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 dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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 Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? 
#350422 - 01/19/10 08:19 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Hey guys. Do you have a nice cool tube for your HPS but don't feel too keen on spending $150+ on an inline can fan or vortex fan? There is a cheaper solution for all the DIYers out there which can keep you well under the $100 mark including all your accessories you may need even if you buy a big expensive fan.
The fan is made as a boat blower, used to clear gas fumes from the engine compartment on a boat before you crank it, to prevent a possible explosion. I dunno if that is 100% correct, I don't have a boat, but it is something like that. Anyways, these things push some serious air, 250CFM, and come in 4" and 3" sizes. This one only cost me $25 shipped.
This isn't where I bought mine, just a link as an example of a blower:
http://www.antonline.com/p_240-GP_630879.htm
Pair it with one of these for power, $20:
http://cgi.ebay.com/AC-Power-Supply-Adapter-for-12V-5V-1-5A-2A-APD-DA-30C01_W0QQitemZ230415667427QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLaptop_Adapters_Chargers?hash=item35a5d810e3
Run it like this and it is as loud as a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer, so you will probably need a speed controller unless sound is of no issue for your space (no, light dimmer switches or ceiling fan speed controllers will not work with this much juice).
Looking for a cheap fan speed controller, check these out, $20:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43060
Here is my setup now with the fan in it:
 
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 Triptonic
Registered: 06/13/08
Posts: 15,581
Loc: 
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#350487 - 01/19/10 10:06 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Sweet idea man. I'm going to be looking into this.
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starrider
Registered: 12/26/08
Posts: 125
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: Triptonic]
#350650 - 01/20/10 06:53 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Don't create shortcuts that are going to hender your growing potential. You want to have a fan that moves the air twice as much as you need it to. This is so your light stays cool and you can gaurentee enough air is being exchanged in your grow area.
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"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."
William Blake
Anything I write is a lie. Any picture I post is a fake. I only write for entertainment.
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: starrider]
#350652 - 01/20/10 07:30 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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That's a pretty generalized statement dude.
How do you know he needs a bigger fan?? 250 CFM will work just fine if all your looking to do is cool 1 1000 watt fan.
And for the fresh air problem it's going to depend on how big his room is.
It's a good idea for people who don't have very much money to spend. Good post dutc.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: starrider]
#350665 - 01/20/10 09:37 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
starrider said:
Don't create shortcuts that are going to hender your growing potential. You want to have a fan that moves the air twice as much as you need it to. This is so your light stays cool and you can gaurentee enough air is being exchanged in your grow area.
As I said in the OP, a 250CFM fan alone pushes some serious air. One of these is ideal for cooling a cool tube, or as a room exhaust even for a huge grow room - all it needs is a speed controller for proper sound and speed. There are vortex fans that are 172CFM that cost over $150+ and you still may need a speed controller, so I think this is a steal that more people should know about.
Thanks hawksapprentice.
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blueberry D
Registered: 04/22/08
Posts: 730
Loc: michigan
Last seen: 9 months, 12 days
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#350672 - 01/20/10 10:19 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Hell yeah that is a steal man, thanks for sharing this.
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cockdiesal_mf
Registered: 03/19/09
Posts: 46
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: blueberry D]
#350764 - 01/20/10 01:35 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Whats the noise level like? I want a cool tube setup. Wonder if you could hook up a small CF on the end of that?
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: cockdiesal_mf]
#350780 - 01/20/10 02:20 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Wired to this 5A 12V adapter it runs full speed and is pretty loud. About as loud as a typical hair dryer, but not quite as loud. With a speed controller you should be able to get it down to an acceptable level while still pushing plenty enough air to cool off the lamp. I will be posting back here when I get my speed controller connected to let you guys know how it sounds then. I can't take credit for this idea, I got it from somebody else online after looking extensively for a solution. There are other people out there using these blowers in this type of application, and when paired with a speed controller, they are said to be no louder than any other comparable fan.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#350873 - 01/20/10 04:31 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
About as loud as a typical hair dryer, but not quite as loud.
Good idea for budget grows, but I'll take a silent fan that costs more over a noisy one that's cheap any day.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: coda]
#351151 - 01/21/10 02:59 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Like I have said a couple times, it needs to be paired with a speed controller for sound purposes. The amount of air it pushes is overkill for cooling a cool tube, so it is not hurting anything by putting a controller on it. This is only another $20, but is something many people buying the expensive vortex and can fans are going to buy anyways. I am going tomorrow to pick up my speed controller and I will post back about how it sounds and performs. I will then have a quiet fan cooled cool tube, something others have invested hundreds of dollars to achieve, for less than $70.
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#352410 - 01/23/10 05:13 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Sorry I forgot to come back and update this thread with the progress of the fan with the speed controller. This fan can get super quiet and still push enough air to cool the bulb and push enough air to get it through all the ducting. The speed controller I bought seems to be malfunctioning or broke. It was the last one the store had and it looked like it had been bought and opened before. It has a setting for "Var" and "Full" and a knob that turns from "Low", Medium", and "High". "Full" setting seems to works fine, but when I put it on "Var" it makes the fan cut on and off in 1 second increments, on one second, off the next second, on the next second, off the next and so on. And the knob does nothing on either setting, so it appears I got a jinky controller, but have been procrastinating on returning it because it actually cools it enough with the sputtering "Var" setting and is almost silent. So if I can get a controller on here that works properly, this setup should be golden.
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#353540 - 01/26/10 03:28 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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The reason its cutting in and out is because you are trying to phase control an AC-DC transformer... Your speed controller is a solid-state triac that limits voltage by changing the shape of the electrical wave going to the device. If you really wanted to control the fan you would need to change the power someplace in the DC side of the circuit.
Also, I would be very wary of the lifespan of this type of fan. They are not meant to be run for extended periods of time, they are meant to be run for about 5 minutes just to ventilate the bilge and stop. You may want to keep a spare on hand since they are so cheap 
Good luck. 
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#353559 - 01/26/10 04:05 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Thanks so much for that info. I really thought I was on to something here, and I was just about to take that speed controller back to the store. I just read your fan speed control thread, do I need to get one of those variable autotransformers? Or is there any practical way to slow this fan down like you say by changing the power on the DC side? The main thing I was worried about with the fan was lifespan because of how I am using it outside of its intent. Hopefully running at the low sputtering setting it will last awhile. It is a shame because it actually works to cool my tube with the sputtering, and is quiet. I wanted to see how fast I could get it while keeping it quiet and I thought the speed controller was messed up, it looks like an open item.
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#354041 - 01/27/10 08:00 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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A variac (variable autotransformer) may work, I doubt it, but I've never tried so who knows. If you are actually using a computer power supply which has a 5v and a 12v rail there is a way to get 7v if you hook them up properly which would effectively reduce fan speed and thus noise. You would have to look into it throughly though, electrical components are best not left to guess and check style solutions, fire is a big no-no in my grow room.
For only 10$ more you can get a 170cfm econoline (can fan knock off) if you look around a bit. That kind of fan would be much easier to speed control and they are built to run 24/7 for years at a time. Best of luck!
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#354219 - 01/27/10 05:09 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Thanks again. Damn I just gave a spare PSU away to a friend, I don't have any others sitting around ( I am a computer nerd BTW ).
So would the econoline fan run off the speed controller I have? Mine looks just like the one you have listed in your thread as a triac with snubber circuit, a router power tool speed controller.
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Dr. Penguin
Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 1,036
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: dutc2006]
#354258 - 01/27/10 06:57 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yea, the econoline would run fine with what you have. Watch out though, if you are looking to dial the fan down a lot it may start to hum which can be rather loud. Your best bet is finding a variac but they are not cheap.
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dutc2006
Grow or Die
Registered: 12/20/09
Posts: 199
Last seen: 9 years, 1 month
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Re: Looking for a cheap powerful inline fan? [Re: Dr. Penguin]
#354267 - 01/27/10 07:15 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I'm just looking for enough air flow to cool and cool tube and get through4 to 5 feet of ducting. I'm gonna look into getting one of those in the event this one quits working. Thanks for all the help on this issue.
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