Fan/Filter help

I’m going to have the following set up:

One 5x5 tent for flower with Fatty VS+ Led (3000k with 1750k down the middle).

One 4x8 tent for Veg and possible mom(s). This will start out as Veg and Clone/seedling tent. This tent will start out with one HLG 260 Watt 304 QB kit at 4000k on one side (for Veg) and a HLG 100 Watt QB kit at 5000k for Clone/Seedlings located on the opposite end.

I think I’ve decided on going with Vortex fans, but unsure on what types or sizes. I’m thinking 8” on the exhaust for both. Would you recommend the S-Line or the VTX model? Concern is performance, quality, but also noise level.

I was thinking about using a small oscillating fan along with 8” S-Line for the 4x8 attached to a silencer. I don’t think I’d need a filter for that one and in-line air would be passive.

I was thinking about using an 8” VTX attached to Phresher Filter and silencer up top for exhaust combined with a 6” VTX for in-line at the bottom. Not sure if I’d want to put a filter on the in-line end to keep out bugs, etc as well as clearing air from the room that both tents would be in? I’d want to put the 6” VRX in some sort of box with acoustic foam to silence it. Both tents will be in a bedroom with exhaust returning to that room so I’d need a CO2 tank to provide CO2. Can I just put CO2 in my flower tent and have the exhausted CO2 pulled into the Veg tent later or should I just hook up CO2 to both tents?

These are questions that have been rolling around in my head so all input would be much appreciated. Thanks

8" is overkill for a 5x5. 6" is more than enough for an 8x4.

Good choice on the Vortex tho. I'm hot for the S series myself but hoping my old 6" will keep chugging along. Need an RO unit first. You don't really need a fan to push air in. Just open all the vents and cover them with something to keep bugs out tho in a closed bedroom there shouldn't be any bugs.

If you're just feeding exhaust air into the same space what are you planning to do about the heat and humidity buildup?

Without some way to reduce both you'll soon be in a moldy swamp. A combo A/C dehumidifier that an handle it will run you around $500 new or better.

You should do some searching for "sealed rooms", "lung room" and that will give you some realistic idea of how to go about doing it right.

If running in a sealed room you will need CO2 and the whole bedroom can just have the sensor in it so both tents are getting it.

Good luck eh!

May i suggest for noise there is a great diy trick to silenfe em for cheap, works great...

Save box it comes in, cut holes for intake/exhaust and put a solid collar type ducting piece on both sticking out... now pull cord out of box, and fill that box with spray foam! Well to fill it u only need to fill it a third probably and it expands big, once dry cut the dried bubble of foam off open top, close box up... i wrapped mine with that foil lined styrofoam and plenum metalic tape, looks nice that way and damn near silent at full boar..

I always get asked wont that make fan hot? Absolutly not! Motor is cooled by the flow of air thru the fan, its an inline fan so motor is in line with the blades... works amazing, google it im not the only crazy doing it

OldMedUser said:

8" is overkill for a 5x5. 6" is more than enough for an 8x4.

Good choice on the Vortex tho. I'm hot for the S series myself but hoping my old 6" will keep chugging along. Need an RO unit first. You don't really need a fan to push air in. Just open all the vents and cover them with something to keep bugs out tho in a closed bedroom there shouldn't be any bugs.

If you're just feeding exhaust air into the same space what are you planning to do about the heat and humidity buildup?

Without some way to reduce both you'll soon be in a moldy swamp. A combo A/C dehumidifier that an handle it will run you around $500 new or better.

You should do some searching for "sealed rooms", "lung room" and that will give you some realistic idea of how to go about doing it right.

If running in a sealed room you will need CO2 and the whole bedroom can just have the sensor in it so both tents are getting it.

Good luck eh!

Click to expand...

So two 6” Vortex for exhausting both the 5x5 and the 4x8....no in-line fan needed.

I live in a hot, dry desert. I won’t be growing during the summer, just fall, winter and spring. I doubt that it will get too hot and I’ll just turn off all heat in the house if it does. I’ll be running the lights at night when it’s cool or cold outside to prevent excessive temperatures fluctuations. It’s very dry where I’m at but I’d buy a dehumidifier if needed.

I rent so I can’t really completely seal the room, but the door will be shut at all times. Maybe I’ll put a towel under the door to prevent air from coming in or going out. Windows will be blacked out and CO2 will be flowing at night when the LEDs are on.

What about smell? Should I have another fan sitting near the door for the sole purpose of taking out odors that may have made it out of the flowering tent? We have something like that set up at the cultivation facility I work at...simply a fan on top of the filter in the hallway.

I haven’t looked into an RO unit. I only plan to have 6 plants flowering and 6 plants in Veg...12 is my legal limit. I had planned on watering them from gallons of water I purchase from the store...RO drinking water. I also plan to use living soil. You think it’s worth it for me to purchase an RO unit for my house for 12 plants that are in living soil? Again, it’s not my house so I’d have to install and then take it back out when we move. Thanks for the input

Huckster79 said:

May i suggest for noise there is a great diy trick to silenfe em for cheap, works great...

Save box it comes in, cut holes for intake/exhaust and put a solid collar type ducting piece on both sticking out... now pull cord out of box, and fill that box with spray foam! Well to fill it u only need to fill it a third probably and it expands big, once dry cut the dried bubble of foam off open top, close box up... i wrapped mine with that foil lined styrofoam and plenum metalic tape, looks nice that way and damn near silent at full boar..

I always get asked wont that make fan hot? Absolutly not! Motor is cooled by the flow of air thru the fan, its an inline fan so motor is in line with the blades... works amazing, google it im not the only crazy doing it

Click to expand...

Trying to visualize this. So the Votex fan would essentially be foamed into the box it comes in. Would I have the Phresher filter installed so that it sticks out on the one side? Do you install this boxed fan/filter combo inside your tent toward the top so that it’s in place to exhaust hot air from the tent? Thanks for the input

For the RO unit you can use one of those screw in taps to get water out of any pipe and if you move just leave the tap in place turned off and take the unit with you. I have a distiller downstairs that is piped in that way with a 1/4 line like they use for those smaller RO units. Going to sell that power pig and install my DIY RO in it's place.

Just get a 5-10gal day unit and a few 5gal water jugs for storage. As simple 3 or 4 stage filter unit can probably be had for less than $150 in the states. Then you got lots of clean water to drink too. We go through 4 jugs a week for upstairs use and about 1.5 - 2 for my plants which are about the same amount you're growing. At $3.50/jug that's $20/week so in less than 3 months it's paid for itself. I have a huge dugout with millions of liters of free water in it piped into my house. 80 x 50 yds and 14 foot deep right now freshly filled with melted snow. Was overflowing last week when all the snow was melting.

If you can control your humidity well you'll get better grows. We're really dry up here in northern Alberta so I'm always fuggin around with low RH especially in winter when the air is dry as a popcorn fart.

Even just a fairly sealed room is going to need CO2 but it doesn't have to be 1500ppm to soup up your growth. The only time you are really going to benefit from that ppm is during the 3 week stretch period when the plants eat like crazy and put on a big growth spurt. 800 is double atmospheric and plenty for regular vegging and bud stacking after the stretch.

How about odors? Even with carbon filters on the tents there is still going to be stink that can escape the bedroom. Maybe not a lot but enough if people are close.

Glad I have my own place and no close neighbours. Still have to use a carbon filter when the plants get stinky. The exhaust is at ground level under the shop at the west side of the house in the back and the prevailing winds come from the west so the front of the house gets smelly. The wife sells eggs so all sorts of strangers stop in to buy them. We're right on a highway so who knows who can wander in. Get dead air in the winter and the whole yard smells. Can't blame a skunk as we have no skunks here. lol

A buddy was renting a basement suit in an old house with the elderly owners living upstairs and trying to figure out how to vent outside without them knowing. I go over to check it out and in the utility room at the back is a nice new super efficient gas furnace and an old brick chimney that was for the now enclosed fireplace upstairs. Chimney was no good for fires and the flue was rusted out so the old man had covered it all up years ago when they fixed up the upstairs and the suite to rent out.

He did repairs and chores around the place for near free rent and the suite had it's own power and gas meters. Had a key for the upstairs to water the plants when they went away so it was no big deal to drop some 6" flex tubing down the chimney and hook up thru the ash cleanout at the base of the chimney in his suite where the old guy never came into. It was tucked away in the corner so piled a few boxes there and even when a service person showed up for the furnace or something he just made sure the fan was off and they were none the wiser. Nothing in that area for anyone to need to get to.

He was growing happily in there for almost 5 years without incident until the old man passed away and the wife was moving into the old folks home. Unfortunately she was giving the house to a family member and he had to move and went back out to BC. Found himself a nice younger widow woman, 58, who loves the bud and he has her whole basement to grow in now.

That's what I plan on doing pretty damn soon! Sucks up here. No decent fishing and the wife has gone cold after menopause. I long for the feel of a big salmon on the end of one rod and and a pair of hungry pussy lips on the other! Any lips for that matter.

tre01us said:

Trying to visualize this. So the Votex fan would essentially be foamed into the box it comes in. Would I have the Phresher filter installed so that it sticks out on the one side? Do you install this boxed fan/filter combo inside your tent toward the top so that it’s in place to exhaust hot air from the tent? Thanks for the input

Click to expand...

Your description is accurate, mines not in spot i can get photo of it.

Yea i guess you could mount filter right to side of box on the intake. Sounds like good plan for location... mines a different set up so what i do wouldnt work for your set up... but where u say to put it makes sense

tre01us said:

I’m going to have the following set up:

One 5x5 tent for flower with Fatty VS+ Led (3000k with 1750k down the middle).

One 4x8 tent for Veg and possible mom(s). This will start out as Veg and Clone/seedling tent. This tent will start out with one HLG 260 Watt 304 QB kit at 4000k on one side (for Veg) and a HLG 100 Watt QB kit at 5000k for Clone/Seedlings located on the opposite end.

I think I’ve decided on going with Vortex fans, but unsure on what types or sizes. I’m thinking 8” on the exhaust for both. Would you recommend the S-Line or the VTX model? Concern is performance, quality, but also noise level.

I was thinking about using a small oscillating fan along with 8” S-Line for the 4x8 attached to a silencer. I don’t think I’d need a filter for that one and in-line air would be passive.

I was thinking about using an 8” VTX attached to Phresher Filter and silencer up top for exhaust combined with a 6” VTX for in-line at the bottom. Not sure if I’d want to put a filter on the in-line end to keep out bugs, etc as well as clearing air from the room that both tents would be in? I’d want to put the 6” VRX in some sort of box with acoustic foam to silence it. Both tents will be in a bedroom with exhaust returning to that room so I’d need a CO2 tank to provide CO2. Can I just put CO2 in my flower tent and have the exhausted CO2 pulled into the Veg tent later or should I just hook up CO2 to both tents?

These are questions that have been rolling around in my head so all input would be much appreciated. Thanks

Click to expand...

Vortex fans are a really good choice dude. I would use the 8" in a 5x5 tent, i dont think the other replies here realize it is lower CFM than other exhaust fans. But seriously though, I have a 6" vortex s line fan and it is the best fan I have ever used. You DO NOT need to build a box around it, these fans are already double insulated to reduce noise. They also use a double impellar design ("mixed flow" they call it) which reduces turbulance a lot. My 6" 347cfm vortex s line attached to a carbon filter keeps my 3x3' tent cool and I have it turned down to 50% usually. Temps are 80f steady with 320w of samsung F series strips. I used a 192cfm centrifugal fan in my old 2x4 grow (nearly same size tent) and it could NOT keep the tent below 85-90f with 420 watts of blurple LEDs and it was much louder!

I feel the 6" wouldnt keep up in a 5x5 though. And especially not for a 4x8! My friend uses the 6" s line in his 4x4 tent with 600w of samsung F series strips and temps are 80-85f on full blast.

Always better to get a fan too big than one too small you'd need to replace cuz it's too small.

I wouldn't worry too much about an intake fan assuming your tents have vents on the bottom already. Just another thing to buy and possibly break down. If you do though, I would HIGHLY recommend some kind of intake filter. Whether an actual phresh intake filter or just a mesh vent screen, either will be needed. Even if your house is pretty clean, so much dust will end up in your grow tent in no time. Dust on buds = yuck

So again, don't worry about a silencer or building a box around the fan. These vortex s lines are the quietest fan on the market and my 6" one in my tent in my bedroom is nearly silent. The box especially isnt needed since the fan is double insulated already, and I doubt a silencer would reduce the noise much more than it already is.

personally... I would get a cheaper 8" fan

https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Inline-Duct-Fan-Hydroponics/dp/B073S4CPT2/ref=pd_bxgy_86_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B073S4CPT2&pd_rd_r=PBQ1WE0QHHSD7YMF9R33&pd_rd_w=I1kWy&pd_rd_wg=impJt&psc=1&refRID=PBQ1WE0QHHSD7YMF9R33&dpID=41yoLQ6IvuL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail#customerReviews


filter..
https://www.amazon.com/CoolGrows-Australia-Charcoal-Activated-Pre-filter/dp/B07749YLJP/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1525995465&sr=8-7&keywords=8"+carbon+filter


and variac controller

https://www.amazon.com/Variable-Transformer-2000va-0-130-Output/dp/B014X5XJBY/ref=pd_sbs_23_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014X5XJBY&pd_rd_r=FJ2KVGXSGS6JVEEE5VM4&pd_rd_w=Xyo8L&pd_rd_wg=2gXA2&psc=1&refRID=FJ2KVGXSGS6JVEEE5VM4&dpID=51Bhee4cMxL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

fwiw its been a good handful of years since I bought my last 20A variac but i think i paid less than $100.. I would guess 75 but it could have been 90.. money well spent and you can run 2 fans off one controller.. shop around cuz the same item can be $100 difference and a well cared used one is usually just as good as new.

blowincherrypie said:

personally... I would get a cheaper 8" fan

https://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Inline-Duct-Fan-Hydroponics/dp/B073S4CPT2/ref=pd_bxgy_86_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B073S4CPT2&pd_rd_r=PBQ1WE0QHHSD7YMF9R33&pd_rd_w=I1kWy&pd_rd_wg=impJt&psc=1&refRID=PBQ1WE0QHHSD7YMF9R33&dpID=41yoLQ6IvuL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail#customerReviews


filter..
https://www.amazon.com/CoolGrows-Australia-Charcoal-Activated-Pre-filter/dp/B07749YLJP/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1525995465&sr=8-7&keywords=8"+carbon+filter


and variac controller

https://www.amazon.com/Variable-Transformer-2000va-0-130-Output/dp/B014X5XJBY/ref=pd_sbs_23_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B014X5XJBY&pd_rd_r=FJ2KVGXSGS6JVEEE5VM4&pd_rd_w=Xyo8L&pd_rd_wg=2gXA2&psc=1&refRID=FJ2KVGXSGS6JVEEE5VM4&dpID=51Bhee4cMxL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

fwiw its been a good handful of years since I bought my last 20A variac but i think i paid less than $100.. I would guess 75 but it could have been 90.. money well spent and you can run 2 fans off one controller.. shop around cuz the same item can be $100 difference and a well cared used one is usually just as good as new.

Click to expand...

I really think the vortex fans are worth it. 10 year warranty is nice too. I will never go back to cheapo exhaust fans after using one of the S lines. My 6" 347cfm vortex S line ($120) is half as loud as my old 190cfm 4" $45 ipower fan, it weighs less, it is much higher quality, is easily removable and cleanable, and I think is just well worth the money. My tent is in my bedroom and with the filter attached it literally is as loud as my computer ran at 50%. My old fan was like an old vacuum cleaner/hair drier and moved half the air!

Especially considering OP is trying to have a quiet exhaust setup (he wanted a silencer and a box around the fan). As I am aware, the vortex S line is the quiestest on the market, and by a good margin too. They also have a backdraft damper so if you run the fan off a temp controller, cold outside air doesnt get sucked in when the fan is off, or if the fan fails the same doesnt happen.

Also, ive heard bad things about those cheap variac transformers. They seem kind of dangerous tbh. If you want one, i'd look for a more expensive and safer one than those 90-100$ ones on amazon. FYI, my vortex S line has ZERO hum/rattling using a normal ipower fan speed controller I got for $20. Only goes down to 50%, but it works great.

skoomd said:

I really think the vortex fans are worth it. 10 year warranty is nice too. I will never go back to cheapo exhaust fans after using one of the S lines. My 6" 347cfm vortex S line ($120) is half as loud as my old 190cfm 4" $45 ipower fan, it weighs less, it is much higher quality, is easily removable and cleanable, and I think is just well worth the money. My tent is in my bedroom and with the filter attached it literally is as loud as my computer ran at 50%. My old fan was like an old vacuum cleaner/hair drier and moved half the air!

Especially considering OP is trying to have a quiet exhaust setup (he wanted a silencer and a box around the fan). As I am aware, the vortex S line is the quiestest on the market, and by a good margin too. They also have a backdraft damper so if you run the fan off a temp controller, cold outside air doesnt get sucked in when the fan is off, or if the fan fails the same doesnt happen.

Also, ive heard bad things about those cheap variac transformers. They seem kind of dangerous tbh. If you want one, i'd look for a more expensive and safer one than those 90-100$ ones on amazon. FYI, my vortex S line has ZERO hum/rattling using a normal ipower fan speed controller I got for $20. Only goes down to 50%, but it works great.

Click to expand...

cheap variac controller?? dude thats the 20A name brand listed for $115 what are you talking about dangerous??

ya the vortex makes a nice fan.. ive got one... its not worth the money when you cant hear the difference when turned down <50%.. but you may not know that because the cheap controller you have doesn't let you turn it down that low??

blowincherrypie said:

cheap variac controller?? dude thats the 20A name brand listed for $115 what are you talking about dangerous??

ya the vortex makes a nice fan.. ive got one... its not worth the money when you cant hear the difference when turned down <50%.. but you may not know that because the cheap controller you have doesn't let you turn it down that low??

Click to expand...

Didnt see it was 20 amps. Anyways, ive just read a lot of reviews and feedback from people who have owned some of those ~$100 variacs saying they often lack safety protection features, and go pop quite often without overloading them at all. Some apparently are also poorly wired or even wired incorrectly (yikes). When you got a high voltage/high current electronic device that apparently doesnt have good quality control, it's dangerous. So if I was getting a variac, id make sure to buy a really good one.

Just my $0.02 though. Again, I havent had issues with the cheap controllers before and that includes with the vortex s line the op is looking at. You can't slow down below 50% with them, but as long as it doesnt hum or make other noises, it's a lot cheaper than buying a variac.

blowincherrypie said:

idk man..

buying a $200 fan + $20 cheapo controller that cant go under 50%

or buy a good cheap fan $60 + $100 variac (dont know wtf you're talking about going pop.. if you could link me to a couple threads maybe we can be on the same page. the variac I linked to is literally one of the best produced)... now I'm not really great at math but I think "cheaper than buying a variac" may not be factual. Also, I'd keep an eye on your cheap ass controller if you're truly concerned about fire hazards.

Click to expand...

This is one variac in particular that seems to have a lot of issues. $90. Read some of the reviews. https://www.amazon.com/ELECTRONIX-EXPRESS-Variable-Transformer-0-130V/dp/B006NGI8VS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526005670&sr=8-2&keywords=variac+controller#customerReviews

I could be wrong though. I don't know much about the one you linked compared to say the one I just linked above, so it's possible that it's the manufacturer and not a price problem.

I've heard of some cheap fan controllers getting warm, though i've been using them for my exhaust fans for years now and never had that issue. The vortex s line is a really low power fan though, so it's hardly pulling any amperage. Some fans do though. Maybe that's why some people notice the controller gets warm. If I noticed that, I would go to a variac in no time though.

I might be lucky though. A lot of people do get a hum/rumble when they use the same controllers I do and that's why they switch to a variac transformer. But ive never had that issue. I think the can fans, which are really good fans as well, use the same kind of fan controller as what I am using, built into the fan.

skoomd said:

This is one variac in particular that seems to have a lot of issues. $90. Read some of the reviews. https://www.amazon.com/ELECTRONIX-EXPRESS-Variable-Transformer-0-130V/dp/B006NGI8VS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526005670&sr=8-2&keywords=variac+controller#customerReviews

I could be wrong though. I don't know much about the one you linked compared to say the one I just linked above, so it's possible that it's the manufacturer and not a price problem.

I've heard of some cheap fan controllers getting warm, though i've been using them for my exhaust fans for years now and never had that issue. The vortex s line is a really low power fan though, so it's hardly pulling any amperage. Some fans do though. Maybe that's why some people notice the controller gets warm. If I noticed that, I would go to a variac in no time though.

I might be lucky though. A lot of people do get a hum/rumble when they use the same controllers I do and that's why they switch to a variac transformer. But ive never had that issue. I think the can fans, which are really good fans as well, use the same kind of fan controller as what I am using, built into the fan.

Click to expand...

i had deleted my post because i didn't wanna get into it with you.. bro that's one of the best variac controllers on the market.

the math doesn't add up to me. vortex is good but not that great.. not that quiet really compared to others a lot cheaper.. its a little quieter

here's a link about the variac btw
https://www.noplacecalledhome.com/top-10-best-variacs-top-reviews/


whatever though bro i really dont give 2 fuks

I think I’ve decided on the Vortex fan, but still deciding between the S-line and the VTX. I think the VTX is a more solid fan, but it may be quite a bit louder...not sure. I’ve heard that the Variac controller works great with the Vortex, but I haven’t researched that much on that yet. I’ll have the 4x8 Veg/Clone/seedling/mom tent tomorrow along with the lights that go in it. I’ll set it up, check the quality and then decide on the brand for the 5x5 Flowering tent. Thanks for the feedback. I know there will be varying opinions on this, but they are all helpful