Fan Noise -Better Half does not Like

[crunchyfrog]

First grow, setting up my grow tent. My better half does not like the noise from my grow tent fan. I chose to securely mount the fan outside the tent to a 2 x 8 floor joist in the ceiling of my basement to minimize the vibration of the fan to maximize bearing life of the bearings in the fan. Long story short, I am a seasoned engineer. My fan is directly below our main living space (as is the grow tent) and she wants to do something about the noise from the fan. Fan is a quality fan, working properly, and, as all fans, makes a "slight" noise however, her hearing is world class (as is her smelling). Okay, only a trip to Lowe's for flexible duct and 30 minutes of rearranging to move the fan inside the grow tent, BUT... will I get a significant noise reduction in my living space if I move the fan inside the tent? Sarcastic remarks expected along with experienced based responses. For information, our main living space is a only ply wood and hardwood layer between us and the basement. Muchas gracias por tus respuestas

[Koncentryk]

If you are ok reducing the speed of the fan, plug-in dimmer could be an easy solution

[Canuck147]

Maybe change your fan to something quieter - like what I use - Vortex. $200 but is worth it. Quiet - bought a variable speed control so one can adjust to ones desire.

[smoorman]

Connected to a floor joist means that it is transmitting all of the vibration to the floor above. Low pitch sound really travels. Break the connection to the upstairs somehow. Mount it anywhere else. Then do the wife test. If she can still hear it then maybe she has to go. Just kidding of course.

[crunchyfrog]

Maybe change your fan to something quieter - like what I use - Vortex. $200 but is worth it. Quiet - bought a variable speed control so one can adjust to ones desire.

Thanks Canuck. By the way, put my seedlings in soil medium with 1/3 perlite. Much happier now. Good suggestion. Relative to the fan noise, I have a "Vortex 200 fan" so...

[Canuck147]

Happy roots = big buds

[crunchyfrog]

Connected to a floor joist means that it is transmitting all of the vibration to the floor above. Low pitch sound really travels. Break the connection to the upstairs somehow. Mount it anywhere else. Then do the wife test. If she can still hear it then maybe she has to go. Just kidding of course.

I "hear you" about the low frequency sound. She actually suggested putting in a insulating barrier on the mounting. Did not think it would work but, sort of like engine mounts... probably worth a try!!!

[UndergroundFarmer]

Got any slabs of styrofoam from the packaging? A layer of that between the fan and the joist might deaden the vibes.

[dphipps1020]

I agree with smoorman I don't think it will go away unless mounted somewhere else. I feel like the thinness of the floor is only amplifying the sound. I would assume the same for a nearby wall. If you're persistent about mounting it on the ceiling, have you heard of Dynamat (I think that's how it's spelled)? They make it to deaden the vibration from subwoofers so you don't hear your trunk rattle so much. Not sure what it costs but it may be something to look into.

[homegrown]

Lol crunchyfrog, your wife hit the nail on the head!(smart one..she's a keeper lol) I had same issue with sump pump piping. It was attached to basement ceiling joists with all-around strapping. Noisy as hell when the pump went on. I ended up adding a piece of rubber between the joist mount and the pipe hanger. Think of a car exhaust..it has a rubber hanger between the body of the car and the exhaust..(noise and vibrations) It didnt eliminate the noise but much quieter. How about just setting the complete unit on the floor outside the tent..Thats how i run my fan filter and i cant hear it over my 2 led lights and 2 oscillating fans. I just set the filter canister on the foam pad that came in the shipping box i'll try and get a pic, its jammed back behind my tent. Gives you a bit more room in your tent too.

[Gluteous]

Exactly! Night and day.

[alltatup]

Get her some ear plugs. I wear them at night when the dehumidifier's going during flowering.

[homegrown]

LOL alltatup ..thats terrible advice...hahaha. I'v been married 32 yrs and my wife is the best person i have ever met... but if she said to me. That fan is really loud, and my answer to her was,..Here's some ear plugs....i would then wait for whatever she had in her hand to hit me in the head .lololol

[alltatup]

homegrown I was kidding, and I hope you find a silent solution quickly.

[PRIMO]

Hang it from the joist with a couple of rubber snubbers, aka tarp straps. That'll stop the vibration which causes the noise.

[starramus]

Just turn off, and remove the fan. I have converted to growing at night so cooling of the tent is not a problem. Even with HPS the temperature in my unheated barn is cool enough to avoid any heat build up in the tent. . Partially opening up one flap keeps the temp at a comfortable 78 degrees. I'll be harvested long before the harsh summer temperatures arrive.

[crunchyfrog]

Thanks for all for the suggestions. In the end, I tried a a few things like putting 1" of firm foam between the fan and the joist, 1/4" of cork between the fan and the joist, hanging the fan inside the tent. None of these passed the "noise" test so I ended up moving my grow tent to the other end of the basement where above is a carpeted spare bedroom and put the fan inside the tent. I finally got approval... marriage saved...for now. .

Here is a picture of the plants about to outgrow the solo cups. I will transplant tomorrow after observing temperature in the tent with the light on for a few hours.

[Damngrower]

I've found a lot of the fan noise comes from the exhaust end. A muffler helped me reduce the noise (it was in my bedroom at the time). I also tore off the lining of some spare acoustic ducting and lined the fan box with that. Worked a treat.