(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best household ventilation fans

Get yourself a 4” phresh carbon filter and a 4” canfan and some 4” flexi duct and you’ll be a happy man. Use the duct to connect the fan to the bucket and then have the filter on the output of the fan, set these two on the ground next to the bucket. The 4” phresh filter is maybe 10” tall, 12” with the flange, and 7ish inches wide. I use one in my 2x2 tent and loveee it, bit pricey but worth every cent.



(I’d check your local store or at least an online hydroponics retailer before amazon, but here’s what I’d recommend)

Phresh Filter 701003 Inline Filter, 4 in x 12 in | 200 CFM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZU6IUY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8AQSCbZS1ZGXC

4" Inline Fan - 188 CFM Exhaust Duct Fan, Built-in Speed Controller, ETL Listed, Pre-Wired 6 FT Grounded Cord - Great Use in Grow Tent with Carbon Filters, Light Fixtures, Intake. Fits 4 Inch Ducts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X3VDXVF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LFQSCb0X2AP2X

(^not super sure on that brand of fan but its reasonably priced and includes the variable speed controller)

For like ~$110 you can get a whole setup from iPower tho, wouldn’t recommend their filters though..

definitely the problem! My fan/filter combo would probably be doing a better job pulling heat out of the tent, but I've yet to secure the ducting around the fan. Doing this tonight and hoping to see an improvement.

Do you think pushing air into the tent from the other room using ths fan would also be a good idea? Can you recommend a good passive intake fan?

I have the larger version of that Rowenta purifier. I would say it's a good air purifier if you're buying it for the HEPA filter, but I wouldn't get it for the formaldehyde filter. The formaldehyde filter is some new technology they have, and it does work. However, the filter is fairly small, and needs to be replaced regularly. It's expensive. The filter changes color to indicate when it is trapping formaldehyde (and when it needs to be replaced). This could be useful if you need a HEPA filter and are also interested to see if you have any formaldehyde, however the replacement costs are too high for it to make sense for long-term use. It also has a carbon filter, but there isn't much carbon in it. It's effective at removing odors for a couple months before it seems to wear out. I just use the Rowenta for its HEPA filter capabilities.

I have a homemade carbon filter I use in a different room. It consists of a 24" carbon filter strapped to an inline fan. I have the fan plugged into a VariAC (variable autotransformer) to adjust the fan speed. It works well, and if you compare the amount of activated carbon you're getting to most home filters, the 24" inline filter wins by a factor of hundreds.

I setup some filtering for my smelly resin 3d printer and I tried a 120mm fan but it wasn't strong enough. Maybe my fan was weak. Then I used a 12v bilge blower that they use on boats with a variable speed control. This is great in terms of air movement but it's noisy. Apparently, this is a good inexpensive option if you want more air movement through your filter (I'm going to switch to one of these soon unless I figure out some way to insulate my bilge blower to make it quiet):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075SY5P1K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3NP2ORRCG15VI&psc=1

They have multiple products -- I'm talking about the cheapest one at $26.79 at the moment (4" duct fan, 197 cfm). It would use the 4" dryer duct you mentioned (I'm using that too, works great).

I'm putting a splitter on my system to hook up to a booth/3d print handling/soldering station. I made mine out of foamcore/foam board from Dollar Tree. The portable option looks like and a plastic tub is a good idea too but I wanted something more permanent (have a small table to dedicate to it).

For the output part, if you totally want to get rid of anything, you could send it through one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXYMBU6

I'm using a similar one (one I bought was a couple bucks less but went out of stock). It completely gets rid of the resin smell so I think it would work well for stinky paints. But for acrylic, I'm sure it's overkill but I'm going to be using it for exactly that too along with my other uses.

To be 100% clear, this is how my setup works:

• air filter/furnace filter (to prevent sucking dust/bigger particles into the system)
  
• 4" flexible dryer duct
  
• duct fan pulling air
  
• 4" flexible dryer duct
  
• active carbon filter getting air pushed into it and exhausting back into the room (I'm in a cold area so don't want to vent outdoors)
  
  To connect the dryer duct, I put some electrical tape around the surface I was connecting to and then used cheap zip ties (had to double them up) to hold the duct on. They have hose clamps too but they seem a bit overkill for our usage.
  

You don't need a ballast when buying a pre-assembled LED like that, so don't worry :)

The thing about that light, it doesn't perform like a 600W in terms of yield, only quality (which it may surpass), but yield will highly suffer if you were comparing it to a 600w HPS because it's only 276w true draw. So it'd be better suited for only 2 plants, but nevertheless it would work well in your 3x2x5 grow area :)

You need some sort of ventilation to bring fresh air into the grow area, whether that's a passive intake with a <$20 cheap but effective booster fan as an exhaust or some PC fans, you'll need something to provide control with close to 300ws in the end. You may even need a window fan or A/C on fan mode to help cool the room you're exhausting into if it's hot in your area.

Passive intakes need 2 holes as big as the exhaust, so say using the booster, you'd make a 5"x5" exhaust hole in either upper side of the grow area and two 5"x5" holes spread apart kinda near the bottom.

If you need a good idea for a makeshift door, you can find vivosun tent zipper replacements on ebay and buy panda film for like $15 that is lightproof for flower, cutting your holes and figuring out a way to blackout the intake holes later on.

LED lights are fine if you have the budget for them, but if you want to use the entire 5x5 tent, you'd want at minimum, 2 900-watt LEDs (preferrably with 5-watt LEDs for better penetration). Nothing wrong with Mars Hydro. You could always just buy 1 to start, and use only half the tent.

A Single 1000-watt HPS light with a vented hood and 8" fan is what I use in a 5x5 tent with good results.
Ballast: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WAKP4YK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
Hood: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BMVK8HG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
Fan: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GYG39UW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

You would also need, bulbs (MH for veg., HPS for flowering), hangers, ducting for the vented hood, and optionally a carbon filter if you want to control smell. Also, professional growers typically replace their bulbs every 6 months because they lose that much brightness over time...so you might want to factor that in.

One final note is that LEDs do have the advantage that you can grow taller plants...as they are lower profile, and you don't need the same amount of space between the tops of the flowers and the light.

Oh, and what the LED lights draw from the wall is different from what they are listed as...typically they draw about half the amount they are listed at. So an LED that is listed as 900 watts, is actually using closer to 450-475 watts of electricity. The general rule of thumb for lighting is that you want a 35-50 watts of light power per square foot of canopy (for LEDs, you would use the amount of power actually used for this calculation).

I got the mini k40 (would not do that again). It works great, but I didn't know it at the time that I would be getting a weaker laser. I was about a week too late learning about tube sizes being the better way to know the true wattage.

I have done a series of upgrades and then re-dos. So hopefully you can learn a few things from all my tinkering.

Analog Milliamp Meter

I bought this meter. I followed this link for the install.

Exhaust

I initially went with an inline 3" bilge pump that had a corresponding 3d printed exhaust mount. It was ok, but in the end I just wasn't good enough when I started cutting more leather/wood.

So I went a little overboard, but I am glad I did. I went with this blower instead. I made my own 3D printed mount for it. I printed 2 adapters for the blower to fit 4" ducting and then routed it up and outside my garage.

I also removed the small internal duct thing prior to installing the new exhaust. it gives me a little more cutting room as well.


Air Assist

I went with the Light to Object head and bought a new lens to fit it.


Drag Chain

I bought a 10x10 drag chain off amazon. I had originally printed one, it was ok, but I recently switched up the mounting of the drag chain to run along the X gantry which gave me a little more room to cut.


Laser Aim Assist

I made a mash of 2 different thingverse designs to hold 2 red line lasers and where they intersect is my laser beam. It works well, I made it this way originally when I had an adjustable table. Honestly, now I should switch back to a single red dot, but I am too lazy. The two lines will sometimes move on me so I end up having to do a test fire every so often to ensure they are lined up properly.


Spring Loaded Adjustable Bed

I followed this guide


Hopefully this helps you out a bit.

Sorry, I should clarify. Mini split is completely separate from the vent system. Vent system is simply a hole in the wall with a fan on the other side, duct from that leads to the bedrooms. I believe it was put in to take advantage of the wood stove heat. I'm looking at these units for the bathrooms, they seem highly praised. I'll see what I can do about a better fan for the vent system also, glad to hear metal ducting is the preferred method, thanks!

A quieter, low speed fan seems likely the easiest option. If you have a setup like shown in your picture, with flex duct to the fan feeding through a muffler, you should already be well isolated from the fan noise, so a quiet fan should be silent.

If the current 80 CFM fan is enough to keep the room comfortable, then I'd try this panasonic fan: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-FV-10NLF1-WhisperLine--Line-4-Inch/dp/B000EDOHBQ

I'm guessing the existing duct is 4", so it should fit right on there. It's rated at 1 sone, which isn't any quieter than the rating of the fan that comes with your vocal booth, but if you speed control the whisperline down a notch or two it will be substantially more quiet at 80 CFM.

On a side note, whisperroom offers a couple accessories to improve the muffling of the system and are claimed to make the fan you already have inaudible.

Depending on your heat and financial situation, you might consider one of
these.

I have the four inch version and it changed my wife from annoyed into impressed. It's not as efficient CFM-wise (hence the possible heat issue) and they're a little more expensive (hence the possible financial issue), but it was the perfect solution for me.

Also note you will have to wire it yourself (get something like an old power cord for a computer or monitor, cut off the female end, and wire it up). It's easy, but get someone to help you if you're not confident.

http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001CJWG14/ref=pe_385040_30332200_pe_309540_26725410_item

We bought this for our bathroom remodel and it's great. It's like a high powered hair dryer mounted on the ceiling. Our bathroom is pretty large - about 7x14 - and it definitely heats it up quickly. We put it on this timer: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00313JXBK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER which works great. Note that you'll need 2 timers and two light switches total (heat, exhaust, nightlight, regular light).

Ha no that's not concrete. That's just either plaster or gypsum from your ceiling.

I have no idea if they still make round units like this to replace old NuTones. Even if they do, I can't imagine they work nearly as well as a standard modern square model.

I'd normally tell you to just get a standard Panasonic Whisper model, make that hole square and big enough to accommodate it (not hard at all) and call it a day.

BUT, you have attic access which is a huge bonus. You could actually have the best of both worlds if you got an inline model. You'd mount it on a nearby rafter or joist, and run a short duct to your existing round ceiling hole. No retrofit necessary. :-)

EDIT: Obviously, if you get an inline model, you'll lose the light. But maybe that's not a deal-breaker in your situation.

Your link isn't to Hurricane but that fan is as rated? I notice my fan I have in my cart says 440cfm and 50db of noise (no idea what this 4-5in internal fan is in either spec). My fan in my cart - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077492C4C/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IJRD5S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And thanks for the comment! BTW, passive louver. This is why you can't just put in Box fans. Box fans have high CFM, but no static pressure. You need something with a little bit of HP. There are tons of options when it comes to fans. I picked that one based on price, HP, and CFM. This summer, I'm almost certain I'm going to say I wish I had gone with the 24 inch instead of the 18 inch. But I made my decision based on specs rather than real world data...... LOL, sure I'm the first to have done that.....

I ran into the same problem years ago.

My solution was to install a kitchen ceiling fan with the following parts:

Fan:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001AHSDQU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pick ups:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00084UCGA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I installed the fan in the attic (it's huge, BTW, almost 3' tall) and ran duct to the pick-ups AND the microwave. Now when I turn on that fan, it sucks out air from all three points in the kitchen.

Bonus is that it is near silent.

Sure, here's a 6" Vivosun blower for $55. Here's one with a carbon filter and speed controller included for $119. There are higher quality blowers available, but these ones are pretty good for the price point.

On reread, it looks like you wish to prevent the noise from escaping the open window that you have the fan in. As u/pentosin indicated, room treatments will not help.

You would need to do something about the fan which is essentially an open hole. You could try building a dead vent. It will work, but it will be a bit unwieldy, not sure if that would suit your needs...

A "dead vent", is usually used for ventilation in home theater applications. To make one, you need to seal the window except for an opening for a duct (for example, using a piece of plywood or plexiglass). Use an inline duct fan like this unit from AC Infinity, and some ducting like this. You probably only need 10-15 feet worth - it can be cut. And put all in a box made of something heavy like sheetrock, plywood, or mdf. Sheetrock is cheapest and most cost effective. Throw in a little insulation into the box for some absorption. Then point the duct directly at or above you for the most cooling effect.

You're going to want to use the same setup that is used in growing. Get a carbon duct filter, an inline duct fan, and some ducting and set that up where you are growing. These are actually carbon pellets instead of a carbon mat like in consumer air filters.

[Filter](https://www.amazon.com/Phresh-701005-Carbon-Filter-16-
Inch/dp/B004FVJK60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468221153&sr=8-1&keywords=phresh+filter)

Inline Duct Fan

You don't even need ducting if you don't want it, you can literally mount the two of them together. I place the unit on a raised platform (like a table or something) for better circulation. That setup right there will change the air completely in a room that size once every 4 minutes.

They work great & will save you a lot of money. There's also a type that just fits in a window

AC consumes too much electricity. Check out this guy, mining with 23 GPUs without Air conditioning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jo8AE17rKU All you need is a grow tent, like weed farmers use, and a good ventilation fan ( https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-711-CFM-S-Line-S-800/dp/B00EISCUQM ) Plus I like the idea that it will hide all the cables and keep the noise in check

Also a fan of enginerding cheaper solutions:
I live in the south so I punched through the wall and have an inline moving air out of a vent coupled with a space heater does the trick even when cold... like the whopping 50 degree winters here...

But for heat retention I would emulate the tree growers solutions (duct fan hooked to a charcoal filter ). Keep in mind even the "quiet" duct fans still make a loud hum if exposed in your garage. Model I bought.

And potentially expect a knock on the door...but hey, relocate your grow house somewhere else first and it wont be a problem.jk

Seriously though, I'd weigh the costs of making something + the filter media vs buying a commercial air cleaner as those suckers really work. I know if I had to retain air and had 2k to drop I'd buy one.

I have that same tent and lights.

I debated for weeks on filter/fan size. 6" filter was just too large for in-tent install with the fan mounted outside.

In the end, I went with this 4" set up.

Good Luck.

Because putting electronics right next to sources of wind and rain is bad. Also it would make installation require climbing a ladder and removing siding or roofing. Same with cleaning.

Anyway, nearly silent bathroom fans cost like $10-$20 more than the obnoxious loud ones. There is no reason to buy the loud ones. I bought a large Panasonic fan for a large bathroom, it's far quieter than the contractor fan in our tiny bathroom despite it being 3X the CFM or more. I think there is a new version but this is what we bought, has been working great for a a few years so far https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003U9TNG0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In addition to contractors saving $10 by giving you a horrible fan, they may have installed it wrong. If you attach it to ridged pipe, it will vibrate the pipe. When I installed mine I followed the instructions[1] and use a small section of flexible pipe to make the connection from the fan to the rigid pipe.

[1] It's unreal how uncommon this is. Virtually everyone who worked on my bathroom wanted to ignore the of the instruction on the products they used and do self-defeating idiocy instead. Like paint "water proof" paint onto a water proof membrane, then install a water proof membrane on top of that by... driving nails through all three.

Amazon has some pretty nice looking solar gable fans if you go that route.

Then get a max fan by can fan I love mine.

[carbon pads](12 pieces activated carbon filters compost bin replacement filters https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076J7PN8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_1ANImXznwtFk2)

[duct fan](growneer 4 inch 195 cfm inline... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B075SY5P1K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)

Good luck

For a bathroom vent fan, I want something unobtrusive. I installed the Panasonic heat/light/vent version. Its quiet and moves good air and you don't notice it.

I just installed two of these and they are awesome. If you put it away from the air inlet all you can hear is air moving through the vent.

A good exhaust fan is worth it. Most builders install the worst noisy fan or don't even exhaust to the outside. In my last house, one fan exhausted to the attic and another wasn't even connected to the outside vent so it just dumped moisture into the ceiling!

Panasonic makes a really nice series of fans that are quiet, either 80cfm or 120cfm. One model is available at my local Costco. That one has a module that will turn on the fan automatically when it detects excess humidity but I've disabled that because it seems to keep the fan on too much. I just use a wall timer for the switch.

Cut up and duct tape some cardboard into a "hood" over your miner, run a couple feet of foil ducting to a fan like this, then from the fan to the dryer vent.

https://www.amazon.com/TerraBloom-Variable-Controller-Exhaust-through/dp/B06X3VDXVF

I really, really like the Soler & Palau TD series for tiny apartment grows. They're quiet. Way quieter than a blower-style, that's for sure.

Aaand not a huge price difference. http://www.amazon.com/Soler-Palau-TD-100X--line-Exhaust/dp/B0027E3Q62/

Oh by all means Yeh don't cut any holes. I would go with the powered gable vent idea then. It will not only draw air out of the upper attic but also up from the side attics through that duct work. I know I'll sound like a big tree higher for pushing the solar idea. But they do make solar powered gable vents. Most states offer tax rebates too on such things. I always like the idea of no electrical bill and no need to turn them on/off. If the sun's out they run!

Here is one on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Rand-Solar-Powered-Attic-Gable/dp/B0040QVXGK

> flip a switch and have full air exchange in 2 minutes.

Really depends on the size of your space. If you're talking about an 8x10 bathroom, you need a 160 CFM blower to do a full air change in 2 minutes. That's doable.

But in your basement, that same 2 minute air change requirement is going to need (depending on dimensions) anywhere from 1000 to 3000 CFM, which is a little more intense. Likewise with a garage. The average 2-stall garage is 24 x 18, I think, and has a 9-10 foot ceiling. Let's say 9. That's approaching 4000 cubic feet, assuming a flat sealed ceiling. Add more if you have an unfinished ceiling that goes to the roof. To do a 2 minute air change there you'll need something along this line. Certainly doable, but when you start cutting 18" holes in the side of your building, it can certainly give pause.

Couple things you will want...

This is the fan I use, I just used 6 inch ducting out to a dryer vent. https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Inline-Blower-Ventilation-Certified/dp/B077492C4C/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1539720436&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=vivosun+6+inch+fan&psc=1

And the brew bag is very heavy, I use these with a bicycle hook to hoist the bag.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BKWZTH/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have had a couple succesful runs with the system, all in all it is worth it since I live in NorthEast Pennsylvania where it gets really cold outside during the winter. No more brewing outdoors. I also use a Gigawort from Northern Brewer (I know the hate) to make small batches as my test system.

​

I ended up going with this fan and this filter hopefully their good enough for my 2x2 space

Or this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9PTYRN/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07J9PTYRN&pd_rd_w=ya8nT&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=paqMj&pf_rd_r=JS9RPX9086ZZFQ8TYCV4&pd_rd_r=5b4fc1b3-4534-4aaf-8c02-e99eba51b94d&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNkk5Sks0NUlNUlJTJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTc4OTMwMlYyN1NDTjRSRDRaTSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDgyMzkzMjkzNlNNQ0dWR0NHNyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Im trying to avoid breaking my bank by buying jet powered engines (Not against the idea) and this is my first prototype of this caliber so want to start small

If 2 of these wont work, any ideas on what i would need that wont break my bank and still get just a couple of feet, but mainly a slow decent from a small fall. Thank you

>I don't think I've ever seen a bathroom fan that actually.... fans.

Builder-grade fans are disappointing in this respect. Many in this sub sing the praises of more higher-end fans.

The Panasonic WhisperCeiling FV-15VQ5 ($135), for example, moves 150 cubic feet of air per minute, yet it only has a sone level of 0.3.

Panasonic FV-15VQ5 WhisperCeiling 150 CFM Ceiling Mounted Fan, White

that filter/fan is too big for that tiny tent

i used this kit in 2x4x5 for my first grow, now it is in a 3x3x6, works well

I just attach a couple dozen of these to the front of my truck, works just as well.

All "standard" inline fans are noisy (I tried 5+ different ones). The only true silent fans that I can find are computer fans or panasonic bathroom fans. So for stealth get a 1200rpm 120mm computer fan or Panasonic WhisperCeiling

Here's one. It is basically a fan installed in the ceiling that draws hot air into the attic and out of the house, which subsequently draws cooler outdoor air into the house.

Neither loud nor big nor expensive :)

Open all of your windows on one side of the house, and then open all of the windows on the other. If there is a slight breeze, make sure you blow air with that flow (instead of against it). If it's hard to tell, leave a door that's between the 2 sides of your house slightly open and the breeze will be more obvious.

Or if you have space/$$, install one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Air-Vent-Whole-House-54301/dp/B0009SNSOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411419006&sr=8-1&keywords=house+exhaust+fan

I havent opened the fan yet, so I can get the specs later. Right now the breaker is 15amp

1 light in bathroom
3x outlet connected to a switch in room
the whole house fan. http://www.amazon.com/Air-Vent-Whole-House-54301/dp/B0009SNSOS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398482938&sr=8-1&keywords=whole+house+fan

Im not sure what the load is on that one

> I'm worried that I will wake the girl when I go pee because it will be turning on the fan

https://www.amazon.ca/Panasonic-FV-08VQ5-WhisperCeiling-Ceiling-Mounted/dp/B003TJAGPS

completely silent to the point you'll be leaving it on not knowing.

(unless you do light/fan on one switch which you should do )

I have this fan/filter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019J672QA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Using this tent: https://www.amazon.com/DarkRoom-DR90-Secret-Jardin-Pro/dp/B004NGKWWI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1484679729&sr=8-2&keywords=dr90+tent

If you are putting up a low voltage, self contained unit that's not tied into your electrical service, I doubt that a permit is even required. If you have an electrician call them and ask, but the final authority would be the permits section for the city or jurisdiction where you live. The type of self contained low voltage unit im referring to is something like this. https://www.amazon.com/Rand-Solar-Powered-Attic-Gable/dp/B0040QVXGK

I owned a bar with three smoke eaters back in the day. The maintenance is horrible and dust will make it spark/snap.

If you have space above, below or to the side of your space, this is what you want, on a switch. Other brands are too loud, and if you can't run a 6" duct, get a lower CFM unit.