Inline Fan vs. Blower

[dyren]

so basically my question is whats the difference? is one more efficient than the other at pulling/pushing air? which is more likely to crap out first? which would be louder?

the reason i ask this is that i can buy a 250 cfm 6" inline fan for like $47 but a blower style fan of the same power is nearly twice as much. im a newbie setting up a 400w grow and im trying to keep my costs to a minimum so this issue is important to me.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUNCOURT-6-INDU...hZ019QQcategoryZ43555QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
^inline

http://cgi.ebay.com/265-cfm-blower-...hZ002QQcategoryZ43555QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
^blower

also, will 250cfm be enough for my 213cu.ft. cab. (i think i calculated the space correctly.{ l x w x d (in inches) / 144 } )

thanks!

-d

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Go with a real inline...those duct boosters aren't worth shit. Look for Vortex, Elicent, Can Fan, or another similar quality fan and you'll be MUCH happier than if you get a dayton. They're quieter, more efficient electrically and they actually work well with static pressure....which are some of the dayton's downfalls.

What are the actual dimensions of your cab, what size light and what are your summer temps like?

Those numbers are are probably wrong unless you're running a "cab" that's larger than 4'x6'x8'...which is basically a closet sized setup.

 

[dyren]

ack, the dimensions of the grow area are 19.75in. x 28 in. x 55.5 in. (d,w,h) with a smaller compartment above it which will house the fan and possibly a carbon filter later.

the light is a 400w switchable ballast so ive got an MH and a HPS.

my room maxes out at around 82-83F during the hottest part of the day, however the house, including my room, is A/C cooled. ill have to check on the range of temps throughout the day. this shouldn't be too difficult as i have a digital thermometer. (ill get back to you about this.) currently (11:30pm) it's sitting pretty at a nice 76.1F.

ah i was wondering what the deal was with those dayton blowers. i looked into the vortex ones and was impressed with the quality as i've heard good things from many about that brand.

is this more like what you're suggesting:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Elicent-4-inch-...0QQihZ004QQcategoryZ43555QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
and if so, is 152 cfm's enough?

do you have any specific recommendations for a relatively cheap but effective fan? im looking to spend less than 80$


thanks!
-d


edit: also, how many/what size holes should i drill for enough passive intake

 

[imnotcrazy]

I killed a Dayton in a few weeks pulling through a carbon scrubber. The bearings started making a ton of noise. My 6" fantech inline is still going strong. The daytons are only good for moving air not cooling lights or running a scrubber.

 

[dyren]

so after some more searching for the brands that you two listed, i've come to the conclusion that i'm going to have to drop more like 130-150$ on this sort of item. does that sound about right? does anyone know of any good wholesale or discounted sites that sell for cheap?

also still trying to get an idea of how many cfm's ill want for my space. how often should the air be replaced?


thanks!
-d

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Yeah, that one will work...but I doubt it's gonna end under $80. Basically you get what you pay for...

I forget where, but there's an online shop with 4" Vortex fans for $100...which is about the best price I've ever seen on them. mdhydro.com has pretty good deals on them though.

For passive intake, just use 3x as much as your exhaust...so 3 4" holes or an equal area of intake.

 

[dyren]

http://mdhydro.com/elinfan.html

yea a vortex 4" 172cfm is like 108 bucks. thats not too bad... but ill have to save up for a bit before i can buy it.

sandman, do you think this will be powerful enough?


thanks!
-d

 

[Guest]

I think the general rule of thumb is to clear your space 3x a minute (at least; it may have been more like 5x); so you'd want between 639 - 1065 cfm capacity to fit that.

 

[dyren]

jeeeesus. is that really necessary? wow.

ok i redid the calculations, it would appear i have something more like 17.7 cu.ft. of space needing to be vented. lol ^.^ my mistake. anyway, i guess that means i should be looking for a fan that's 53-80cfm?

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Since it'll be air cooling the light you'll need more cfms...a 4" inline like the Vortex from mdhydro will work fine with that light.

 

[dyren]

cool sounds good, i'll pick one up asap.

on another note, sandman, would you recommend a DIY cooltube? is it going to be worth it? is it difficult? will it greatly decrease temps and would it reduce airflow too much? (assuming i leave one end of the cooltube open, and have the fan sucking air through the other end.)


thanks!
-d

 

[Sauce]

Cool tubes work very well in a small space and I strongly recommend building one. They are very easy and can be built for ~$20. Do a search and you'll find some diy tutorial threads.

I agree with Sandman a 4" or 6" if you want to be safe should be good enough.

Plantlightinghydroponics.com has good prices on Vortex fans.

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Cooltubes will help alot with temps at the plant canopy...The bakearound tubes are ebay are better IMO, but the storm lamp globes will work fine.

 

[dyren]

ack, sorry to sound/be so clueless but i ebay'd and google'd both 'bakearound tube' and 'storm lamp globe' (and variations of the two) and came up empty handed.

care to throw a useless newb a link ;o ;o


thanks again for all the help guys,
-d


edit: OHH "pyrex bake a round tube," gotcha. you sure the diameter is large enough to house my light safely? also, ive seen people's light sockets wired up with JUST the socket and not metal box (see photo below). would mine work with a DIY cooltube or am i screwed? XD

white socket + metal box??? of course the cord which goes out of that box leads to the ballast but what is that damn box and will it fit in a cooltube? XD

 

[the couch]

I second the 4" vortex, especially at that price, they are good fans and come with a 10 year warrenty.
There used to be a really good FAQ on how to turn those bake-a-round tubes into a hood, maybe someone has a copy of it. You don't NEED that metal box, it is only there to secure the cord and protect against fires. All that is in there is the connections from the cord to the socket.

 

[dyren]

ah cool, yea as soon as i get the cash ill pick up a 4" vortex. i also figured out that those bake a tube or whatever they're called are 4" diameter... sweet .

thx for that explanation abt the box.

and does anyone know where i can find that tube FAQ? ill search around a bit.


thanks!
-d

 

[Sauce]

It's best to remove the metal box and rewire the socket. I used the metal box in my cool tube and it cuts down on airflow a lot however it still does work.

I looked for the FAQ and couldn't find it but I know it was recovered. Here's a growfaq link:

http://growfaq.marijuana.com/

There are some better diy threads with pics on this site though.

 

[thecrackaddict]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=31478&highlight=diy+cool+tube

Just do what that guy did except u might not need a reducer depending on the size of ducts you use.