Heat issues in my 400w cab! Defies logic.

billdo

billdo

Well-Known Member
Hey RIU experts, I have a problem that I would LOVE to get help in solving!

I just did some mods to my Supercloset Superflower... added insulated ductwork to try to cut down on SOME of the noise.

The thing that bums me out is that even though I have two of these fans (one for the air-cooled lighting hood on my 400w, one for dedicated exhaust through a carbon scrubber), My temps are still in the low 90's.

Each of those fans are 117 CFM, which should be MORE than enough for my little 4x4x2 cabinet. What gives?

Thanks for the help,
BILLDO
 
billdo

billdo

Well-Known Member
Do i just need to sack up and buy a bigger fan? That seems strange... given the excess in CFM that the system is currently operating at.

Any thoughts?
 
TheConstantGardner

TheConstantGardner

Well-Known Member
That is a computer case fan. With resistance, it is not going to push 117cfm.

You need a real fan, not a big one, but a good fan. A 4" Vortex 177CFM would bring that enclosure down to temp.
 
billdo

billdo

Well-Known Member
Yeah... but how much noisier are they going to be than my current setup? (granted, these piece of shit fans are loud as hell)
 
billdo

billdo

Well-Known Member
I don't know about you... but my bathroom fans aren't exactly quiet.

I have heard good things about these S&P fans here on RIU. They are supposed to be nice and quiet.

I will look into the cheaper fans that you recommended, as well.

I would LOVE to only have one fan.
Maybe I could pull air from the cabinet, through the lights, through the fan, and then push through the carbon scrubber. That might work, right?

TheConstantGardner said:
they are quieter than your typical bathroom exhaust fan.
Click to expand...
 
TheConstantGardner

TheConstantGardner

Well-Known Member
ummmmm....maybe
Those fans don't typically pull hard enough through a carbon scrubber, and two of those are going to be louder than the Vortex.

I'd do something like this |scrubber|---->|light hood|---->|fan|---->exhaust
and get it all with one fan.
 
TheConstantGardner

TheConstantGardner

Well-Known Member
billdo said:
I don't know about you... but my bathroom fans aren't exactly quiet.

I have heard good things about these S&P fans here on RIU. They are supposed to be nice and quiet.

I will look into the cheaper fans that you recommended, as well.

I would LOVE to only have one fan.
Maybe I could pull air from the cabinet, through the lights, through the fan, and then push through the carbon scrubber. That might work, right?
Click to expand...


If they're getting good reviews, you might give them a try.
I didn't see this post before I posted.

Looks like you've got this thing licked:bigjoint:
 
billdo

billdo

Well-Known Member
TheConstantGardner said:
ummmmm....maybe
Those fans don't typically pull hard enough through a carbon scrubber, and two of those are going to be louder than the Vortex.

I'd do something like this |scrubber|---->|light hood|---->|fan|---->exhaust
and get it all with one fan.
Click to expand...
Dude, seriously... thanks so much for the help. You rule.

I think I will go with ONE vortex fan then. The biggest thing for me is that the fan be QUIET. I have read on here that a smart thing is to buy more fan than I need and then throttle it down with a speed control. Any advice as to how much fan to buy with this in mind?
 
L

LionsRoor

Well-Known Member
billdo said:
OK, so I need to get two new fans... would two of these work (one for the carbon scrubber exhaust line and one for the lights)?

http://www.ventingdirect.com/soler-and-palau-kit-td100-td-100-in-line-fan-kit/p934669
Click to expand...
No - an inline duct fan is not sufficient. You need a good centrifugal "Vortex" style fan.

One of these will exhaust both the light and the carbon filter. This is a cheaper brand than the original (and better) Vortex brand.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220527644194&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=L*F?&GUID=ee1f01c11250a0e2022112c1fb3a28e7&itemid=220527644194&ff4=263602_263622

carbon filter > ducted to > light > ducted to > vortex > ducted to > exhaust
 
L

LionsRoor

Well-Known Member
billdo said:
Can I use a speed controller on those?
Could you recommend one?
Click to expand...
Speed controllers don't work well on the 4" fans (creates a loud hum - though it doesn't hurt the motor much). They work great on the 6" and up models... the standard one that is out now works great (it is actually a router controller and can be found at many hardware stores for about $15 - though it may be special order. Hydrofarm, Sunlight Supply and the others have all adopted it as a fan speed controller.

http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=8589

The 6" with speed control gives you the most flexibility - with plenty of overhead for the hot days.
 
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