Ganja Guerilla
Member
Nice job! A little ingenuity and a trip to the hardware store can really pay off, I love to see DIY like this.
Cheers
GG
Cheers
GG
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DIY fan muffler (30% noise reduction) for $30
- Thread starter kovenant
- Start date
I've been making these types of mufflers for myself and all my friends for the past couple years. The best insulation material I've found (and easiest to work with) is actually available at Home Depot in the plumbing area. It is hardened fiberglass formed in a cylinder to wrap around 6" pipes to keep them from freezing during cold winters. It is about 4' long and is perfect for the mufflers.
Here are all the parts you need from Home Depot to make a muffler in 10 minutes or less.
2- 8" to 6" reducers
1- 8" x 3' or 4' metal ducting
1- Pipe insulator
Duct tape or aluminum tape
Assembly (self explanatory)-
Step 1- Place fiberglass insulation inside metal ducting
Step 2- Trim off excess fiberglass
Step 3- Tape a 8" to 6" reducer on each end
Here is a link to a website that has the hardened fiberglass pipe insulation to give you a visual of what you are looking for.
Fiberglass Pipe Insulation
Home Depot stores in the southern states where it never freezes do not carry this, so you may have to source it from somewhere else. I stockpiled on these during my last trip to PA since they had them. I live in the deep south and it cannot be found anywhere since we rarely see temps under 40 degrees even in the dead of winter.
Newbie- I have also made a couple mufflers with ozone generators built in, but I just used existing generators I had and modified the muffler based on generator design. What kind of Ozone generator did you use to make that muffler? Is it a DIY ozone, or a pre-built unit? I really like how it doesn't impede the flow of air through the muffler.
Here are all the parts you need from Home Depot to make a muffler in 10 minutes or less.
2- 8" to 6" reducers
1- 8" x 3' or 4' metal ducting
1- Pipe insulator
Duct tape or aluminum tape
Assembly (self explanatory)-
Step 1- Place fiberglass insulation inside metal ducting
Step 2- Trim off excess fiberglass
Step 3- Tape a 8" to 6" reducer on each end
Here is a link to a website that has the hardened fiberglass pipe insulation to give you a visual of what you are looking for.
Fiberglass Pipe Insulation
Home Depot stores in the southern states where it never freezes do not carry this, so you may have to source it from somewhere else. I stockpiled on these during my last trip to PA since they had them. I live in the deep south and it cannot be found anywhere since we rarely see temps under 40 degrees even in the dead of winter.
Newbie- I have also made a couple mufflers with ozone generators built in, but I just used existing generators I had and modified the muffler based on generator design. What kind of Ozone generator did you use to make that muffler? Is it a DIY ozone, or a pre-built unit? I really like how it doesn't impede the flow of air through the muffler.
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The insulated duct works REALLY WELL too.
Nubie Biatch
Active member
Kovenant - Thanks again for your work on this. This thread just keeps on giving.
Texasluv - First of all, Hello from a fellow Texan!
I used a DIY ozone generator. They are cheap and easily customized! I think mine cost about $35-40. Technically I have 2 ozone generators but I placed them side by side in order to get the ppm of O3 that I want.
To make your own:
You can see the alligator clips attached to each corner of the wire mesh here.
You can see the wood strip and screen frame used. I drilled through the sides of the muffler and placed rubber grommets any place the wires went through the metal.
I also considered the possibility of fiberglass insulation and instead went with a fill used in bean bag chairs. Personal choice...I don't think it matters all that much b/c the air that leaves the muffler will likely be vented to some place where people won't freqent.
Texasluv - First of all, Hello from a fellow Texan!
I used a DIY ozone generator. They are cheap and easily customized! I think mine cost about $35-40. Technically I have 2 ozone generators but I placed them side by side in order to get the ppm of O3 that I want.
To make your own:
- Type in "ozone plates" in the ebay search to find the ozone plates.
- Then search "neon power supply". I used 1 power supply for each plate. (5kv 30ma output...try to get a power supply close to this)
- Peel back a corner of the wire mesh from each side of the plate and attach a (+) lead from the power supply on one side and a (-) lead to the corner of the wire mesh on the other side. I believe you will likely have to add some 14 awg stranded wire on to the neon power supplies leads. (I used alligator clips instead of soldering b/c I may replace the plates later on as the O3 will eventually oxidize the metal mesh)
- Mount the plates on a screen door frame found at home depot. I added 1/4 inch thick poplar wood strips to the bottom of the screen frame to make them more stable and give the plates a snug fit in the muffler.
You can see the alligator clips attached to each corner of the wire mesh here.
You can see the wood strip and screen frame used. I drilled through the sides of the muffler and placed rubber grommets any place the wires went through the metal.
I also considered the possibility of fiberglass insulation and instead went with a fill used in bean bag chairs. Personal choice...I don't think it matters all that much b/c the air that leaves the muffler will likely be vented to some place where people won't freqent.
Thanks for the info on the Ozone generator- great idea.
As for Texas, I couldn't tell you anything about it other than its location. I have no idea why my username is texasluv. I registered with a different user name, then I had to wait 5 days to get "approved" by the moderators, only to find that my user name and password were both completely different than what I signed up for?!?!? Weird, but functional none the less.
As for Texas, I couldn't tell you anything about it other than its location. I have no idea why my username is texasluv. I registered with a different user name, then I had to wait 5 days to get "approved" by the moderators, only to find that my user name and password were both completely different than what I signed up for?!?!? Weird, but functional none the less.
rastagrass
Member
now this is a good thread. nubie biatch did you build that ozone generator yourself and if you did can you do a tutorial on it?
tokinsmokin
Active member
great DIY tutorial, I'm going to have to give this a try. Thanks!
I need to modify this so it can bend around a corner and be in flex ductwork...
Does the sound dampening come from insulating the duct's perimeter or from the air actually touching the insulation? I assume wrapping my 4" flex-duct with insulation wouldnt really reduce the "woosh" sound coming out of my closet door too much. What if I put 6" flex duct for the last 3 feet or so of my exhaust and packed polyfill or some insulation around the edges? but how would i keep the polyfill in place? because mesh wire definitely wouldnt be able to bend or stay still... hmm sorry thinking out loud..
Where can i find 6" or 4" insulated ducting? All i want to do is remove that 'woosh' noise that comes from my closet... its too loud for comfort and i cant sleep at night with it on!
When i have company in the room i usually just throw on a fan...but its almost winter and it can cause some curiosity. It seems like the only way to remove the sound for me would be to put some breathable but sound dampening cloth over the exhaust hole... but i dont want to restrict airflow too much.
help?
Does the sound dampening come from insulating the duct's perimeter or from the air actually touching the insulation? I assume wrapping my 4" flex-duct with insulation wouldnt really reduce the "woosh" sound coming out of my closet door too much. What if I put 6" flex duct for the last 3 feet or so of my exhaust and packed polyfill or some insulation around the edges? but how would i keep the polyfill in place? because mesh wire definitely wouldnt be able to bend or stay still... hmm sorry thinking out loud..
Where can i find 6" or 4" insulated ducting? All i want to do is remove that 'woosh' noise that comes from my closet... its too loud for comfort and i cant sleep at night with it on!
When i have company in the room i usually just throw on a fan...but its almost winter and it can cause some curiosity. It seems like the only way to remove the sound for me would be to put some breathable but sound dampening cloth over the exhaust hole... but i dont want to restrict airflow too much. help?
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kovenant
Member
Shliite said:
hi Shliite. well, i dont know of a way you could make a flex muffler. but, do you really need one? the reason i ask is this. does your entire length of ductwork run in a continuous curve or bend back and forth? if not, then you could run flex ducting (like i do for most of my ductwork) for the entire length of your ductwork, then add the 4' (or even make it 2.5-3') at the end. if it doesnt work at the end, put it in the middle. and yes, the answer is - applying this muffler, even at the end of your line, in your attic, far away from your room and closet... will still cut down the whooshing noise you hear through your closet. some of the whoosh is air pulling through the ends (and between) your closet doors. i would suggest using some weather stripping around the perimeter of the closet - where the doors butt up to the framing. another good substitute for weather stripping is using the small foam strips that have a sticky strip on one side... just pull the wax paper off the strip, run it along the edge of the door where it hits the frame - and that will filter/muffle the whoosh from the doors.
yes, the air needs to run along the surface of the insulation or polyfill. im not an engineer, nor a physicist - but i believe a couple of things happen with the muffler in order for it to work. 1, it probably slows down the draw enough to help silence it; and 2, the sound gets dispersed when it crosses the rougher surface (even if its not at the end... and it makes it quieter on the intake, even if 20-30' away from the muffler.)
let me give a final suggestion though. correct me if im wrong, but i think your setup is like this: you have an air cooled reflector your closet and you have left your intake open - sucking room from the closet and into the exhaust side... which you are wanting to run ducting up into the attic and out of the closet. is that correct? if so, consider not sucking air from your closet. run ducting from the intake side into the ceiling on the opposite side of the closet (or if you can run it directly - straight - out of the side wall of the closet to an outside wall vent, would be best. not sure if you own, are renting, or how much exterior work you can or want to do.) you will have absolutely no whoosh sound from your closet if you do this... because air isnt being sucked around the sides of the doors.
hope this helps some. let us know.
thanks for the suggestions... let me clear up my situation though.
I'm in a bedroom with a closet grow. Intakes and exhaust are on one closet door. I am renting so i wanted all holes and damage to be on one replaceable plywood door... The reason it would need to be flex is because when i open the door the ducting opens with it...kind of like an accoridan. I have been thinking and i think my final solution will be to secure a cardboard box on the door which encloses the exhaust hole. This will provide more surface area for the air to go through at the end of its journey (which goes right into the room) and will hopefully reduce the woosh noise. I will pack foam around the perimeter of the cardboard box and on the enclosed section of the door as well as widen the exhaust hole itself (its only 4" right now). I think this will work... let me know what you think.
-shlite
I'm in a bedroom with a closet grow. Intakes and exhaust are on one closet door. I am renting so i wanted all holes and damage to be on one replaceable plywood door... The reason it would need to be flex is because when i open the door the ducting opens with it...kind of like an accoridan. I have been thinking and i think my final solution will be to secure a cardboard box on the door which encloses the exhaust hole. This will provide more surface area for the air to go through at the end of its journey (which goes right into the room) and will hopefully reduce the woosh noise. I will pack foam around the perimeter of the cardboard box and on the enclosed section of the door as well as widen the exhaust hole itself (its only 4" right now). I think this will work... let me know what you think.
-shlite
mrgrowmez
Member
here is my homemade muffler, i made it with chicken wire and fibreglass insulation. used it all through my grow and it cut down the noise alot, not completely but man what a difference....used to sound like a plane was getting ready for take off in the closet before i stuck this bad boy on there.
not as pretty as K's but it does the job
not as pretty as K's but it does the job
Nubie Biatch
Active member
Nice one mrgrowmez! The principles are all the same. It's just a matter of trapping or slowing the sound waves from the moving air in some kind of baffle.
Muzzle suppressors or "silencers" work on the same principle. Basically it requires a hollow tube with holes in it, enclosed in dampening material, and surrounded by a larger tube. The holes in the inner tube allow the sound waves to disperse into the dampening material, while the dampening material will act to catch and "absorb" the sound waves.
Shliite - DIY is about using what you've got. Try what you are thinking and play with it till it works.
Muzzle suppressors or "silencers" work on the same principle. Basically it requires a hollow tube with holes in it, enclosed in dampening material, and surrounded by a larger tube. The holes in the inner tube allow the sound waves to disperse into the dampening material, while the dampening material will act to catch and "absorb" the sound waves.
Shliite - DIY is about using what you've got. Try what you are thinking and play with it till it works.
Kovenant,
Count me as another satisfied customer. Recently bought a 4" Elicent fan. Talk about loud. Followed your instructions almost to the letter and ... WOW! I may have gotten a bit more than a 30% reduction so you get bonus points for truth in advertising.
My Home Depot had no collars but, they did have end caps. I just de-crimped the cap part and, voila, collars.
To save wear and tear on hands (that mesh can be nasty) I gave the mesh a few extra inches and then folded over the last inch on each side to avoid cutting myself.
I used polyfill from the sewing store. $5 for 32 oz. I think I used maybe 10 oz in the six inch diameter pipe. I may take it apart this weekend and double the packing just to see if I can hear a difference.
I also picked up a router speed control for the fan which helps as well but, I still need to further silence the fan motor itself. I'm not ready to hold court in the garage but, I'm no longer afraid to open the garage door while people are within my zip code.
Thanks!!!!!!
Count me as another satisfied customer. Recently bought a 4" Elicent fan. Talk about loud. Followed your instructions almost to the letter and ... WOW! I may have gotten a bit more than a 30% reduction so you get bonus points for truth in advertising.
My Home Depot had no collars but, they did have end caps. I just de-crimped the cap part and, voila, collars.
To save wear and tear on hands (that mesh can be nasty) I gave the mesh a few extra inches and then folded over the last inch on each side to avoid cutting myself.
I used polyfill from the sewing store. $5 for 32 oz. I think I used maybe 10 oz in the six inch diameter pipe. I may take it apart this weekend and double the packing just to see if I can hear a difference.
I also picked up a router speed control for the fan which helps as well but, I still need to further silence the fan motor itself. I'm not ready to hold court in the garage but, I'm no longer afraid to open the garage door while people are within my zip code.
Thanks!!!!!!
