Need Quieter Fan

[Tony Aroma]

I have a Vortex 6-inch inline fan with a variable-speed fan control. This was OK in my old setup where I had a pretty big space. But in my new house I'm limited to a standard wardrobe (approx. 4' w x 6' h x 2' d). This fan is now MUCH too loud, even on the slowest speed setting. Even in a room with cinder block walls and concrete floor/ceiling it sounds like a jet engine from the next room. I'm looking for suggestions for a fan sufficient to cool this space (2 x 250 w MH lights) yet quiet enough so it cannot be heard all over the house. Is there such a fan? Oh, and since this is my exhaust fan it is pulling air through a carbon scrubber.

 

[abirdintheair]

do a web search for panasonic whisper fans, they go from 50 to 340cfm and go no louder than 1.8 sones. I have the same problem with a 50 cfm vent fan being too loud at 4 sones. hope that helps

 

[The Dank]

I have a 6" vortex and you can't hear it through bedroom walls or closet walls. Basically you need to get the intake and the exhaust away from the wardrobe area, and say pull and exhaust from and into the crawlspace, attic, or outside. Suspending the fan with bungee cords also greatly helped...I was sure I was going to have to build a box just for the fan to quiet it, but didn't have to.

 

[Tony Aroma]

I have a 6" vortex and you can't hear it through bedroom walls or closet walls. Basically you need to get the intake and the exhaust away from the wardrobe area, and say pull and exhaust from and into the crawlspace, attic, or outside. Suspending the fan with bungee cords also greatly helped...I was sure I was going to have to build a box just for the fan to quiet it, but didn't have to.

I can't do anything about the intake or exhaust location -- this cabinet must be self-contained. I'm using darkroom louvres for intake and exhaust. Besides, this is under a porch and, as I said, all concrete all around with no openings. And the fan is resting in rubber padding. It's not vibration that's causing the noise.

 

[Tony Aroma]

do a web search for panasonic whisper fans, they go from 50 to 340cfm and go no louder than 1.8 sones.

I think maybe it's mostly the CFM and not the fan per se. Is 450 CFM overkill for my space? What would a reasonable amount of moving air be? Do you think a whisper fan rated at 120 or even 240 CFM would be sufficient?

Also, I don't know how to judge loudness based on sones. How would 1.0 or 1.4 sones compare to the vortex sound level?