Fan controllers and variacs

M

Maximus the green

420 Member
Hi people

I've finally started a little thing of my own. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!
And I've nearly got my setup how I need it....
But the thing I'm struggling with is noise!!
I tried using a speed controller that u plug into, which is food in terms of control over the speed, but it has a very loud hum.

Now I've tried installing a variac, which has no hum at all, but.... it seems to only have one speed instead of 5!!

Now I dont know maybe I have wired it wrong, or maybe there is very little difference between the 5 settings ( which in my opinion their isn't much point to).

I'm at the point where I can crank my digi ballast up to 600 from 400 but either way at the moment the noise is too great with the fan up

Can anyone help me out... I've run out of ideas

Nice one people, look forward to your replies
 
Hey Maximus, Welcome! I agree with you and the noise. The nature of a variac is to vary. On the unit is a voltage knob, yes? That's how it regulates speed. 90 volts is slower than 120 volts for instance. Maybe your unit is different.
 

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:welcome:
 
StoneOtter said:
Hey Maximus, Welcome! I agree with you and the noise. The nature of a variac is to vary. On the unit is a voltage knob, yes? That's how it regulates speed. 90 volts is slower than 120 volts for instance. Maybe your unit is different.
Click to expand...
It has 1 to 5....but 1 isn't any lesser than 2,3,4 or 5. At least it doesnt seem so

Maybe I have wired it up wrong??

There was L and N, then L1 and N1 and the earth.

I wired the power into the L and N which the instructions say is the variable terminals, and the fan into L1 and N1, which it says is the non variable. This is what the instructions said to do, but I'm thinking maybe the fan side should be variable and not the power??

Or is that how the variac functions.... as u said about the voltage knob....

For now I have just plugged the whole thing into the dimmer switch plug so I dont piss my neighbor's off tonight lol
 
Welcome to :420:

Wish I could help :passitleft:
But your in great hands with StoneOtter
 
you should have five settings with one of them being off. so your speed should change. did you not take a picture of the wiring setting before dismantling it?

i've got similar connection on my fan. it has 1-4 settings and the switch failed. lol! i ordered one but now i been waiting to find a time to put it back together.

do you have a AC/DC multimeter to check the wiring connection? perhaps a picture would be nice :)
 
By any chance does your fan have a built in controller too ? I've had several fans like that & they suck. The built in controllers don't work as well as the Ventech Variable speed controllers. I've cut off the built in ones & spliced my wiring to eliminate them. They work much better now. Not sure what this will do for noise; but it made it possible for me to slow my fan down more.
 
It's an rvk fan single speed. No built in controller by the look of it. It's what the shop recommended to go with a controller as the dual speed I had setup before wasnt compatible.

I will take photos as soon as I can and attempt to upload soon.

At the moment I have just plugged it all straight through back to the dimmer switch controller as I think the noise from before might have a attracted some attention....

I'm approaching 3rd week of flower so would be nice to be able to crank it up to 600 from 400 but prob not a good idea just yet.

I bought a silencer yesterday and fitted it to the end of the exhaust but it doesnt seem to have done anything! Lol

I cant throw anymore money at this so for now I'm just stuck with the fan on minimal
 
Maximus the green said:
It's an rvk fan single speed. No built in controller by the look of it. It's what the shop recommended to go with a controller as the dual speed I had setup before wasnt compatible.

I will take photos as soon as I can and attempt to upload soon.

At the moment I have just plugged it all straight through back to the dimmer switch controller as I think the noise from before might have a attracted some attention....

I'm approaching 3rd week of flower so would be nice to be able to crank it up to 600 from 400 but prob not a good idea just yet.

I bought a silencer yesterday and fitted it to the end of the exhaust but it doesnt seem to have done anything! Lol

I cant throw anymore money at this so for now I'm just stuck with the fan on minimal
Click to expand...
I've heard of people (in the old days) putting cardboard boxes with foam in them around their fan to quiet them down.
Not sure if it works. Never did it.
 
Buds Buddy said:
I've heard of people (in the old days) putting cardboard boxes with foam in them around their fan to quiet them down.
Not sure if it works. Never did it.
Click to expand...
Yes I've read about these. Might give it a go on the next one. Will be somewhere different and maybe the noise wont be so much of a factor. In which case il be able to do things exactly how I want them

I'm just thankful I'm able to do this one to be honest, I've waited ages lol

Shes starting to fruit, and soon il have some sticky Blue OG Sherbet in my jar I cant wait
 
Maximus the green said:
Yes I've read about these. Might give it a go on the next one. Will be somewhere different and maybe the noise wont be so much of a factor. In which case il be able to do things exactly how I want them

I'm just thankful I'm able to do this one to be honest, I've waited ages lol

Shes starting to fruit, and soon il have some sticky Blue OG Sherbet in my jar I cant wait
Click to expand...
You must be in a state that just passed recreational. Me too, Arizona. Feels so Good, Just like I knew that it would ... lol.
 
different fans use different types of control. there are different types of exhaust fans, has a lot to do with the motors and the bearings they use. you need to get the right controller type for your fan. otherwise the things hum, the fans make all sorts of noise, and eventually heat to the point of fire hazard and beyond.


light rails and home boy fan controllers are the main reason stealth grows burn.
 
I'd like to see a pic of the unit please. In the meantime check our

extraction ramblings, maybe you'll find an idea. I found the simple taping of seams on all the parts to quiet things down a lot.

Out Of The Tent Extraction Setup

Here's a way to get the extraction equipment out of the tent. I made this one to hang. There's other options for other sizes of filters if you think about it. Here's the pictorial. Let me know if you have questions. And the Muffler section
www.420magazine.com
 
Welcome to the modern vibrating grow room... I have a 8" AC Infinity exhaust fan with a digital controller, it exhausts out of the roof of my grow shed. A neighbor was complaining about the noise, so I purchased and installed a silencer manufactured by AC Infinity . My neighbor has stopped complaining... Thank god! :hookah:
 
bluter said:
different fans use different types of control. there are different types of exhaust fans, has a lot to do with the motors and the bearings they use. you need to get the right controller type for your fan. otherwise the things hum, the fans make all sorts of noise, and eventually heat to the point of fire hazard and beyond.


light rails and home boy fan controllers are the main reason stealth grows burn.
Click to expand...
It's a RVK fan and I've got it wired in to a Fantronix variac controller. Theres no hum with that setup, but the air flow is far too noisy for this particular scenario. So now I've got the whole lot plugged back in to the smart controller again and turned right down, so, the hum is back but overall it's a lot quieter
 
StoneOtter said:
I'd like to see a pic of the unit please. In the meantime check our

extraction ramblings, maybe you'll find an idea. I found the simple taping of seams on all the parts to quiet things down a lot.

Out Of The Tent Extraction Setup

Here's a way to get the extraction equipment out of the tent. I made this one to hang. There's other options for other sizes of filters if you think about it. Here's the pictorial. Let me know if you have questions. And the Muffler section
www.420magazine.com
Click to expand...
As soon as I can get back there I will take photos

Il definitely check that thread out. For my situation, noise is definitely a no no
 
Vegan4life said:
Welcome to the modern vibrating grow room... I have a 8" AC Infinity exhaust fan with a digital controller, it exhausts out of the roof of my grow shed. A neighbor was complaining about the noise, so I purchased and installed a silencer manufactured by AC Infinity . My neighbor has stopped complaining... Thank god! :hookah:
Click to expand...
I put the silencer right on the end of my vent setup and it dont do much.... have I set it up wrong???

Should it be straight after the fan inside the tent... should there be long distances of ducting between it all....
I just dont know

A little advice would be a god send to me right now lol
 

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