Quiet down fans

[OahuGrown]

I recently just germinated my seeds and had to resort to growing my mothers in a rubbermaid. I picked up this fan from radio shack but its a little loud because of the airflow making noise and not the fan itself.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102823&tab=summary

how could i minimize this sound because im also trying to stealth grow these.

 

[Kelly.]

...

 

[SuperHemp]

Dimmers won't work on a DC fan, or any fan for that matter, except for a DC motor fan which takes AC voltage and rectifies it internally (not likely to find one of those).


But you say the air flow is noisy, is anything blocking it? If not, then it's more than likely bearing noise although it can sound like air flow noise. Anyway, reducing the speed a bit will slow down the noise any way.


For your fan (Are you using a PC power supply?) you would do fine with a simple rheostat or potentiometer.

See here

http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=6ARB0lp6jlVHD0iVFQJuhA==

http://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2001/12/10/adding_fan_speed_control/1


If you are using a PC power supply try running the fans on 5 volts or 7 volts. I assume you're using the yellow and black leds on a molex connector, move the wire from the black to the read lead and you have 7 volts. Free..

 

[Charg5152]

I've noticed that with my cab setup most of the fan noise comes from the point of exhaust. I use alluminum dryer duct tubing to exhaust two 120mm DC computer fans running 110cfm each. Most of the noise comes out of the exhaust opening of the dryer tubing. I found that I could significantly reduce noise by changing where I had tube exhaust point. I also experimented with running the exhuast tube into emptied cardboard box that had holes drilled into it on the side that faced the wall. My situation wasn't loud enough to warrant the box (muffler), but it did work quite well. It still allowed airflow for the exhaust but muffled the hum/noise of the DC computer fans pushing air. In the end, I only needed to move the dryer duct exhaust from one point to another.

 

[Homegrow3r]

How can a 4" pc fan be noisy?
It can only be bearings, take the sticker off the front and oil it, replace the sticker, if it won't go back it's no biggy.

 

[Charg5152]

I dont think it is these small DC fans making the noise but the movement of air itself.