Ventilation question...

[Where'sMyBud?]

Hey all,

I am going to cut a 6" diameeter hole in the top of my cabinet to fit my 449cfm Vortex. I plan on slipping the outtake flange on teh fan right into the hole I cut out, but how should I "cusion" it / light and airflow proof it? Weather stripping? Caulk it in place?

 

[MTF-Sandman]

You can just use some 3M322 tape (foil backed tape) to seal it up there. There's really no need to "cushion" it since inlines are very well balanced and don't emit harmonic noises like other styles of fans.

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

Geez Sandman - saved me again!

 

[Guest]

^ he is correct. the silver tape works whonders!!!lasts a long time too.Youre gonna put it in the cab ? not in the attic?

 

[Guest]

just mount it good with all screws plus i use rubber bads between mounting hardware and the surface i mount to.

 

[Guest]

How does a vortex mount? it seems smooth in all the pictures....anyone? does it have brackets?

 

[Guest]

How does a vortex mount? it seems smooth in all the pictures....anyone? does it have brackets?

Yes, the fans come with brackets. I hung mine from bunji cords up in the attic for maximum stealth because they still do hum.

Bh

 

[R00KIE]

Should come with brackets but if not hang it up with bungees.....
With a little thought, even if that doesn't suit your liking i'm sure you could fab sumtin up with some galvan sheet metal or scraps laying around...

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

all installed -

cut out the hole with a rotozip and slid the vortex right in and screwed the bracket to the wall. I'm gonna use some silicon caulk to seal up the cracks to ensure it's light-proof. Got it hooked up to my Daystar AC reflector and tommorrow it'll get hooked up to a custom made carbon scrubber. I just hope the 449cfm will take care of both the odors and the heat.

 

[UmphreyMcgee420]

great idea MTF-Sandman.... thanks for the tip, been using weatherstripping, but the silver tape works wonders

 

[Guest]

Yes, the fans come with brackets. I hung mine from bunji cords up in the attic for maximum stealth because they still do hum.

Bh

i had mine in the cab too, guess what ? its in the attic too.^^^

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

All finished!

I just wrapped a layer of silver tape around the outtake flange to the vortex and then caulked it in place to ensure it's airtight and lightproof. Just got my custom made carbon scrubber today - 6" diamter by 36" long...fits perfectly in teh back corner of the cab.

Haven't put in the intake vents (darkroom louvers) since they haven't arrived yet. However, the vaccuum pressure of the fan combined with the 20lbs of carbon in teh scrubber have eliminated all odors correlated to burning 5 sticks of incense inside the cab with only a 2" diameter hole for an intake ( I cut out a 2" hole for the electircal cords to come out of()! The doors are suctioned shut, which have eliminated someof my lightproofing problems

I'll be all done once th elouvers come....can't wait.

got my aerocloner working all nice - testing its rooting time with rose bush and other misc cuttings.

I'll have to get a camera to show you guys since words tend to repeat themselves...

Laters, thanks for the help!

-WMB

 

[Guest]

what size is your cab WMB?
i too use a 8x8 darkroom louver in my C-24 veg cab, but i found it was not enough... the 6'' can fan was bogging down and sucking the doors tooooooooo tight! so i fixed that by venting up through the bottom of the floor too with a 10x4 vent with a homemade light trap. works awesome now.

also, i made mine light tight with a gang of weatherstrip *(get the good expensive rubberized stuff)

also, if you find the fan is too much like i did.. i just built a fan speed controller for $15 from home depot. *(make sure to use a fan speed controller, not a light dimmer! and make sure the fan controller will control "whole house fans" it'll say on the pack if you look close) *they have a higher amp rating.

just my .02 pennies

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

Thanks Spaded,

I hav e a C25 cab - about 26 cubic feet. Using my 449cfm fan at full blast (assuming no loss with all the ducting bends and carbon scrubber resistance) that would mean I am bringing in new air to the cab every 4 seconds!

I could totally understand how 1 8x8 darkroom louver was not enough for your cab, since its about twice the size of mine...maybe I should only put 1 in then, as I had to order 2 since they came in pairs.

 

[Guest]

that 449cfm will be overkill for ya, i bet you'll want to slow it down a little bit.
i have also found that my inner cab temps are greatly dependent on ambient temps outside of the cab. i'm running 300 watts in my c-24 (veg, clones) with a 6" can fan 270 cfm / can 33 scrubber with the speed turned ALL the way down. if i turn it up, it sounds like a freakin jet engine! my room ambient temps are 75f
inside of cab with lights on is 83f

what brand louvers did you get?
I have the 8x8 Doran on my veg cab and their 12"x12" model on my flower room... same deal though that 12x12 is not enough for the room, i need to add another one.

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

Hey Spaded,

Not sure what brand they are.

Yeah, my Vortex sounds like a jet! But right now the ambient room temps have been just under 80f - so I will can either run the fan at full blast and hope to bring the cab temps to ambient temp or I can aircondition the rooma dn turn the fan down...

Option 1 will be cheaper but option 2 will probably be more efficient, depite that it will cost me more in electricity. Oh well. If I can get the room airconditioned to about 70f I will be know the cab temp won't exceed 75f.

Where I live, running my cab with a 400W light for 18hrs and the fan at full blast for 24 hrs will cost me exactly US$27 for 1 month - that will be my veg month. Now, if I throw in a 400W air conditioner running only when the lights are on (at night) that will bring the cost up to $50 for the month.

Once I turn the lights back to 12/12 my costs will go down, partly because of the 6 hours of darkness I gain and partly because by that time the season will begin to change and ambient temps will go down in the room, I might only need ot use the air conditioner for the first month of bloom...costing me about US$35 in total.

I don't plan on having to pay any less than $130 in electricity costs for this first grow...after that, I will be growing out the clones from the best donor plant out of this batch and won't have to do an 18hr veg anymore. I will be using my aero cloner (28w of blue fluoros) for a 1 week veg after clones have rooted. I will also have to make a smaller cab for the mother plant, but will only use probably 50W of fluoros, so it will be a nominal monthly electric cost.

Once winter hits, I believe this cabinet will be very efficient since I willnot be heating the room in which it resides.

Suggestions?

Thanks,

WMB

 

[Guest]

sounds like you have it covered bro!
oh yeah, you might want to get some bubblebags to make hash with after your done : )
best weed investment i've ever made!

keep us updated!

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

for sure - they're just so pricey!

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

All Finished!

Gotta fix up some light leaks and buy a speed controller for the Vortex but I can now go throw some Feminised NL beans in some rockwool and get this grow started!

Plan:

Germ 5 beans
Veg under 400W MH for 4-5 weeks, 4 in soil - 1 in Hydro
Flower under 400W HPS, take clones during 12/12switch
Root clones in homemaqde aero cloner
Veg clones in separate veg box (micro, fluoros)
------------
By the time harvest comes around, I will know which pheno I want to keep as a mother and will have a few clones of it to use as mothers. All the other clones I will either grow out or donate to other Med Patients. I will keep the mother in the veg box permanently and grow out only clones from her, about 8-10 at a time in 1gal pots, vegged only for a wek after rooting in the aero cloner. That way I will ahve a SOG and if done right, will be able to harvest every 2 weeks, if all goes to plan.

 

[Garden Knowm]

HI WMB!

I really like spray foam.. it can be a bit messy.. but it has an INCREDIBLE BOND, LIGHT PROOF and AIR TIGHT SEAL (PROOF)....

for permenant jobs.. spray foam is god send!!

iloveyou

BTW - very NICE, CLEAN, RIG!!!!!!!!!