Air Circulation

[Rootsruler]

On this next run I'll be switching up a few things as far as air flow in the tent. I'm currently running separate COB boards. They work great but I grow using ScrOG so a bar style light would be better for more even coverage over the entire canopy. I'll be switching out my COB boards for a bar style light. Instead of running oscillating fans to move air across the canopy I'm going to hang a box fan above the bar light, pointed at the roof. Box fans are cheap, last long and pull a lot of CFM. The reasoning behind this is to create an airstream with the box fan that will pull air from the inlet flaps at the bottom of the tent, through the canopy pulling whatever transpiration and gasses the plants have expulsed into the immediate canopy area up through the lights, cooling them and towards the roof of the tent where I will setup my exhaust fan to exhaust out the window. This should eliminate having to have oscillating fans sweeping over the canopy.

Underneath the canopy I can setup the four AC Infinity New gen oscillating fans they just sent me as replacements or set up a few stationary Honeywell Turboforce fans. While air circulation under the canopy will result from either setup, my aim isn't so much to circulate the air under the canopy as it is to push air through the cloth bags to gain whatever type of enrichment the extra O² is providing the root system. It'll create dry spots in the media if air is being directed at the pots themselves but I can do more frequent waterings with less volume to keep those areas hydrated along with whatever capillary action keeping that part of the soil moist.

This last run I setup one Turboforce fan to circulate air under the canopy and I noticed that the flowers that were growing near that fan seemed to really bulk up. I want to see if the fans were pushing some O² through the cloth bags enriching the root zone that made that difference.

Would love to hear where I'm flawed in my plan!!!

 

[MDK]

I'm interested to see this I had proposed a box fan much like a ceiling fan, some were concerned with negative pressure in the tent but idk...better than positive pressure i guess

I think itll work ....imo people really are scared of some airflow. My oscillating fan kinda stopped oscillating so it's kinda just aimed on certain parts constantly and I got no wind damage....I think people trip a little too much on wind/airflow...that shits a good thing in my world

 

[steamroller]

I would think the fans down below would be more effective with air pots over fabric bags.
Cloth bags scare me and pointing a fan directly at them in a tent would concern me.
I am the nervous type when making changes.
I use all types of fans in my room.
20 inch box on the end that has humidifier, heater/AC, 6 inch intake.
16 Oscillating other side with floor fan under it and a 6 inch exhaust.
I like to rustle a few feathers.

 

[Rootsruler]

I'm interested to see this I had proposed a box fan much like a ceiling fan, some were concerned with negative pressure in the tent but idk...better than positive pressure i guess

I think itll work ....imo people really are scared of some airflow. My oscillating fan kinda stopped oscillating so it's kinda just aimed on certain parts constantly and I got no wind damage....I think people trip a little too much on wind/airflow...that shits a good thing in my world

You're not wrong. My goal is to be able to set up an air circulation system that won't cost me an arm and a leg when a fan dies. I love my new ACI fans but the day will come when they turn into paper weights. I can achieve the same circulation volume and effectiveness with one cheap fan rather than having to set up different, more expensive fans that will fail. Just one of those fans will be the same cost as a box fan.

One of the minuses is that the box fan moves a little too much CFM for the exhaust. My exhaust maxes out at 400 cfm. A box fan on its lowest setting puts out around 1,000cfm. This means the box fan will be overwhelming the exhaust fan. Not a huge problem but I don't really want to be recirculating stuff that I would prefer to be exhausting out of the tent. I could get a smaller fan that can be set to move the same as the exhaust but then I'd lose the area the box fan is able to physically cover above the light.

I could be missing something here so the next run I do should give me a much better idea of how viable this setup is. If not I have four beautiful 6 inch oscillating fans I can use.

 

[MDK]

You could always get an intermittent timer for the box fan too, that may give your exhaust a little break?

I currently got a box fan blowing into an inlet on my tent to sort of push air in there...my exhaust fan causes enough negative pressure it'll collapse the sides in without the box fan to offset it some...

 

[steamroller]

One of the minuses is that the box fan moves a little too much CFM for the exhaust. My exhaust maxes out at 400 cfm. A box fan on its lowest setting puts out around 1,000cfm. This means the box fan will be overwhelming the exhaust fan. Not a huge problem but I don't really want to be recirculating stuff that I would prefer to be exhausting out of the tent. I could get a smaller fan that can be set to move the same as the exhaust but then I'd lose the area the box fan is able to physically cover above the light.

Try reducing the box fan by installing a filter over its intake.
simple or expensive 20x20 furnace filter or whatever size for the fan.

 

[Pipecarver]

On this next run I'll be switching up a few things as far as air flow in the tent. I'm currently running separate COB boards. They work great but I grow using ScrOG so a bar style light would be better for more even coverage over the entire canopy. I'll be switching out my COB boards for a bar style light. Instead of running oscillating fans to move air across the canopy I'm going to hang a box fan above the bar light, pointed at the roof. Box fans are cheap, last long and pull a lot of CFM. The reasoning behind this is to create an airstream with the box fan that will pull air from the inlet flaps at the bottom of the tent, through the canopy pulling whatever transpiration and gasses the plants have expulsed into the immediate canopy area up through the lights, cooling them and towards the roof of the tent where I will setup my exhaust fan to exhaust out the window. This should eliminate having to have oscillating fans sweeping over the canopy.

Underneath the canopy I can setup the four AC Infinity New gen oscillating fans they just sent me as replacements or set up a few stationary Honeywell Turboforce fans. While air circulation under the canopy will result from either setup, my aim isn't so much to circulate the air under the canopy as it is to push air through the cloth bags to gain whatever type of enrichment the extra O² is providing the root system. It'll create dry spots in the media if air is being directed at the pots themselves but I can do more frequent waterings with less volume to keep those areas hydrated along with whatever capillary action keeping that part of the soil moist.

This last run I setup one Turboforce fan to circulate air under the canopy and I noticed that the flowers that were growing near that fan seemed to really bulk up. I want to see if the fans were pushing some O² through the cloth bags enriching the root zone that made that difference.

Would love to hear where I'm flawed in my plan!!!

All I try for is air flow through the tent by sucking air out with a 6" fan and using my passive intakes to provide air in....unless its too hot then I suck air in from a colder part of my house to the bottom of my tents. I have 12" osculating over the canopy and a 6" osculating under with a 4" over top of the lights just to move that warm air.....when its hotter & more humid I'll add 1-2 more fans and make everything dance........

I see a lot of folks spending big cash on intake and exhaust fans with controllers..I go cheap amzon warehouse deals and add a dimmer switch for speed control for inline fans and fine tune my humidity with the speed of the exhaust as best I can. Some weather makes that impossible but as long as there's air moving through the tent I'm happy. I know you guys today will have controllers with apps for adjusting things ....i don't own a cell phone so apps are not a requirement

 

[Rootsruler]

I would think the fans down below would be more effective with air pots over fabric bags.
Cloth bags scare me and pointing a fan directly at them in a tent would concern me.
I am the nervous type when making changes.
I use all types of fans in my room.
20 inch box on the end that has humidifier, heater/AC, 6 inch intake.
16 Oscillating other side with floor fan under it and a 6 inch exhaust.
I like to rustle a few feathers.

One of my old school mentors told me the reason you run oscillating fans over the canopy was to strengthen the branches and to keep humidity from building up.

My box fan idea kills many birds with one stone. I liken it to doing compound exercises in a workout routine. I can do isolation lifts and get results but I can do compound exercises and get the same results without having to spend 3 hours in the gym as my movements are moving several muscles rather than just one. I can do the same 3 hour workout in 45 minutes. A box fan, setup the way I described, would be able to do several jobs with only one fan. at least that is what I'm hoping will happen.

I agree air pots and fans would be even better than cloth pots. I also acknowledge that pointing fans directly at cloth pots will invite dry spots in the media. To avoid this I want to try and alter my watering schedule to every day but with less volume then, maybe once every week, do a deep watering to replenish the perched water table. Not sure yet. This is uncharted territory for me.

 

[Pipecarver]

You could always get an intermittent timer for the box fan too, that may give your exhaust a little break?

I currently got a box fan blowing into an inlet on my tent to sort of push air in there...my exhaust fan causes enough negative pressure it'll collapse the sides in without the box fan to offset it some...

My exhaust fans are on 24/7/ 365....fans like running more than stopping and going. I ran a bathroom exhaust fans for close to 10 years non stop in my veg closets until they started to sing.....I would have used another but you guys and all your influence & your fancy gadgets with name brand stuff, I had to join the crowd..I draw the line on apps though, one mention of a wifi connected fan I'm out of that conversation.....lol

 

[Rootsruler]

You could always get an intermittent timer for the box fan too, that may give your exhaust a little break?

I currently got a box fan blowing into an inlet on my tent to sort of push air in there...my exhaust fan causes enough negative pressure it'll collapse the sides in without the box fan to offset it some...

Try reducing the box fan by installing a filter over its intake.
simple or expensive 20x20 furnace filter or whatever size for the fan.

Not sure if I could setup a speed controller for a box fan. That might be a way I could drop the CFM but still preserve the coverage over the light I want to have. Most of the 20" box fans I've used have 3 speed settings. Would I have to bypass the speed setting pot and connect it directly to the Speed controller?

 

[Pipecarver]

Not sure if I could setup a speed controller for a box fan. That might be a way I could drop the CFM but still preserve the coverage over the light I want to have. Most of the 20" box fans I've used have 3 speed settings. Would I have to bypass the speed setting pot and connect it directly to the Speed controller?

You can but you'll have to remove or bypass the existing switch / dimmer. It should be a motor control dimmer not a house light dimmer, I use BBQ fan switches/dimmers and hot glue in place about $13 amzon

 

[steamroller]

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

This one just plugs in inline.
Who would have thought. Not exactly high tech but yea~!

 

[Rootsruler]

You can but you'll have to remove or bypass the existing switch / dimmer. It should be a motor control dimmer not a house light dimmer, I use BBQ fan switches/dimmers and hot glue in place about $13 amzon
View attachment 49094

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

This one just plugs in inline.
Who would have thought. Not exactly high tech but yea~!

SWEET! I think @steamroller solution is a little more practical so that I don't have to tear apart the box fan but I love the BBQ controller you posted. That can work for some other projects I have going!

 

[GrumpAzz]

This is above my light blowing up.

Above all else, I noticed it kept the leaf temps on the canopy much more consistent.

 

[SSgrower]

Try reducing the box fan by installing a filter over its intake.
simple or expensive 20x20 furnace filter or whatever size for the fan.

Ok guy's, we gotta remember VPD in the tent's micro climate, neg. pressure is good. I just got the A/C Infinity controller 69 and My setup is within 1.2 down to .75 but today it dropped to .35 why? I like to know, I then turned off lights for a short dark period. Perfection in a Home Lung Room is hard to achieve, but I like the filter idea to slow the CFM of the box fan. Think about stress on motor? SS

 

[Pipecarver]

SWEET! I think @steamroller solution is a little more practical so that I don't have to tear apart the box fan but I love the BBQ controller you posted. That can work for some other projects I have going!

I really use this one it was $13 - 2 years ago fkers jacked the price up. I saw the other at the price point so I posted that one as an example. I hot glued them to the side of the fans.

 

[Rootsruler]

This is above my light blowing up.

Above all else, I noticed it kept the leaf temps on the canopy much more consistent.
View attachment 49104

What setting did you run the fan at? IIRC, your tent is a 4 x 4?

 

[GrumpAzz]

What setting did you run the fan at? IIRC, your tent is a 4 x 4?

I'm in a 5x5 and I run that fan at it's lowest setting. I just kicked it on last week or so because it does add quite a bit of wiggle to the canopy.

I also run two honeywell fans on the floor. One points up at the heater and the other blows at the humidifier. These are also on the lowest setting.

 

[Pipecarver]

This is above my light blowing up.

Above all else, I noticed it kept the leaf temps on the canopy much more consistent.
View attachment 49104

Wow, that's some fan in a tent, no stale air with that fker blowing...eh?

 

[GrumpAzz]

Wow, that's some fan in a tent, no stale air with that fker blowing...eh?

That was the plan. I get even temps across the canopy with just a little bit of dance in the leaves.