In-Line Fan/Blower Muffling/Noise Reduction

Just got a new 6 inch in-line blower and it sounds like a jet engine (so much for the "quietness' they advertise. I've tried to come up with a couple of ideas on how to reduce the noise. I've thought about placing the fan inside a small 10 gallon storage bin, then placing that bin in a larger 30 gallon bin and placing crumpled newspaper or something between them. Then I'll just cut side holes to run the ducting through. Any other ideas or tried/true methods?

My fans also sounds like jet engines. Luckily they are far enough away they don't bother me so i haven't had a need to try any of these tricks.

Some things I've HEARD (not experience) might do the trick:
1) Use straight duct work (not the easy to use bendy kind) less resistance is supposed to equal less noise
2) Use insulated duct work (absorb the noise)
3) Mount the fans using rubber grommets to reduce the vibration that is causing the noise
4) Mount the fan using bungie cords (same idea as number 3 - only more likely to reduce vibration and hence - noise)

make everyone who comes near your grow wear sound muffling headphones

*MALICE* said:

make everyone who comes near your grow wear sound muffling headphones

Click to expand...

LOL - hilarious

you could probably get some of that egg crate material they use like in home recording studios i would think that would work and i think its pretty cheap too

I am running into the same problem. I got a 440 cfm inline fan today to replace a smaller fan that isn't blowing enough (house is getting stinky.) My exhaust blows back into the main part of my very small house, and it's super loud outside the room now, audible in the whole house. I don't know what to do, I can't have that noise, but I can't have the smell either.

Did you guys ever work something out? I also am looking to deal with this problem...
I think I'm going to wrap the ducting with egg-crate foam. Other than that, maybe I'll make a soundproof box for the fan itself.

insulated straight ducting with a fan properly mounted should help. i have a 6in ducted vortex inline fan its actually not that loud at all

what about a fan control switch.It doesnt have to be that fast,I have the 440 too.but I reversed my fans. the 440 goes to my light and keeps it ice cold and the exaust fan goes to my carbon filter, the fan controll switch works good espesially when I know family and friends are comming.

Yeah, I was looking into that...Is there a fan control switch that could power a 3-prong outlet? I am not seeing much in the way of ways to "dim" something if it's plugged into a normal switch...perhaps you can point me in the right direction?

TYIA

Be carefull with the fan controll switch. You can see from my grow log. I burned my plants using the variable speed switch. I turned it too far down and the light got too hot. BE CAREFUL and have a thermomoter

Control Wizard Products

Plug and play fan speed controller. They sell them at the hydro store by my house for $25

HTH

yea !at Hydroponics, Indoor Gardening Supplies, Hydroponic Systems - Home they have a speed controll, the speedster $29.95. when you say three prong you mean ground. two up top and ground on bottum. your not talking about 240 are you? no wiring needed just plug your fan into the switch that they give you and plug the switch into the wall. easy! the switch is adjustible

So these do the trick well? I'm a first-timer, and have thus-far spared no expense ($650 and counting...) Silence is a must, as is adequate ventilation!

At home deopt or lowes or a hardware store they have one (I have a pic in my growlog) and they are under 15 dollars but you have to buy the adapter for the 2 to 3 pron for only like 69 cents. These work just as good as the ones for twice as much. They are on a cord too so you can controll it from anywhere.

Alright Bros, I figured out a pretty sweet solution after racking my brain for awhile. I took the cardboard box my fan came in and laid it horizontally. It was wide enough that my blower could still stand up straight inside (but any cardboard box will do as long as it fits in the next step). I then cut 6 inch holes for ducting in the cardboard in prep for the next step.

I then placed the box, with fan, inside one of the spare rubbermaid (think they're 25 gallon) storage containers I had. I then cut the same size 6 inch holes in the rubbermaid. Then, between the cardboard and the rubbermaid, I put spare egg carton shipping material for noise dampening (popcorn styro, crumpled newspaper, etc would work here).

I then connected the ducting through the outer and inner holes and put the lid on. Once the ducting is run out, it's about 80% more quiet than before. In fact, with the door closed to the grow room, it's almost silent from outside. Also, the exhaust is very quiet, just sounds like a faint dryer vent.

I'll post some pics tomorrow if someone hits me up with a PM reminder.

Here's one fan speed controller. If your using a carbon filter, you can slow the fan down which will help reduce smell. Some people run there fan to high with the filter and it makes it less sufficient. The carbon filter also filters out some of that noise. The fan controller can also help you dial in the right temps by controlling the fan speed. Good Luck


Fan Speed Controller Plug and Play [FAN-CTR] - $29.95 : neHydro.com, Hydroponics and Gardening Supplies

Do you have a filter? A carbon filter will quiet it down a bit too. I have an odor sock, which is basically just material (as opposed to the metal housing and flange that the can style filters have) and it works to keep it somewhat quieter. Try playing music to cover the sound. Plants love music!

I was at a Dollar General store and bought a wireless remote ( $10 ). It was being sold for christmas lights. You plug the base into your electrical outlet and plug your fan into the base. If someone happens to stop by your house, you press the off button on the key chain remote and it kills just the fan and it's noise till you press on again. If off for to long and you can burn your tops and the smell will start to accumulate if it's off for to long. Works perfect for short visits.

Sweet man, seems like you got it down. You got any pics of the crop?