency that the fans run at and is an effective method although its not cheap. As I'm sure you know low frequencies are the hardest to stop and in some cases can be heard along way off. I think most fans run at 50hz and that's a really awkward frequency.
I cant give the exact STD rating but it should help considerably with those low hums.
Also to anyone using bungie's be aware they can rot over a few years. Its a good idea to have a loose chain backing up in case they fail. Mine rotted in about 3 years, first the outer stuff goes then the rubber perishes. I assume its the RH and temps that do it. Luckily I notice before they failed and changed them out and added a loose chain just so my airforce2 didn't drop on my girls. I also added that pipe insulation to the tent poles that supported which also aids the nullification of the vibration.
C.W


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## Big smo (May 16, 2016)

coreywebster said:


> To expand on the box idea on page 1, if anyone needs further improvement. This would involve a larger box but if its needed its needed!! Box as made or a box frame filled with whats known in the UK as rockwool rwa45 (roxul in USA do similar). Either add the box around that then a layer of greenglue followed by a reasonably thick plasterboard (wallrock). The greenglue is to kill the low frequency that the fans run at and is an effective method although its not cheap. As I'm sure you know low frequencies are the hardest to stop and in some cases can be heard along way off. I think most fans run at 50hz and that's a really awkward frequency.
> I cant give the exact STD rating but it should help considerably with those low hums.
> Also to anyone using bungie's be aware they can rot over a few years. Its a good idea to have a loose chain backing up in case they fail. Mine rotted in about 3 years, first the outer stuff goes then the rubber perishes. I assume its the RH and temps that do it. Luckily I notice before they failed and changed them out and added a loose chain just so my airforce2 didn't drop on my girls. I also added that pipe insulation to the tent poles that supported which also aids the nullification of the vibration.
> C.W


Great post cw. Never heard of green glue here in the states but I assume it works well. Roxul imo is a great product and just taking over the market here for residential construction.


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## coreywebster (May 17, 2016)

Big smo said:


> Great post cw. Never heard of green glue here in the states but I assume it works well. Roxul imo is a great product and just taking over the market here for residential construction.


Thanks Big smo. Green Glue is an American product I think. Like I say its expensive but for small projects like this it wouldn't cost much, a tube would likely do the job. I believe its a dampening product so between layers it can be effective for frequencies other products don't help with. The Roxul is awesome, if you look at the youtube demos, although they are at higher pitched sounds like a phone. But the fact its fire proof is also a bonus! I only know these products because I spent 3 months reading up on the best soundproofing for my room floor cavity and upgrading my walls and doors (to stop neighbours hearing).
gearsluts is a good resource for ideas on these soundproofing issues. But they are orientated towards home theatres and recording studios and anything like that is soooo expensive to do properly. But as we do what we do we can implement some of the ideas on smaller scales in areas we need such as the original title post.
To point out I said STD earlier... doh, that was daft, we don't want any of those thanks. STC is what I ment. LOL

C.W


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## Rrog (May 17, 2016)

While Roxul is great, for soundproofing you can't beat simple fiberglass. Sorry to argue, but that the lab data


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## coreywebster (May 17, 2016)

Rrog said:


> While Roxul is great, for soundproofing you can't beat simple fiberglass. Sorry to argue, but that the lab data


Yeah I hear that! We are not arguing, just offering different opinions or ideas. Everything is worth considering and everything has a place for each of us. I can only talk about what I've read about and am planning to use. Cheers Rrog, I will take a look at the lab data on that. Ive really enjoyed learning more about soundproofing and sound absorbing.
Take it easy.
C.W


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## Rrog (May 17, 2016)

Thank you for letting me be an asshole.


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## Big smo (May 17, 2016)

Rrog said:


> While Roxul is great, for soundproofing you can't beat simple fiberglass. Sorry to argue, but that the lab data


What's the actual difference? Roxul has many benefits besides noise. Fire and mold resistant is a huge factor to most people. If it's 50% difference in noise deadening then I'd say go pink but if it's less then 25% is go with roxul.


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## Rrog (May 17, 2016)

The actual difference is small, so if there are other reasons to want Roxul, then go for it. I like working with it better than fiberglass. 

In the US, Roxul is more $$ than fiberglass


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## Big smo (May 17, 2016)

Rrog said:


> The actual difference is small, so if there are other reasons to want Roxul, then go for it. I like working with it better than fiberglass.
> 
> In the US, Roxul is more $$ than fiberglass


Sure is, one bag/batt of the r-15 is like 50$ here. Just about twice the cost. Our local code has changed here and they require r-15 in exterior walls. Roxul came out with the r-15 before any fiberglass company did. That's why they became so popular here.


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## coreywebster (May 20, 2016)

Big smo said:


> Sure is, one bag/batt of the r-15 is like 50$ here. Just about twice the cost. Our local code has changed here and they require r-15 in exterior walls. Roxul came out with the r-15 before any fiberglass company did. That's why they became so popular here.


Where I am a bag of rwa45 cost around £13 best price that is two batts of 100mm deep X 600mm wide X 1200mm long. So its pretty cheap, easy to cut with a bread knife, trim pieces out ect for wires and pipes. Its a damn shame my joists are 310mm spaced.
Mine is for the floor space so its the easiest option for me. With a gap below and two layer of plasterboard with green glue between layers and then 18mm chipboard, a layer of MLV I should be stopping my sound issues, probably going way overboard to be honest.
Off point of the topic I know.
Anybody tried MLV as far as around extractor fans? Mass Mass Mass!
C.W


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## Rrog (May 20, 2016)

Get the mass from 5/8" drywall. MLV costs 5X as much, weighs 1/2 as much per square foot.

EDIT- This would make more sense to use MLV if you have to wrap something. The better alternative is to build a box / muffler where possible. Cheaper and more massive than the MLV


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## Big smo (May 20, 2016)

I'm in a built shed. 20x20 the main sheds 12x20 with what was a 8x20 solid framed over hang. I recently added wall s and a floor to give myself the space. Just doing autos so they don't get huge but also my flowering area is convertible. 3'6"x 9' which I can easily turn into 5'6"x11' 

Even being outdoors night time gets quiet, so the roxul walls and 2 1/2" of foam and 3/4 plywood floor helps. New killer is the running Ac hanging out of the wall. Not sure there is much to do about that. 

Here is the quiet completed room. Second grow and second room in the past few months.


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## coreywebster (May 20, 2016)

Nice!! nice air pots too, was thinking of using those next, do they really help the root mass increase as advertised?
You could muffle of baffle the Ac if its airborne or isolate it more if the problem is impact sound. Isolation after the installation could be a tricky one. We can't win every battle though ey!


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## Big smo (May 20, 2016)

coreywebster said:


> Nice!! nice air pots too, was thinking of using those next, do they really help the root mass increase as advertised?
> You could muffle of baffle the Ac if its airborne or isolate it more if the problem is impact sound. Isolation after the installation could be a tricky one. We can't win every battle though ey!


I did have some circling at the bottom of the pot but nothing to bad. I'd recommend The little pot stands to keep them elevated too. My circling was also probably caused by my own stupidity, I had them upside down and no air was allowed to get to the bottom.


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## Just Let Me Be Faded (Jun 5, 2016)

Creative, I like it! I bet you did some tinkering before you had this all put together.


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## Big smo (Jun 5, 2016)

Tinkering is the whole job. I finished a new room a month and a half ago and spend 1-4 hours a day tinkering. 
Just added the new filter, blue lab monitor, pump line and 3/4 return from my gravity system. Air stones and rigged the pump and monitor on a power strip with a switch. No more plugging and unplugging. 3 days ago i just dangled a ph pen in and watered by hand. Tinkering at its finest.


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## JohnMotayo (Jun 23, 2016)

I figure this is kind of a multi-purpose thread. On one hand you got methods for sound control while you're growing, and on the other hand depending on the type of strain you got sound control for the potential after-effects of taking it, haha! I guess it's a win-win on both parts. Thanks everyone for sharing, I got some really good ideas!


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## BanginYoMama (Jun 25, 2016)

It is legal in my state a lot of people smoke. I handle my plants in front of the neighbors(not on purpose) when I move them into the sunlight outside. The po po doesn't really care about weed in my area. I know of people who grow in their backyard where the neighbors can see their plants.
However if your state isn't legal and neighbors are nosey, there is one way to fix this. Wait to see if your neighbors are going to call the po po. If they do wait until your out of jail or the po po or gone. Then walk to the neighbors and drag them out onto the street and handle your business. That's what I would do I don't care about getting charged. I bet they would move or not call the po po again.


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## iHearAll (Jul 4, 2016)

anony42017 said:


> How the fuck is this not obvious lol? That fan is coming out the window right? Can't people clearly see that. Hmm.


many AC units are on wheels.with a hose going to the window and since it's through a carbon filter, much less stench.


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## Big smo (Jul 6, 2016)

iHearAll said:


> many AC units are on wheels.with a hose going to the window and since it's through a carbon filter, much less stench.


They work but all the air your blowing out is replaced by air coming back in. This creates a negative pressure and you'll end up cooling slot more than a 2 hose unit. Plus u won't be able to keep co2


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## iHearAll (Jul 6, 2016)

Big smo said:


> They work but all the air your blowing out is replaced by air coming back in. This creates a negative pressure and you'll end up cooling slot more than a 2 hose unit. Plus u won't be able to keep co2


hmm so what's a better setup? like run the fan in a recycling way? I'm still growing outdoors so i haven't had to put an extraordinary amount of thought into the negative pressure detail. i always heard it was a good thing cuz it keeps the air fresh. i would've guessed there's enough CO2 in the house just from breathing.


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## Big smo (Jul 6, 2016)

Air exchange is good but if your going for a sealed room any exchange that's not controlled isn't good. I'm sealed, run 1500ppm co2, Ac and dehumidifier. I hate to see air going out unless I want it to. I set a fan to kick on for 15 minutes every 2 hours. During colder temps I have a photo cell/ thermostate controller hooked to a fan that just dumps air when temps hit 80 degrees. Saves a ton on energy but can't increase co2 like I'd like.


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## iHearAll (Jul 19, 2016)

I got told i was being too loud. Middle of the night.

Anyway i got my hands on some high density polyethylene panels.

Let's see if it is a sound blocking material.

Pretty nice stuff. Chemically resistant, heat resistant, super sturdy, super light


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## iHearAll (Jul 28, 2016)

plexi and pvc skeleton. pump muffler.


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## iHearAll (Aug 6, 2016)

Its not terribly suppressive. I think i need to seal it up completely and just run hosng in and out. These damn commercial motors get real hot though. In this design, there is a 1"×5.5" gap on the exhaust face. It kind of projects the sound in that direction. Eh i have more 1/2" HDPE panels i can use. Also mounting the motor to the side is sturdy yes but vibrates the panel like a crummy speaker. Quieter yes but i found that suspending the motor by bungee in a box also suspended by bungee does a much better job at dampening the sound.


iHearAll said:


> plexi and pvc skeleton. pump muffler.


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## Collect THC (Aug 9, 2016)

Yeh man bungee cords, a box and a ducting silencer and you'll be great


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## Hotwired (Aug 9, 2016)

Panasonic Whisperline 6" fan blowing into a 6 x 16 phresh filter and you can stand right next to it and talk on the phone without a problem. I posted this years ago.


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## smokeingdog (Sep 6, 2016)

I purchased a PHRESH SILENCER, for my 6" it sounds like a jet engine starting up till i put a phresh silencer on an WOW what a huge difference it takes like 70% of the noise of the rushing air away.


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## Nugachino (Sep 16, 2016)

I've discovered that I'll need to silence my circulation fan. That's noisy as shit. My new intake fan has a bit of punch too.


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## Javadog (Sep 19, 2016)

The only solution that really worked for me was to buy a
professionally damped fan. I got a Whisperline but there 
are fans by Soler and Palau as well.

(I thought to scan up and see that this theme repeats here,
but it seem reasonable to allow this to happen)


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## Damplamp (Sep 22, 2016)

Ok so here's a rather funny situation

So I have two wall mount 16" fans in my room, lately they started making this loud creak when they went back
And forth , my room is outside in my shop ,any way they where loud last night so I figured it had to be the moveing parts in the assembly so In rather of a panic.ps I was high at time went to other side of shop to find some sort of lube all wd40 had no spray tips of corse, couldn't find Greese but did find a bottle of vasaline so I went back to room with bottle . Had great idea to try and get it in while on, well my finger slipped squirting it out but missed and it fell in to moveing fan blade . Well what happens after that you ask ? Well it rocket sprayed over probly 5 plants and my face I think that's a grow room blooper


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## Nugachino (Sep 22, 2016)

If it's noisy. It could be that the fan has rattled loose inside. Could also be contacts inside motor itself being worn.
Also. How are they mounted? Rubber or foam feet are the best for vibration damping.


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## thebonzaseedbank (Sep 22, 2016)

just move out to the country and you won't have to worry about noise


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## Damplamp (Sep 22, 2016)

Nugachino said:


> If it's noisy. It could be that the fan has rattled loose inside. Could also be contacts inside motor itself being worn.
> Also. How are they mounted? Rubber or foam feet are the best for vibration damping.


They are rubber foot ones with the pull cord 
It was the rod that is attached to the fan that makes it go back and forth but putting that vasaline hit the spot and they are absolutely silent now haha


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## Damplamp (Sep 22, 2016)

thebonzaseedbank said:


> just move out to the country and you won't have to worry about noise


I would if land wasn't a million a acre where I am


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## facelessFFS (Sep 26, 2016)

My fan ain't too loud


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## Rrog (Sep 26, 2016)

Foam doesn't block airborne sound well. It's rigid and conductive


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## grouch (Sep 29, 2016)

thebonzaseedbank said:


> just move out to the country and you won't have to worry about noise


Or just move along to a different thread if you aren't worried about noise


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## Nugachino (Sep 29, 2016)

Mine is about as noisy as an idling laptop.


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## Tim Fox (Oct 1, 2016)

i like to set my grow box up so I can stand next to it while its running and you cant detect anything, no noise at all, plus i grow inside of furnature, so the grow area appears normal to the average joe


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## Javadog (Oct 3, 2016)

For that Tim, go right to the pros and check out a Whisperline.


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## thenotsoesoteric (Oct 9, 2016)

Javadog said:


> The only solution that really worked for me was to buy a
> professionally damped fan. I got a Whisperline but there
> are fans by Soler and Palau as well.
> 
> ...


Did you get this style? https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-FV-20NLF1-WhisperLine-Line-6-Inch/dp/B000EDUIX2

Do you need to wire your own plug for this fan? 
I have a 3x3 tent and 4" exhaust ain't cutting it so I need a quiet option with 6" so this 240 cfm is ideal.


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## Javadog (Oct 10, 2016)

That is the unit I use. It is fantastic. I do not recall all of its installation,
but I was able to get through it....that means that an idiot can do it. :0)

Mine came with an 8-6" adapter. 5 years or so now, zero issues, ever.

I will be using these from here out. ;0)


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## lurch74 (Oct 12, 2016)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


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## gold lion (Oct 29, 2016)

http://www.hvacquick.com/products/residential/AirFlow-Boosting/Inline-Air-Booster-Fans/S-P-TD-SILENT-Series-Inline-Fans

think this would be quiet enough for a tent upstairs? living room is right below, just don't wanna be too annoyed.


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## Javadog (Oct 29, 2016)

An S&P ? Yes, from all reports. 

I know that my own professionally muffled fan is inaudible outside the door
let alone downstairs.

S&P struck me as top-shelf and I think that others here use them.


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## gold lion (Oct 29, 2016)

badass. 2nd question then, would the low setting on the td-200s (370 cfm) be too much for a 4x4x5 tent?


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## Javadog (Oct 30, 2016)

Others who own one will have to confirm, but I must believe "not at all".

Too much fresh air? Only if you struggle to maintain temps is that typically an issue.

Good luck,

JD


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## Rrog (Oct 30, 2016)

Thank you Javadog


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## Javadog (Oct 30, 2016)

Any Time Bro!


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## Bigdaddy212 (Nov 2, 2016)

Anybody got a solution for the air pumps noise and the stones inside the buckets vibrating


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## Javadog (Nov 2, 2016)

It takes mass to block the pump noise....I bought a 2X12 and
made a box 2" thick on all sides and used a square of Boogie Board
for the last side.

...slung the pump on a t-shirt "hammock" in the middle of the box.

This was just barely livable....but I have a sensitive wife. :0)


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## Bubblin (Nov 2, 2016)

Bigdaddy212 said:


> Anybody got a solution for the air pumps noise and the stones inside the buckets vibrating


We used to wrap the stones with a few thick rubber bands.

@ fans
I've got one of these, it's not cheap but the fan itself is very quite, at it's lowest speed setting it's nearly 100% silent, standing a few feet from the tent I hear only the 120mm fans on the cobs. However on high it's no where near silent but moves a ton of air. https://www.amazon.com/Hyper-Fan-Stealth-Germination-Equipment/dp/B00S27SRI0/

There's still a bit of air flow wooshing but every fan has that. If needed I toss a second old used filter on the end of the ducting.


----------



## The Dawg (Jan 14, 2017)




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## CouchGouch (Jan 20, 2017)

The Dawg said:


>





The Dawg said:


>


I was intensely looking at these a while back, having major paranoia about noise, but I need at least 750cfm for room area without taking anything else into account. But the largest of these only shifts 600, and being mixed flow I think you can probably reduce that again. So would probably need 2, not sure how sound works but I imagine that would be twice the dB lol, and they're pretty pricey. 

Anyone have one?


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## Javadog (Jan 20, 2017)

I use a Panasonic Whisperline and these fans are sufficiently quiet as 
to be inaudible over the push-fan that I have in my office window.

I am sure that S&P are similarly quiet.


----------



## The Dawg (Jan 20, 2017)

I Used To Run A 6 Inch S&P And It Was Very Quiet. I Switch To The Max Fan Pro To Reduce 6ft Of Ducting And 2 90 Degree Bend's. Yes Its A Tab Bit Louder But I'm Also Running On Low So Its An Even Trade Off.


----------



## wayward1 (Jan 24, 2017)

The Dawg said:


> I Used To Run A 6 Inch S&P And It Was Very Quiet. I Switch To The Max Fan Pro To Reduce 6ft Of Ducting And 2 90 Degree Bend's. Yes Its A Tab Bit Louder But I'm Also Running On Low So Its An Even Trade Off.


I'm trying so find a controller that works with my td silent 350/125 in-line fan. I've read about variable frequency drivers and variable autotransformers and other ones, but I get lost as to which is compatible. I don't want any hum and I want it safe. Any suggestions? Btw, I think my fan is a permanent spilt capacitor type!


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## cookie master (Jan 26, 2017)

the mdf box is a good idea, might as well put the ballasts in too, make it a chamber with the carbon filter sucking in and have an exhaust port.


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## ResinLip (Jan 26, 2017)

Has anyone tried to solve the "tink-tink-tink" of a co2 tank and regulator connected to a fuzzy logic controller? It is the loudest thing in the room. 

My room is pretty quiet between the Panasonic whisperline and whisper ceiling fans that I have plus the Eheim water and air pumps. The thick O-rings on the air stones plus duct insulation also help.

Before the Co2 tank and relay, the only thing you could hear were the relays clicking inside the Titan controllers. I think it is just the tank echoing the noise so I am thinking to wrap in in a layer of Dynamat from car audio.

Any suggestions on reducing this particular noise? Look at the video in my signature to see/hear how quiet my room is.


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## Javadog (Jan 26, 2017)

Great Noise Question....do not use CO2 but remain hopeful! :0)


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## ResinLip (Jan 26, 2017)

Javadog said:


> Great Noise Question....do not use CO2 but remain hopeful! :0)


Well, thanks. The other idea I have is to remotely mount the valve. Perhaps there is a high pressure rubber house that I can mount between the tank and regulator itself. That should decouple the tinking of the relay from that echo chamber called a tank.


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## ResinLip (Jan 28, 2017)

I made little video of the co2 tank noise. I think I will pursue the two ideas mentioned and see how hat goes. I tried throwing a blanket over the tank but that did not help much.


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## Javadog (Jan 28, 2017)

Well, that captured it pretty well.

The problem is that even just broadly googling strings like
"growing CO2 problem noise ping" would find hits here if they
existed, but I found nothing here or elsewhere.

Good luck

P.S. The one hit that was at all relevant was a paintball forum....but it
did relate to a pressure air tank pinging....it was a spring-loaded valve.
The recommendation was that it be shrunk-wrapped. (I know...ugh ;0)


----------



## ResinLip (Jan 28, 2017)

Javadog said:


> Well, that captured it pretty well.
> 
> The problem is that even just broadly googling strings like
> "growing CO2 problem noise ping" would find hits here if they
> ...


Damping the round cylinder might go a long way. I can even hit a resonance with the tank just speaking normally in the grow closet. It can be heard resonating through the tank.


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## cawolves (Feb 3, 2017)

And don't forget the sound of Bob Marley and someone talking to themselves and laughing at their own jokes. 



one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


----------



## wegethigh (Feb 4, 2017)

You can also use a muffler


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## Amy Betty (Feb 13, 2017)

The best you can do (while not blowing your wallet) is to use the good old egg cartons, from pirate radios from decades ago to this day it still remains an incredibly solid method to disperse sound waves and effectively making the whole thing a lot quieter!


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## ResinLip (Feb 14, 2017)

A walk through the grow closet with a Radio Shack SPL meter.

Enjoy!


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## GrandfatherRat (Apr 2, 2017)

Amy Betty said:


> The best you can do (while not blowing your wallet) is to use the good old egg cartons, from pirate radios from decades ago to this day it still remains an incredibly solid method to disperse sound waves and effectively making the whole thing a lot quieter!


Unfortunately this doesn't work. Egg crates will result in attenuation of some higher frequenies, which can knock down some of the 'snap' or 'sharpness' in a room. This is why it had limited use in the radio / spoken word application. However, egg crate is totally ineffective in reduction beyond a couple of decibels, which Is trivial. Sound reduction Is acccomplished through absorption, which requires either mass or isolation. There are no shortcuts.

Edit-- don't want to post just a negative thread, so adding some hopefully productive input: Resinlip is already onto a potential solution, which is to decouple the regulator making the noise from the tank which is magnifying it. That is the proper direction; to address the noise at the source. The ping is a high pitch, which is also easier to damp. He could additionally dcouple the tank from the floor, or damp the tank as well, as it's also producting noise. The other option is to look at where the noise is transmitting out into the house-- direct propogation of waves though the door, as well as possible indirect transmission though the walls and floor. This would show where to apply any absorptive treatment.


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## Rrog (Apr 3, 2017)

Egg cartons are an urban legend. Useless


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## waynejohn (Apr 7, 2017)

Need some help choosing apropriate controller for manrose mf125s mixed flow extractor...i want to avoid that huming noise on low setting...would a 0-10v controller be good for that fan?Or would i be better served with a variac?Really not my area of expertise so any help would be appreciated


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## CouchGouch (Apr 8, 2017)

waynejohn said:


> Need some help choosing apropriate controller for manrose mf125s mixed flow extractor...i want to avoid that huming noise on low setting...would a 0-10v controller be good for that fan?Or would i be better served with a variac?Really not my area of expertise so any help would be appreciated


Have you already bought the fan?

Is it a tds?


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## waynejohn (Apr 8, 2017)

tds?


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## CouchGouch (Apr 8, 2017)

Sorry you said it was a manrose. TD Silent is just a fan


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## waynejohn (Apr 8, 2017)

Yeah that was my other choice but manrose turned out a lot cheaper and i'll get the new one with 3 speed


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## CouchGouch (Apr 8, 2017)

Yeah they're pretty pricey, fan you got is decent


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## waynejohn (Apr 8, 2017)

Yeah as soon as i saw the specs i went for it...hopefully someone will recommend what to get to control it...i want that 0-10V but not sure it will work with mixflow


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## Lucky Luke (Jul 2, 2017)




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## ANC (Jul 2, 2017)

That is a good video, I saw it before.
I would recommend always spending a bit more and getting a quiet fan made from plastic.
You get ridiculously silent ones for not much more than the standard jobbies.


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## wellandwitham (Jul 12, 2017)

waynejohn said:


> Yeah as soon as i saw the specs i went for it...hopefully someone will recommend what to get to control it...i want that 0-10V but not sure it will work with mixflow


 Check out WAC1 fan controller. Good for fans l as than 6 inch. No hum and about $30


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## grassy007 (Aug 16, 2017)

For 4" and 6" Vivosun type plastic fan housings, I took a 12x12x13" cardboard box (for 4" fan) and cut two U shaped cutouts so the box would fit over the unit's 2 ducting connector openings. I then went to a carpet store and they had a stack of carpet samples that are discontinued. I got 5 of them for free. I then bought double backed tape from HD and cut fit the carpeting and used the double sided tape to afix the carpet to the inside of the box. It worked great. I wish I had a workshop to make one out of plywood. It cut the sound by a third to a half. Total cost $5.50 (for the double sided tape).


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## grassy007 (Aug 16, 2017)

wellandwitham said:


> Check out WAC1 fan controller. Good for fans l as than 6 inch. No hum and about $30


Ya, except all the Google searches for it were all from the UK. It also needs to be wired in.


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## grassy007 (Sep 8, 2017)

For stealth grows and making the ducting more quiet, the only insulated ducting I could find is for temp insulation rather than noise insulation. It lessened the noise coming from the fan housing, but not much. It's better than the plain aluminum ducting which just carries the duct fan motor noise thruout its length. Is there even any insulated ducting that's made from more than just fiberglass? Fiberglass insulated ducting is better than plain aluminum ducting, but not great at sound absorbtion, never was meant to be.


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## fn217 (Oct 18, 2017)

grassy007 said:


> For stealth grows and making the ducting more quiet, the only insulated ducting I could find is for temp insulation rather than noise insulation. It lessened the noise coming from the fan housing, but not much. It's better than the plain aluminum ducting which just carries the duct fan motor noise thruout its length. Is there even any insulated ducting that's made from more than just fiberglass? Fiberglass insulated ducting is better than plain aluminum ducting, but not great at sound absorbtion, never was meant to be.


Unfortunately due to my post count, I can't post the link. But the stuff you want is *Thermoflow Insulated Ducting*. Pricey, but exactly what you're looking for.


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## Rrog (Oct 18, 2017)

Insulated duct is insulated duct.


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## fn217 (Oct 18, 2017)

Rrog said:


> Insulated duct is insulated duct.


While this is true, the thermoflow is the best readily available insulated duct IMO. Extremely durable, almost impossible to rip, fire retardant, extra vapor barrier, etc.


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## fn217 (Oct 18, 2017)

I just wanted to share with everyone a product which I am using which I highly endorse. 

Hyperfan Stealth: 
https://www.amazon.com/Hyper-Fan-Stealth-Germination-Equipment/dp/B00S27SRI0/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1508358042&sr=1-1&keywords=hyper+fan+silenced

Digitally controllable (works amazing!!) and it really is very quiet for the CFM's it pulls. Maybe the Max Fan is better. I don't know, I haven't had the opportunity to test it. 

I have a 10" Hyperfan Stealth, pulling air through a 10 inch carbon filter. While it inevitably creates the sound of a vortex (strong airflow), it is muffled to the point that one really doesn't even hear it over the other oscillating fans in the room (12 lol) until you turn it off. Similar to a silencer for a firearm I suppose. Still makes noise, but the tell tale sound and loudness of your typical high CFM inline fan is very much absent.


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## Rrog (Oct 20, 2017)

fn217 said:


> While this is true, the thermoflow is the best readily available insulated duct IMO. Extremely durable, almost impossible to rip, fire retardant, extra vapor barrier, etc.


More durable, but acoustically identical.


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## grassy007 (Oct 21, 2017)

Rrog said:


> Insulated duct is insulated duct.


 

For growers...there should be something better than insulated ducting that's fiberglass only . Something better sound absorbing than just weather insulation fiberglass...which is ok but very so-so at sound absorption.


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## Rrog (Oct 21, 2017)

Well, fluffy stuff has no real mass, and so is not effective for anything but high frequencies. That’s fine if the noise you’re stopping is high frequency like airflow thru a duct.

If you’re doing a broader scale soundproofing, like walls and ceiling, then you’re looking at 5/8” drywall for the mass


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## grassy007 (Oct 22, 2017)

I can't afford the pricey ducting that's meant for sound reduction, but now I know it's out there.
The fiberglass insulated ducting seems to have quieted down my stealth grow, not a lot, but quieter than plain aluminum ducting.
I have a carbon muffler,


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## Javadog (Oct 22, 2017)

I took a 2X12 and made a box with 2" walls but for one.

With extreme force I manage to cram a section from a Boogie Board
to complete the box.

This made a true air pump (not a fish tank number here ;0) *livable*

...but, there was still a low frequency "rum" that I kept waiting for "my sensitive half"
to have an issue with. I made it through one amazing cycle. Now the pump
works my tea barrel out back...or it did until SDGE started to threaten us with
"high use" warnings. WTF?!?


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## BigCityGrow (Oct 24, 2017)

I'm mocking up a new cabinet build. Needs to be super quiet since it's in the living room or possibly my bedroom. I want to build a box with in the cabinet to help further keep the noise down. So final product would have a back and front door. Dynamat lining inside. I wanted to make sure it all fit in the cabinet before I start building it. It's all going to fit. The fan itself, Vortex is super quiet anyways it seems. Most of the noise is the whooshing noise of the air coming out of the top when its on full blast. When I turn the speed down it almost goes away. 
We use a heavy plastic like tubing on our machines to take the dust out of the shop, I'm going to try and use that and see if it helps even more. Looking for more tips and suggestions. 

Thanks!!


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## Rrog (Oct 25, 2017)

Use a layer of green glue and a second outer layer of ply. Dynamat works best on thin panels like steel. It can’t effectively damp panels like that 

Use uncompressed fiberglass in between the inner and outer box


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## coreywebster (Oct 25, 2017)

You could step up in ducting size if its air movement sound that's the issue. You can also wrap the duct with anything you like but ultimately sound will come out of the end. A stocking over the outlet will also defuse that whooshing a bit without impacting air movement much. Duct mufflers work to a degree.


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## coreywebster (Oct 25, 2017)

Also rigid smooth duct at the outlet point rather than the foil stuff will be quieter


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## Coloradoclear (Oct 25, 2017)

This would be a great thread for anyone to read "before" they spend their hard earned cash and end up disappointed! Lots of great information, Lord knows I have wasted a tons of money on fans and ducting.


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## TheHero (Oct 27, 2017)

Hi guys. Is there a nice recipe of materials to build room so it is quiet? Sandwiches like - wooden plates + rockwool + foam etc?


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## Rrog (Oct 27, 2017)

Double stud walls. 
Fiberglass insulation 
Double 5/8” drywall
Green Glue in between the sheets 

Www.soundproofingcompany.com


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## BigCityGrow (Oct 27, 2017)

Rrog said:


> Double stud walls.
> Fiberglass insulation
> Double 5/8” drywall
> Green Glue in between the sheets
> ...


What's a double stud wall?


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## TheHero (Oct 27, 2017)

Is there a big difference in rockwool or fiberglass? Its messy to work with fiberglass..
And could I replace drywall with osb wood sheets? Or drywall plays a good role here? Why would glue be used? Screw it all together, thats it..

As I understand, different materials, different material densities are the key of succesfull sound absorption. So thats why gypsum, fiberglass or rockwool and wood is used, etc.


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## cannetix Inc (Oct 27, 2017)

Not sure if any of these have been posted yet but I have a few suggestions.

*1.* Anti-Vibration mats work great under any vibrating components or assemblies. In my experience, even if you don't hear it from your side, vibrations may be more audible on the opposing side of a structure. 

*2.* *FURMAN* makes excellent quality power conditioners. Surge protectors only filter out voltage spikes/drops above a certain threshold to protect electronics from damage. Powder conditioners "condition" the supplied electricity and reduce RFI/EMI. *I have personally never used one with a Ballast or CO2 injection fuzzy logic controller*, however, I do know that "noise" in terms of electronics is generally caused by non-linear loads and both ballasts and fuzzy logic controllers are non-linear loads. I used to have a Furman M-8X2 Merit Series and it worked wonders for reducing electronic noise from my PC and Studio monitors. Power conditioners definitely "work" under the right circumstances, so this might warrant some further research. 

*3.* While not a direct noise-reduction tip, download *TrueRTA*. This is a free software which will allow you to analyze the frequency of any given sound. This will help you pick out the most efficient materials for sound control. Different materials interact differently with different frequencies of sound. Very dense materials are great for reducing low-frequency sound & vibrations but will not be as effective against high-frequency electronic noise.

*4.* A more intensive approach for larger scale setups may be *active noise control*. Using a similar software to the one above, the frequency is analyzed and an opposing frequency is generated with a pair of loudspeakers. This is the same way "noise canceling headphones" work. For large scale use (ie. an entire room) it's only really suitable for *lower frequency noise that is repetitive and predictable*, so depending on your sound source, it might be an option. It is commonly used in commercial airline cabins to reduce the "drone" of the turbine engines.


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## Rrog (Oct 27, 2017)

BigCityGrow said:


> What's a double stud wall?


http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproof-walls/spc-3-soundproof-wall/

Drywall, cheap fiberglass, two sets of studs. Forget the rest


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## TheHero (Oct 28, 2017)

So, the trick is *not* to attach first layer to second? And to do so, second layer of wall needs to be attached to ceiling and ground?


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## ANC (Nov 25, 2017)

It is such a nice feeling when the extractor fan goes off after a long grow.
That sound can grind your soul after a while.


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## Javadog (Nov 25, 2017)

For me that was the Air Pump. I made a nice 2" solid wood box for it, one that had the pump
on a "hammock" made from t-shirt cotton cloth. It worked as well as could be expected....actually
it did a decent job.

But there a range of frequencies that seemed to escape all the same. The very low frequencies.

It was like you could feel it as much as hear it....

I was happy to make it through a cycle without the Woman getting cranky. :0)


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## berulakide (Jan 21, 2018)

I have a vortex s-line 6 inch and an I power filter. I hooked it all up with insulated ducting it was 2 bucks a foot or something. It is very quiet but I may put it in anew insulated box. I also have a controlled for the fan which helps alot. 
If you would find it flowing g from the ducting is too much build a silencer with a box and foam like others say.


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## tyke1973 (Jan 21, 2018)

You will never get it absolutely quiet,but you will be surprised most of the time the noise from my room is from the Compressor,or Fish tank pump in tent .if it's not that then more than likely the ossalating fans,But the heating in my house is louder,Don't go listening for noises from your room after a smoke ,or you will be at it hours ,If your Exaust fan is making the Noise then check for the duct not been on fully or holes ,But more than likely it sounds a lot quieter than you think ,


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## berulakide (Jan 21, 2018)

Yeah with mine it is the oscillating fan.


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## Puff_Dragon (Jan 22, 2018)

Having only a very simple indoor setup now; i did have an odd fan sound issue recently. I had a number of simple clip fans (clipped to tent poles) in a grow tent. When you were in the room below the grow room the grow itself sounded loud. If i then left the room below, no sound in the hall and hardly any in the actual room with the tent 
That gave it away as something (probably a fan) setting up a sympathetic vibration. Placed a piece of foam rubber between the 'guilty' fan's clip and the tent pole itself and ta daa! ..no sound in the downstairs room. Moral of the story; always give out Good Vibrations!


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## Moldy (Jan 22, 2018)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


Now that it's legal here fuck the neighbors! My house hums 7 months a years but I do remember when it was a crime.


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## berulakide (Jan 22, 2018)

I still like quiet instead of hearing a constant buzz, fan or especially a pump with trickling water.


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## grassy007 (Feb 8, 2018)

My effort in making a stealth grow was in consideration for those on the floor above me who probably don't need some noisey penetrating Cuban embassy electronic hum sound day and night. I try real hard in that regard, in the hope that others will too.


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## Javadog (Feb 13, 2018)

A good neighbor!


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## Randodred (Feb 17, 2018)

https://growershouse.com/blog/8-inch-inline-fan-comparison-review-and-testing/?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=21181&utm_campaign=2-262236

Sent from my LGMS345 using Rollitup mobile app


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## swedsteven (Mar 5, 2018)

Vivosun from amazon 190cfm i have 2 off them and i cant even ear a noyse and my cob led are even more quiet I only ear my small fan for air mouvement door closes no noyse . When i only open the light and my 2 vivosun my room make 39db and with the fan on 42 db lovit and I cant dimme the vivosun to 31db 100cfm each
No box just duck tape and insulating


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## Randodred (Mar 10, 2018)

So im getting the hhyperfan 315cfm
Will a carbon filter6 400cfm work

Sent from my LGMS345 using Rollitup mobile app


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## Hotwired (Mar 10, 2018)

Yes. I use a 340 cfm Whisperquiet thru a Black Ops 400 cfm filter. Works great.


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## growpotma (Mar 26, 2018)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?



Get a speed controller too so you can turn the fan speed down. Cuts noise in about half. There was an article on the "Grow Pot MA" facebook page about these speed controllers I want to link for you but it won't let me attach a link lol.


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## Fishbulb (Apr 26, 2018)

I got rhino temp controller with fan controller and it doesn't buzz like a fan speed control with is just like a resistance dimmer


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## tyke1973 (Apr 26, 2018)

Been using a 8 inch Rhino big boy filter with 12 inch fan pulling air through the filter out through the lights ,for years now .I use Yoga Matting our underlay from carpets under the fan ,Also a 6 inch inlet, with speed control ,for summer and winter heat or cold, That controls both of them, If your hearing noise it may be something has simple has the clamps have come loose, and you losing air from a connection.But it will sound a lot louder than it really does because you your listening for the slightest noise a.Smell is the worst thing I have to deal with for 2 days max while pruning and day after, then once its all I air tight containers ,new plants are in.It soon fades away for another 8 week


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## grassy007 (Apr 26, 2018)

growpotma said:


> Get a speed controller too so you can turn the fan speed down. Cuts noise in about half. There was an article on the "Grow Pot MA" facebook page about these speed controllers I want to link for you but it won't let me attach a link lol.


Turning down fan speed using a controller will just cause more motor resistance to achieve that and thus cause more humming sound. This is not good for a stealth grow if sound is of prime concern.


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## Rrog (Apr 26, 2018)

Disagree. A fan running at 1/2 speed makes less motor noise. Unless you have a cheap motor control. Mis-matched controller is what introduces the hum.


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## Big Perm (Apr 29, 2018)

Sweet. I just built mine. It's going to sit on the floor though. Thanks for the diy.
I'm running a 6" 440cfm, and now it's pretty quiet.


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## TonyG6 (May 2, 2018)

I was just going to say, acoustic foam is honestly one of your best bets! The difference is crazy when you install them (I play in a band).


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## Big Perm (May 2, 2018)

TonyG6 said:


> I was just going to say, acoustic foam is honestly one of your best bets! The difference is crazy when you install them (I play in a band).


That's a good idea. If I need to quiet the fan more I will definitely line it with that.
I am however, now going to line the inside of my box with it, under the mylar, thanks!


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## pollen205 (Jun 21, 2018)

I have a quietline from vents 125 mm ant then connected with 1 m alumium pipe that draw my hot qir out...
so in fixture with 90 w household led I have a big struggle with humidity ,temp was ok but too much humidity
now I buy 4 individual cob units each 50 w and I realy hope that humidity will drop to the flower point...

and I have problem with sounding of that fixture....I cant sleep near it so the vent is off for 8-10 h a day...and when I open tent in the morning humidity is crazy like 70-90 % even 99% so I must do some trick do low the noise down....
The vent is ok but air moving is crazy...
I put some women tights on the end of aluminim pipe and that reduce sound a lot but still I can hear it and cant get use to it....

please help... how to I control air moving sound?

or if I buy sometrhing like prima-clima vent that is crazy money tih potenciometar and tem sond will I get 0 dB effect that I want in80x80 grow tent


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## Fourtwentysmokinplenty (Jul 4, 2018)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


If you grow in tents you could replace them with the same size wooden frame and use sound board to insulate you could put a thin foam pad behind any wall mounted fans or ventilation and a well maintained clean and oiled fan makes less noise


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## Notillcanna96 (Aug 5, 2018)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


 hey man, you shouldn’t worry about what people hear in your own home. You have rights. Nobody can compromise what you are doing. And even if they did, the only way you would face repercussion is if they had proof of what you’re doing. Which they can’t prove unless you’re welcoming them into your home and showing them what you are doing. Just a thought lol


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## blowincherrypie (Aug 5, 2018)

Notillcanna96 said:


> hey man, you shouldn’t worry about what people hear in your own home. You have rights. Nobody can compromise what you are doing. And even if they did, the only way you would face repercussion is if they had proof of what you’re doing. Which they can’t prove unless you’re welcoming them into your home and showing them what you are doing. Just a thought lol


The thing is you dont want to draw attention to what you're doing.. police, jack boys etc.. and while noise may not prove anything, it can definitely be enough to draw scrutiny.. Next thing you know they are sifting through your trash


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## Notillcanna96 (Aug 5, 2018)

blowincherrypie said:


> The thing is you dont want to draw attention to what you're doing.. police, jack boys etc.. and while noise may not prove anything, it can definitely be enough to draw scrutiny.. Next thing you know they are sifting through your trash


Well jackboys I can understand but there’s no reason you would draw attention from law enforcement unless you’re runnin 10,000 watts plus and are venting the lights outside. As far as sifting through trash, don’t leave anything incriminating in it. Which isn’t hard to do. Point is, don’t worry about noise. That’s the last thing to worry about. More important aspects of security to think about is visibility of the operation from within your home never mind outside. And the most important of all, smell. If you’re good on those 2, then you have no worries. Unless you don’t pay your electric bill. Luckily I live in a state where it’s legal to grow cannabis whether it’s recreational or medical. All I gotta worry about is jackboys and I live in a quiet community with security cameras and dogs.


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## blowincherrypie (Aug 5, 2018)

Notillcanna96 said:


> Well jackboys I can understand but there’s no reason you would draw attention from law enforcement unless you’re runnin 10,000 watts plus and are venting the lights outside. As far as sifting through trash, don’t leave anything incriminating in it. Which isn’t hard to do. Point is, don’t worry about noise. That’s the last thing to worry about. More important aspects of security to think about is visibility of the operation from within your home never mind outside. And the most important of all, smell. If you’re good on those 2, then you have no worries. Unless you don’t pay your electric bill. Luckily I live in a state where it’s legal to grow cannabis whether it’s recreational or medical. All I gotta worry about is jackboys and I live in a quiet community with security cameras and dogs.


If someone can hear an inline fan or AC running 24/7 its damn near as much a tell as smell bruh.. Even in a small time op people will notice those things. Being in a legal state is no excuse for giving bad advice.


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## nicksol86 (Dec 11, 2018)

Had a air pump for my hydro buckets that vibrated my whole house. I bought fish tanks and put them in both bedrooms upstairs and blamed it on the fish tank air pumps til I could research a good pump that's quiet. Lol but then I ordered some general hydroponics air pumps 4 outlets each pump and its so quiet. No more running fish tanks.


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## 2com (Jan 1, 2019)

ThE sAtIvA hIgH said:


> my fridge freezer hums louder than my grow room ;o)


Hahaha


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## blazeottawa (Jan 17, 2019)

If my neighbor is complaining about my fans should I:

A)make the fans quieter by putting them in boxes in a nesting fashion.
OR
B)make my neighbor quieter by knocking in his teeth, hampering his ability to complain by way of speech.


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## Lucky Luke (Jan 18, 2019)

I mucked about a few months ago and came up with a baffle to reduce the vortex noise from the exiting air. Works quiet well. I have inlarged the holes and added more since this pic was taken.


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## I.P.J. (Apr 4, 2019)

Notillcanna96 said:


> Point is, don’t worry about noise. That’s the last thing to worry about. More important aspects of security to think about is visibility of the operation from within your home never mind outside. And the most important of all, smell. If you’re good on those 2, then you have no worries. Unless you don’t pay your electric bill. Luckily I live in a state where it’s legal to grow cannabis whether it’s recreational or medical. All I gotta worry about is jackboys and I live in a quiet community with security cameras and dogs.


I humbly beg to differ. Both noise and smell are just aspects of the 'visibility' you mention. Assuming we're talking about a residential grow in a block of flats for example, ignoring the you and/or your equipment create can lead to somebody unintended perform the harvest for you. Not to mention actually taking the fruits of your labor and incinerating them in a giant pile of dope or whatever it is that happens to confiscated plant material. Sure, I used to think exactly like this, that is until a neighbor kindly slipped me a note under the door basically saying "dude, the sound coming from your tent, fans etc is so obvious it's making me paranoid! I hope you got the smell part covered... p.s. don't worry, won't tell". I'm a very quiet person in general, no visitors, definitely no partying, use headphones etc, but holy shit was that dude right. All I had to do was _listen_ and it didn't take more than a few days to figure out he is definitely a hydro guy using clay pebbles as substrate. Neither one has light leaks, there's no smells, no usual clues to the outside.

I seriously had no idea how loud the structural vibrations from fans can get and how funky are their ways of travel.. if I closed the door to that grow room and you were standing on the other side, chances are you wouldn't have heard a thing. When I left the apartment however... well let's just say you could hear that damn exhaust fan (which was inaudible from behind the grow room door) a couple floors up or down and even smell would have been less obvious as to where exactly is it coming from! Not only do vibrations like to travel through structures, they often get amplified on top of it too.

Bottom line, noise is just as important as light and odor when it comes to stealthiness. Sure grandma living upstairs might not recognize the sound a hydro setup makes or could mistake your grow room fans for the HVAC system of the house, but if that's the attitude might as well not care about any smells either because what are the chances people living in your neighborhood recognize it as weed specifically? 

Also, hello everyone, first time poster here! Migrating from another forum as I'm looking for a place for hobby related discussion


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## coreywebster (Apr 8, 2019)

I.P.J. said:


> I humbly beg to differ. Both noise and smell are just aspects of the 'visibility' you mention. Assuming we're talking about a residential grow in a block of flats for example, ignoring the you and/or your equipment create can lead to somebody unintended perform the harvest for you. Not to mention actually taking the fruits of your labor and incinerating them in a giant pile of dope or whatever it is that happens to confiscated plant material. Sure, I used to think exactly like this, that is until a neighbor kindly slipped me a note under the door basically saying "dude, the sound coming from your tent, fans etc is so obvious it's making me paranoid! I hope you got the smell part covered... p.s. don't worry, won't tell". I'm a very quiet person in general, no visitors, definitely no partying, use headphones etc, but holy shit was that dude right. All I had to do was _listen_ and it didn't take more than a few days to figure out he is definitely a hydro guy using clay pebbles as substrate. Neither one has light leaks, there's no smells, no usual clues to the outside.
> 
> I seriously had no idea how loud the structural vibrations from fans can get and how funky are their ways of travel.. if I closed the door to that grow room and you were standing on the other side, chances are you wouldn't have heard a thing. When I left the apartment however... well let's just say you could hear that damn exhaust fan (which was inaudible from behind the grow room door) a couple floors up or down and even smell would have been less obvious as to where exactly is it coming from! Not only do vibrations like to travel through structures, they often get amplified on top of it too.
> 
> ...


Firstly I agree completely.
Noise is a big issue, some fans create tones than will pass easily through brick walls, such frequencies are almost impossible to soundproof against.
If I heard those noises late at night coming through my wall I would know exactly what is was.
In areas of my country there are gangs of kids going round listening out for fan hum and kicking peoples doors in with baseball bats in hand or worse knowing no grower is going to ring the police.

Secondly, welcome to RIU!


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## coreywebster (Apr 8, 2019)

This seems to be a good place to post a link to the latest fan I bought.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hydroponics-Silent-6-Inch-150mm-370m3-h-GROW-ROOM-ACOUSTIC-BOX-EXTRACTOR-FAN/262879275996?hash=item3d34d36bdc:g:fMgAAOSwHSRbs0eh

It might look nothing special but it shifts air well through any resistance and is almost completely silent with ducting and filter attached. Only 25db.

I used to own this, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ISO-MAX-FANS-AIRFORCE-2-ACOUSTIC-SILENT-ALL-SIZES-HYDROPONICS/162140408109?hash=item25c052492d:m:mTEfo6p0w749D_9BROc94SQ

Nothing quiet about it at 50bd.

Main difference is in the type of motor and blade. Box fans that use squirrel cage fans don't hum like inline motors


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## Javadog (Apr 11, 2019)

Your latest buy there reminds me of the Panasonic Whisperline that I bought for my tent.
It has been fantastic, for years.

JD


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## antonioverde (Jun 27, 2019)

Second on the whisperlines. Had 2 440 cfm for almost a decade now. Less noise than a box/window fan.


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## Puff_Dragon (Jun 28, 2019)

I grow with an indoor tent (the largest fan vibrates the tent which then travels downstairs). 
So I put the tent on a big (foam) sheet of boat sound proofing (ordered from eBay), which stopped these vibrations.
I also found you could simply 'roll' the fan up in one of these thick sound proofing sheets ..then add some duct tape to seal the deal. A 'little' DIY ..but worked surprisingly well to quiet the fan noise overall


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## Brycec (Jul 29, 2019)

john cutter said:


> Hey guys, I just moved to a new apartment this weekend. Went from a place with no worry about noise issues and now I am getting nervous about this new place.
> 
> My main concern is the humming of my ballast. I want to build a box for it and line the inside with foam. My concern is that it will get too hot. Earlier today I placed the ballast inside a cardboard box with towels wrapping the box, took care of the noise, but it quickly got too hot.
> 
> Any ideas? will a properly constructed box get rid of the heat issue?


You can't do much about the ballast. They all tend to get hot. Your best bet would be to do what Gr8fulgreen suggests and use acoustic foam on the walls of the room your tent is in.


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## Blossom21 (Sep 1, 2019)

I have a 5" fan and a 4x4 tent, would bigger (6") ducting be better than to just get matching 5" ducting to reduce sound? I already got a fan speed controller, but that doesn't magically remove all sound.

I tested the fan with some acoustic ducting and a carbon filter, most of the sound seems to be coming from the carbon filter side when i covered up my fan with some foaming. I could spend 40 bucks for a silencer and place that in between the fan and the carbon filter, but then i would need to make two 90* turns out of ducting so i can fit the whole thing in my tent.

Or i could try to make some weird system where i only put the carbon filter inside the tent and the fan outside, maybe even go crazy and add two silencers and make a big box on top of the fan. I just need to get the whole system as quiet as possible as i'm going to sleep next to it. All ideas are welcome 

E: Just figured out that with a silencer i would just barely be able to fit the filter, silencer and the fan in a straight line in the middle of my tent and then have ducting coming straight out in the middle hole. If i need to build a silencer box around the fan then it has to be outside, but don't know how would i even mount it then. And need to figure out if the bigger ducting is better.


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## thefatpenguin (Sep 17, 2019)

lol looking at all these pictures is cracking me up. i thought i was the most crafty guy out there. little did i know lol


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## Ozmap (Sep 19, 2019)

My spot is in a small tent in a cupboard, in my bedroom. While nobody has a reason to go in there, I do get visitors and I won't rule out that nobody would NEVER go in the room. ie: someone visits, says, "Hey I saw this bedside lamp and thought that you'd like it to match your curtains..." or something. While you are taking a pee, you hear, "I put it on your drawers for you." or whatever. While most people here might jump up and down about anyone going near their room 'uninvited', it would be out of character for me to do it with my visitors, because I have never cared before if someone goes in there, so why get weird?

I want people to be able to stand next to my cupboard (worst plausible case scenario) and not be suspicious. (..don't we all?)
My contribution to this thread of possible noise solutions is that I've been playing with the idea of a pedestal fan outside my grow that comes on when the door opens. I could probably just leave it on, but I am trying to reduce power in the room, as it has just the one double power point.

I was thinking that a reed switch in the door could either turn the fan on when it opens, OR the more power-saving and SILENT method, grow autos and have the reed switch in the door still, but it turns the whole setup OFF completely, when the door opens, and back on when it closes. Not sure how HIDs these days would like the quick off and on visit, but I'm not using them at the moment.

Maybe I'll just put a clock radio there with some static noise coming from it and say, "I'll tune that, one day" if anyone ever opens the door or follows me in while I get a jacket or something to put on.


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## sucker4sativa (Mar 1, 2020)

I stand in the basement next to my 6" AC Infinity Cloudline fan at 3/8 speed and I think it's pretty quiet. But go up stairs and the damn thing is reverberating thru the floor. I have it mounted to the floor joist so my first thought is that I should try some rubber pads between the metal mount and the joist. Research is in order but I just wanted to throw this out there. It may sound silent in the same room, but what about the next floor up/down?


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## Blossom21 (Mar 3, 2020)

sucker4sativa said:


> I stand in the basement next to my 6" AC Infinity Cloudline fan at 3/8 speed and I think it's pretty quiet. But go up stairs and the damn thing is reverberating thru the floor. I have it mounted to the floor joist so my first thought is that I should try some rubber pads between the metal mount and the joist. Research is in order but I just wanted to throw this out there. It may sound silent in the same room, but what about the next floor up/down?


If you mount a fan to the floor or a wall directly, it will most likely vibrate through the floor/walls. The best option would be to hang the fan somehow so it doesn't touch anything, but i don't know how your setup looks like or if it is even possible to hang it like that in your situation. Some rubber pads or some other soft material could probably help, but i don't know how much.


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## SmoltimeGrow (Mar 4, 2020)

I live in a loft and my downstairs neighbors could hear the “humming” from my DWC buckets & pulp. So I used some soundproofing foam, cheap workout flooring, and some sticky Velcro strips to make these sound buffering mats for the setup. Can’t hear a single vibration, or feel one, after placing them in the tent.


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## PoopyMcPooper (Mar 19, 2020)

I put my humidfier on a couple layers of bubble wrap on the floor. Helps with vibration but doesnt do anything for the sound of the fan.


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## EmmaEmma (Aug 4, 2020)

Is there a recommended quiet fan? I want to replace my super loud https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CTM0JF2
I've got a small tent, 3x3x6 feet, but my current fan can be heard all through my basement, and it makes me nervous when I have contractors down there.
Looking at this: https://growershouse.com/vortex-s-line-ultra-quiet-fan-6-347-cfm


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## Stryker427 (Aug 19, 2020)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> kenbud did u try the box?


Dynamat?


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## CikaBika (Aug 19, 2020)

My exoust giving me problems..that fckn huuum zound of wind coming out..


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## Thcmbuna (Sep 3, 2020)

This made my fans silent two different types.


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## Star Dog (Sep 13, 2020)

A couple of things I've picked up that other people might or might not have tried, lol I didn't read all the posts I've no real noise issues personally.

No1) A variac is a superb tool to combat fan noise, you have control over the speed and 100% buzz free 0/100% its silent.

Buying a bigger fan than you need then turning it down 25/30% makes a huge noise difference for the same airflow.

Box it... Get a suitable box cut all the necessary holes then wrap the fan in plastic or cling film put it in the box then fill with builder's expanding foam. 


Hanging fans... Fans imo should always be hung on elastic of some sort, vibration can't travel through elastic.


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## MICHI-CAN (Oct 4, 2020)

I use these for vibration dampening. Moon Gel damper pads. Available at most musical instrument stores. They are very good.


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## Star Dog (Oct 4, 2020)

A chap on the fishing forum was looking to mount a fan, a member suggested cutting a rubber matt, I suggested the sorbothene feet but he went the rubber mat route, I couldn't mention that I'd had years of experience in keeping fans quite but I knew he was wasting his time with dense rubber mats the sorbothene is purpose built to lose vibration, it's great stuff widely used in the audiophile world to kill resonance/vibration.

You can buy them from ebay/amazon under sorbothene feet.


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## calvin.m16 (Oct 9, 2020)

Buy quality fans & use mufflers on inline fans OR long ducting. You're welcome.


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## Delikatessen (Oct 30, 2020)

Crispy said:


> This might be waay out of line, but I wanted to know if anyone that has used a "turn-key" system could give some feedback on their sound levels. i.e. "bloombox", "producer", "Caddy".


They are useless!!! For real. They make fan noise like a PC working overtime. Just dont buy these scams.


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## BallsackSal (Nov 24, 2020)

Anyone have good luck with the AC Infinity CloudlineT6 Quiet fan?


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## evergreengardener (Dec 10, 2020)

Evergreens Spider Farmer SF2000 Review


I will be doing a peer review grow under the Spider Farmer SF-2000 sponsored by @Spiderfarmerled. First and foremost I'd like to thank @Spiderfarmerled for selecting me to run this panel. Alright lets get this started, I will be here regularly to post updates, the shipping was pretty fast for...



rollitup.org


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## Ladiesonly (Dec 22, 2020)

BallsackSal said:


> Anyone have good luck with the AC Infinity CloudlineT6 Quiet fan?


I run a T6 and T8, I also have a terra bloom. Yes the adjustment temp work, but you don't set max you set when they kick in.

I leave my fans on static in flower, if not humidity rises too high with lights off. I have a terra bloom I love it has a remote control.

I leave it in a lung room is hard to get to and adjust its a 10scrubber


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## Slyclyde1991 (Jan 13, 2021)

My downstairs neighbor who is also our landlord, asked the other day what was vibrating up here, it was the air pump for my dwc grow, I told him it was a humidifier that was missing one of the rubber feet so was louder than usually lol he bought it. But it's a 2 outlet and I was only using one, I realized when I covered the one i wasnt using it was significantly quieter! Y'all might know that already but hey lol


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## Horselover fat (Feb 2, 2021)

Slyclyde1991 said:


> My downstairs neighbor who is also our landlord, asked the other day what was vibrating up here, it was the air pump for my dwc grow, I told him it was a humidifier that was missing one of the rubber feet so was louder than usually lol he bought it. But it's a 2 outlet and I was only using one, I realized when I covered the one i wasnt using it was significantly quieter! Y'all might know that already but hey lol


Dwc can be rather loud. The pump makes a lot of noise, but it's relatively easy to dampen it somewhat. I'm finding it more difficult to quiet down the buckets! The airstone vibrates and the whole bucket vibrates. I can feel my floor vibrate when I stand in the room... What helped a lot was standing the buckets on two strips of wood and raising the strips a bit off the floor from the ends. That way the strips of wood vibrate killing some of the energy.


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## Horselover fat (Feb 10, 2021)

Horselover fat said:


> Dwc can be rather loud. The pump makes a lot of noise, but it's relatively easy to dampen it somewhat. I'm finding it more difficult to quiet down the buckets! The airstone vibrates and the whole bucket vibrates. I can feel my floor vibrate when I stand in the room... What helped a lot was standing the buckets on two strips of wood and raising the strips a bit off the floor from the ends. That way the strips of wood vibrate killing some of the energy.


And then I added bitumen to the sides of my buckets. This brought down the sound level in the room by 3db.


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## Celts are here (Feb 21, 2021)

I have 2 tents in my bedroom there is a big of a buzz from lights and fans I live on the top floor,my new neighbors that live below me have 2 dogs that bark all day and night
So fuck them,my dogs are trained not to bark
But I run my tents 12-12 because I mostly grow autos these days


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## Horselover fat (Feb 22, 2021)

Celts are here said:


> I have 2 tents in my bedroom there is a big of a buzz from lights and fans I live on the top floor,my new neighbors that live below me have 2 dogs that bark all day and night
> So fuck them,my dogs are trained not to bark
> But I run my tents 12-12 because I mostly grow autos these days


Cool story


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## Altoids98 (Mar 30, 2021)

This is random but might help some future stealth growers.. If you need to run some oscillating hurricane fans, you can clip em on the side of a bucket. Throw a dead ballast or some water in there for the weight, and thatll stop the vibrating on the walls. Ive got one hanging with bungie and a toggle bolt from the ceiling and one on my dehu


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## calvin.m16 (Apr 5, 2021)

Altoids98 said:


> This is random but might help some future stealth growers.. If you need to run some oscillating hurricane fans, you can clip em on the side of a bucket. Throw a dead ballast or some water in there for the weight, and thatll stop the vibrating on the walls. Ive got one hanging with bungie and a toggle bolt from the ceiling and one on my dehu


Unless your fan is going bad or you got a bad unit you shouldn't get that vibration when the fan is properly installed to the wall. I've gotten a few Hurricane Supreme 16" osscilating wall fans that were defective and made a buzzing/humming sound from being wall mounted, it ended up being a problem my grow shop said Hurricane wasn't resolving. he switched out the "Supreme" fans for Classic ones and since I haven't had an issue. I keep my air super clean and always clean my fans and oil the pivot points so they tend to last me at least 2 years before needing replacement on High 24/7/365.

One HUGE flaw that Hurricane and other brands make in these wall fans is the motor for the osscilation itself is very weak and the motors are a bit undersized for the fan blades themselves in my opinion. Idk checkout a Schaeffer fan and look at the blade size and if you ever felt the airflow you'd never go back to wall fans.

HAF fans for the win, just gotta configure them properly so you almost have a cyclone effect in the room. Less moving parts and chance for failure. The best wind you can give your plants is "passive" where the wind itself is indirectly hitting plants or pulling them around. If you directly blast plants with wind they tend to stress out more easily to heat and intense lighting in my personal experience.

Worth a shot if you haven't tried aiming your fans away from the plants.


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## V256.420 (Apr 8, 2021)

Hotwired said:


> I'm not sure if I ever replied to this thread over the year it has been here but I have mentioned this before in other threads and I have used multiple types of fans from various companies including the big names.
> 
> The Panasonic Whisperquiet fans are without doubt the BEST overall for stealth. I did a comparison test way back when I did my tent write up. These fans are awesome if you are worried about noise. I use a 6" in my closet and I sleep 10 feet away and can't hear it.
> 
> ...


Love these fans 

This Hotwired guy knows what's up. GG


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## DogFacedDemon (Apr 19, 2021)

The Panasonic Whisperline fan? I ordered one because as far as what I have read it's the quietest extractor available. Anyone have many details on these mofos?


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## V256.420 (Apr 19, 2021)

DogFacedDemon said:


> The Panasonic Whisperline fan? I ordered one because as far as what I have read it's the quietest extractor available. Anyone have many details on these mofos?


I copied Hotwired's grow so I use them outside of my tents and place them right on top of my carbon filters. Saves a ton of room inside the tent. 

This is the 8" 440 cfm fan. Very quiet and excellent for short runs. A bit expensive tho. It sits on a 750 cfm Phresh filter. I pull the top rivets out of the filter and the fan slides right in snugly. I then tape it to ensure no air leaks. Many other filters do not have rivets on the flange and it makes it easier to install, but they all suck with keeping smell out.




Make sure you buy a 120 volt grounded plug because they don't come with it. Also get one of these Strain Relief Cord Connector. These are good to protect the cord from rubbing along the metal box frame where you place your wires. Here is a pic of it installed. Makes the wire nice and safe.


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## DogFacedDemon (Apr 19, 2021)

V256.420 said:


> I copied Hotwired's grow so I use them outside of my tents and place them right on top of my carbon filters. Saves a ton of room inside the tent.
> 
> This is the 8" 440 cfm fan. Very quiet and excellent for short runs. A bit expensive tho. It sits on a 750 cfm Phresh filter. I pull the top rivets out of the filter and the fan slides right in snugly. I then tape it to ensure no air leaks. Many other filters do not have rivets on the flange and it makes it easier to install, but they all suck with keeping smell out.
> 
> ...


Looks like a really neat setup. So you have it pulling air into the tent trough the carbon filter, and have another outtake, or do I have that wrong. Can you vent air out of a carbon filter that way, pushing air through rather than pulling it in?


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## V256.420 (Apr 19, 2021)

DogFacedDemon said:


> Looks like a really neat setup. So you have it pulling air into the tent trough the carbon filter, and have another outtake, or do I have that wrong. Can you vent air out of a carbon filter that way, pushing air through rather than pulling it in?


I pull the air out of the tent and thru the filter into the room. That air then gets cooled and recirculated.


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## DogFacedDemon (Apr 20, 2021)

V256.420 said:


> I pull the air out of the tent and thru the filter into the room. That air then gets cooled and recirculated.


So the air is coming OUT of the carbon filter? Not going in? I didn't know you could that. That's a game-changer for me. I will try that out in the future as you have it but with a rubber mat under the carbon filter.


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## Cigarz (Apr 22, 2021)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


Chances are if you have a big enough grow OP that your neighbors can hear it then you're probably gowing legal anyways.


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## budman111 (Apr 24, 2021)

Celts are here said:


> I have 2 tents in my bedroom there is a big of a buzz from lights and fans I live on the top floor,my new neighbors that live below me have 2 dogs that bark all day and night
> So fuck them,my dogs are trained not to bark
> But I run my tents 12-12 because I mostly grow autos these days


Autos on 12-12? Shame about Terry Munro!


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## Blossom21 (Jul 3, 2021)

It's pretty sad for Europeans the fan market is pretty damn old and outdated, so it's extremely hard to find a quality fan that is fast, quiet and even somewhat affordable.

I settled for S&P TD-SILENT 350 (125mm), it's pretty damn quiet but still lacks power to completely keep out all odor out of the tent. Well at least i can sleep next to my tent.


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## tckfui (Dec 8, 2021)

I just replaced my old vivosun 4in inline fan with an acinfinty t4. Since on paper its the same strength and half the noise. I always kept the vivosun below 50% on the dial temps were stable at 80. I have the ac infinity now setup at 100% and Temps are high 80s and the noise is so loud!
Any idea why this would be? Makes no sense to me. Lung room Temps are consistent 68-72.
Thanks


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## Luckyluciano744 (Dec 8, 2021)

one2threeBUDS4 said:


> there are many threads about odor control but one thing that is often overlooked is sound control. sound from buzzing ballasts, inline fans, wall-mounted fans, hydro pumps and/or many other things could be a contributing factor to someone finding out about your secret garden. worst part is that you wouldnt even know that they know! so if anyone has any ideas for sound control post them on here...


Absolutely. I always said. There is nothing more suspicious, then a big back tent super noisy...


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## bk78 (Yesterday at 4:14 PM)

CitroGlo said:


>


You seriously don’t have much of a life you need to creat a new acct to post this stupid shit every 2 days


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