Can I get away with a smaller fan than I have????

JustCallmeMom

JustCallmeMom

Well-Known Member
Here is my dilemma: I have a 30 cubic foot tent (3x2x5), a 4" 190cfm fan and filter and I will never grow more than 2 plants at a time. so in theory, this fan and filter recirculates the air in my tent approx 6 times a minute (30x6=180). This damn fan is loud. the air coming out of it is damn loud. Sounds like a jet engine taking off. i am in an an apartment where the landlord is in here all the friggin time. Since I am not worried about heat (using just a mars hydro 300 LED and heat has been NO issue) and just worried about smell can i lower the cfm of the fan? Do i have to have the air circulating 6 times a minute just for smell worries during flower??

84b142af252a97c70ac07d93a61e3aba.jpg
 
Last edited:
jaibyrd7

jaibyrd7

Well-Known Member
JustCallmeMom said:
thats cool. can that type of fan be attached to a carbon filter?
Click to expand...
No, they don't have enough power. Even the inline duct boosters are really to weak to pull/push thru a carbon filter. Turn your 4" fan down with the speed controller and your scrubber will work even better. The slower the air moves across the carbon, the more odor particles it can catch.
 
JustCallmeMom

JustCallmeMom

Well-Known Member
OK....since I am pretty crafty (my kids call me Martha Stewart, LOL) I decided I am going to build myself a sound proof box and put my fan in it. Going to build the box out of a sheet of sound proof drywall and line it with foam or something. Lets see how this goes!!....I have the the stupid fan on xtra xtra low right now and it STILL sounds like a fishtank filter on steroids.
 
Last edited:
jaibyrd7

jaibyrd7

Well-Known Member
But I will say that most of the fan noise I get is from the sound of air moving thru the duct, not the fan itself.
 
Jonstipated

Jonstipated

Well-Known Member
jaibyrd7 said:
I agree, these only have like 2.5 speeds, but a guy gave me 4 of them so I've been using them
Click to expand...

They are also bad for the motor in your fan. A variable transformer will actually reduce the noise in proportion to the speed of the fan, without the hum that you notice from the cheap speed controllers. There's a very good explanation as to why in one of the reviews.
 
jaibyrd7

jaibyrd7

Well-Known Member
Jonstipated said:
They are also bad for the motor in your fan. A variable transformer will actually reduce the noise in proportion to the speed of the fan, without the hum that you notice from the cheap speed controllers. There's a very good explanation as to why in one of the reviews.
Click to expand...
I put one in my cart for my next order
 
JustCallmeMom

JustCallmeMom

Well-Known Member
OK....so I did it. (yeah, I don't believe in wasting time!) I took the carbon filter out of my tent, and put insulated ducting on it. Then I put the fan in a box lined with egg crate bed foam. Attached filter to fan, and then put a piece of ducting on the air exit side of the fan and wrapped that in egg crate foam. Not pretty, but nothing a few plants cant hide!

OMG....I swear the sound is down 50%. Now high sounds like low did!....Still hear whoosh of air, but not so bad :-) Also put a "laundry ducting" air freshener on the end. Smells like laundry day in my house.
 

Attachments

Bubblin

Bubblin

Well-Known Member
If you've got air flow to spare you could toss and old/dead carbon filter on the open end, double filtered so to speak.
It will reduce the air flow for sure, but they stop a lot of the air wooshing sound.
 
JustCallmeMom

JustCallmeMom

Well-Known Member
Bubblin said:
When that filter dies put it to good use. ;)
Click to expand...
do you mean the white sleeve, or the whole unit? How often do you replace those white sleeves?
what about using a piece of air conditioner filter i have and attaching it to the end for now (with an elastic or something) i do have flow to spare, a lot.
 
Bubblin

Bubblin

Well-Known Member
JustCallmeMom said:
do you mean the white sleeve, or the whole unit? How often do you replace those white sleeves?
Click to expand...
The whole filter unit, brand depending the whole thing lasts like a year or two.
The sleeves usually come with the new filter, they don't go bad or anything but they can get a bit funky lol.

JustCallmeMom said:
what about using a piece of air conditioner filter i have and attaching it to the end for now (with an elastic or something) i do have flow to spare, a lot.
Click to expand...
Try what ever you like, the noise is probably coming from the open end at this point.

You could try making a ghetto muffler, just roll up a piece of egg crate foam into a tube shape leaving a few inch hole through the middle, then slide it into the 6" ducting. It will reduce air flow for sure, but if you've got air flow to spare have at it.

filter -> fan -> duct with foam in it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top