flonomendo
Active Member
So is it bad to use the controller for my fan? Or will it be fine to use, just buzz?
How can I speed control my fan? Or at least reduce noise...
- Thread starter flonomendo
- Start date
Lt. Dan
Well-Known Member
Electronics are out of field of knowledge............. I want to say it would be alright. I built a stepper motor controller once, and IIRC, it was controlled by chopping the power.
I need to go find that post, to find out the product name, of the controller he bought, that didn't hum.
Cheers,
Lt. Dan
Well-Known Member
I found the thread where they were talking about fan noise.
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/386713-fan-speed-controller-noisy.html
Post#6 talks about the differences between fan controllers and what he bought to get rid of the noise.
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/386713-fan-speed-controller-noisy.html
Post#6 talks about the differences between fan controllers and what he bought to get rid of the noise.
flonomendo
Active Member
Anyone else have a buzz with a fan controller and they still use it? Just trying to figure out if it's going to kill my 6" HO Can Fan or not. Thanks.
I'm very concerned by the question because i plan to buy the same can-fan and it said its fully controllable... As far as i read across internet, speedster is bad with any cheap fan but should works with can-fan and vortex without huming. Hum is bad, really. But rather than buying a router speed controller like the speedster i'd prefer to get a complete day/night control with idle to keep introduce fresh aire without loosing degrees. I'm still looking for advices about these kind of hardware (Titan Controls Mercury V4, VSC Temp-DNE, Grozone Temp V2)... If you just want to bypass the poor speed router you can look for a variac or something like that it cost more but it does not produce hum.
Many people explains better than me why speedster is bad with many inline fan. But i read many good things about speedster and can-fan (except the maxfan 12" which requieres special can-fan branded controller)...
Thanks for all inputs !
Many people explains better than me why speedster is bad with many inline fan. But i read many good things about speedster and can-fan (except the maxfan 12" which requieres special can-fan branded controller)...
Thanks for all inputs !
flonomendo
Active Member
I would really just like to be able to control the airflow, because 440CFM is a little overkill for my grow tent. As far as I know, the blade design in my fan is not a brushed type, its a reversed curve style blade I believe. I assume that is why the HTG fan controller (same thing as Speedster) makes that buzzing noise when I use the speed control dial. I also assume that the only true way I will be able to control the airflow/power is with a variac? Can anyone confirm or deny this?
I would like to invest the money into the VSC-DNe, but I may have to go for a cheaper model (manual control) so I can get things going faster. I will be able to upgrade to the VSC-DNe eventually.
I was also going to invest in a muffler, but getting my fans airflow down is pretty much the key to my problems.
I would like to invest the money into the VSC-DNe, but I may have to go for a cheaper model (manual control) so I can get things going faster. I will be able to upgrade to the VSC-DNe eventually.
I was also going to invest in a muffler, but getting my fans airflow down is pretty much the key to my problems.
haole420
Active Member
i too am getting humming. i'm pretty sure it's coming from the fan. i'm just using a 600w light dimmer switch. my active air 6" inline fan, my 20" box fan, and my 12" oscillating fan all do this when plugged into the dimmer. buzzing gets louder as you turn the dimmer up, then almost drops off when turned all the way (still buzzes a little). the frequency of the sound is the same at all dimmer settings, it's just the volume that changes.
when i plug the fans into an outlet directly bypassing the dimmer, there is no humming/buzzing in that initial time where the motor is powered up but the fan hasn't gained enough momentum to reach full operating speed. with the dimmer, there is a humming/buzzing sound during that initial spin-up period.
the box fan and oscillating fan have a low-med-high switch which produces no buzzing when dialed down, so obviously it must be using a different mechanism than the dimmer.
this guy he says you'll severely shorten the life of the fan using a dimmer. basically, it will burn out the motor. http://www.420magazine.com/forums/how-grow-marijuana/72074-can-i-use-dimmer-switch-control-speed-my-fan.html he says you can use something called a variable frequency controller to slow down a fan by changing the frequency of the alternating current. they seem pricey and more for industrial use ($100+)
so i'm off to the hardware store to purchase a three-speed fan controller ($20-30). these have a low-med-high setting similar to those found on most household fans. i have a feeling it has three speeds because it has 3 things (whatever they are) that are preset to certain frequencies (i'm hoping). that's why it's not just an analog dial that you can set to anything between 0 and 100% (like a dimmer). i'm hoping fan speed controller is, indeed, a variable frequency controller. after all, it is designed to control the speed of a fan!
when i plug the fans into an outlet directly bypassing the dimmer, there is no humming/buzzing in that initial time where the motor is powered up but the fan hasn't gained enough momentum to reach full operating speed. with the dimmer, there is a humming/buzzing sound during that initial spin-up period.
the box fan and oscillating fan have a low-med-high switch which produces no buzzing when dialed down, so obviously it must be using a different mechanism than the dimmer.
this guy he says you'll severely shorten the life of the fan using a dimmer. basically, it will burn out the motor. http://www.420magazine.com/forums/how-grow-marijuana/72074-can-i-use-dimmer-switch-control-speed-my-fan.html he says you can use something called a variable frequency controller to slow down a fan by changing the frequency of the alternating current. they seem pricey and more for industrial use ($100+)
so i'm off to the hardware store to purchase a three-speed fan controller ($20-30). these have a low-med-high setting similar to those found on most household fans. i have a feeling it has three speeds because it has 3 things (whatever they are) that are preset to certain frequencies (i'm hoping). that's why it's not just an analog dial that you can set to anything between 0 and 100% (like a dimmer). i'm hoping fan speed controller is, indeed, a variable frequency controller. after all, it is designed to control the speed of a fan!
haole420
Active Member
well wouldn't you know: the fan speed controller works with no buzzing. go figure. $20.
it comes in a 2-wire, 3-wire, and 4-wire version. the 2-wire is what i went with since i'm not wiring the switch to a ceiling fan that is prewired for different speeds. the switch is going to an electrical outlet. my suncourt 6" inline duct fan is, however, wired for 2 speeds (3 wire + ground). planning to use that as an intake fan coming from the central a/c. the 3-wire fan controller will be perfect for that application.
i'm hooking up my main 6" 400cfm exhaust fan to one switch and all my other smaller circulation fans to a second switch. now my box fan and oscillating fan have 9 total settings (3 on the switch x 3 on the fan). low-low is super stealth and not blasting my plants (low was still to strong)! hooray!
it comes in a 2-wire, 3-wire, and 4-wire version. the 2-wire is what i went with since i'm not wiring the switch to a ceiling fan that is prewired for different speeds. the switch is going to an electrical outlet. my suncourt 6" inline duct fan is, however, wired for 2 speeds (3 wire + ground). planning to use that as an intake fan coming from the central a/c. the 3-wire fan controller will be perfect for that application.
i'm hooking up my main 6" 400cfm exhaust fan to one switch and all my other smaller circulation fans to a second switch. now my box fan and oscillating fan have 9 total settings (3 on the switch x 3 on the fan). low-low is super stealth and not blasting my plants (low was still to strong)! hooray!
Icannabis
Well-Known Member
I just think they make the fan hum and don't really reduce the sound much...I think the best route is to use incilated ducting and get dyno matte and wrap your fan or build a sound box to put it in. Another thing I did was go to the hydro store and listen to the fans. I found that my big 8" fan was quieter than the smaller 6 inch fan the guy was trying to sell I used reducers and that made it even less loud. But that's my two cent...good growing
flonomendo
Active Member
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=202033415&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=202033415&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=shopping-_-googlebase-_-D27X-_-202033415&locStoreNum=2109 is this product similar to the switch that you are using now with no buzz? Did you hook the switch up to an outlet first?, and then plug the fan into the extra outlet? I'm worried that my fan will still do the same thing, since Can Fan's are reversed curve blade design and lots of other fans have a brushed motor. If I could get the cheap ceiling fan switch to work, that would be AWESOME! But, if the variac is all I can do for myself at least I can get myself outta this hole...
DaleRoberts
Well-Known Member
Get the speedster. That what I use and it works great.
haole420
Active Member
that's the one. $20 at lowes. yes, the switch is plugged into an outlet, the switch is connected to another socket, which the fan is plugged into. in the first pic below, the switch on the left controls the 400cfm exhaust fan and the switch on the right controls all the oscillating and box fans used for circulation.
i'm pretty sure it's the exact same solid state guts as the one hydrofarm sells. by can fan, do you mean like the suncourt 6" inline (~$30)? mine is prewired with 3 wires (one hot wire for high speed, one for low, and negative) + ground. i hooked that up to a 3-wire speed controller. the one above is for 2 wire setups (everything else). i hooked it up inside a DIY muffler and use it for air intake by boosting airflow from my central a/c to the existing grow room duct.
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flonomendo
Active Member
This is the exact fan that I have: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Can-Fan-6-inch-440-CFM-High-output-Exhaust-Fan/5498160/product.html Think it would work with that?
flonomendo
Active Member
Once again, my fan is: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Can-Fan-6-inch-440-CFM-High-output-Exhaust-Fan/5498160/product.htmlget this ......a Speedster/ variable Fan speed control
i have 1040 cfm fan..... great in the summer...in the winter i cut it in 1/2 or it will suck the heat right out of my house
handles up too 15 amps
I tried using a controller made by HTG, http://htgsupply.com/Product-Blower---Fan-Speed-Control.asp and that looks to be the same thing as the Speedster? Which causes my particular fan to hum...