Alternatives to garbage oscillating fans

MedicalHydroponics said:

Something like this using 2 opposite directions for racetrack airflow. https://www.amazon.com/Hon-Guan-Inline-Booster-Controller/dp/B0C7Z82L7P/ref=pd_aw_ci_mcx_pspc_dp_m_m_t_7?pd_rd_w=RlD48&content-id=amzn1.sym.5c97c170-02be-4e9b-90c7-2e7b8e65d504&pf_rd_p=5c97c170-02be-4e9b-90c7-2e7b8e65d504&pf_rd_r=5BR9PMMETTT6VPP6P1SK&pd_rd_wg=pM4Da&pd_rd_r=e8194abf-3a20-4cdf-b9c9-c8e4edd19ced&pd_rd_i=B0C7Z82L7P#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

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Any experience with this booster fan? A common complaint is booster fans make a ton of noise. I have 6 inch tent ducts so I'd probably just run it on low through the hole next to the intake vent. Hopefully it wouldn't require too much juice as my lights dim when I plug in even a printer so I'm pretty close to maxing the load on the breaker I'm assuming.

RuggedWombat said:

Do you need air flow directly on the plants or just air flow to dissipate heat over the canopy?

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You want every leaf to dance. Not blowing and pushing, but dancing.

Air needs to flow through the plants to remove moist air to help the plants evaporate water.
Too much airflow is bad; it will cause plants to close stomata.
That's why oscillating fans are used.

Rennpappe said:

Air needs to flow through the plants to remove moist air to help the plants evaporate water.
Too much airflow is bad; it will cause plants to close stomata.
That's why oscillating fans are used.

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Yes, too much is not good. But you absolutely do not need an oscillating fan. Intakes and exhaust ports on a tent have socks. You can manipulate those socks to direct airflow.

A 2x4 space is small don’t need much to move air around. These times 2024 it’s all about efficiency and quality at the price point you want, That means using the least amount of watts that will last years.. these have a variable speed which is nice and we got a face it. Everything is being made in China right now so it’s hard to get really good quality but they do make some nice items. (finding and knowing which items is the tough part.)
The one I posted is a good idea not necessarily the brand I endorse.

airflow above the canopy and opposite directions is what all greenhouse/indoor set ups do. Those are much bigger areas to cover than a 2 x 4 others will use crosswinds. The general consensus is oscillating fans are obsolete and inefficient.

MedicalHydroponics said:

Probably a better option

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That would be an OK exhaust or intake fan.

RuggedWombat said:

Funny enough yes I used this exact fan and it worked for awhile, but then the motor slowly got louder and louder over time when oscillating. I think the above post about residential equipment for commercial use is the answer. Fans just aren't meant to be ran 24/7 for months on end and inevitably that wear and tear shows in the part with the most mechanical movement which is the oscillation itself. Another reason why I'm hoping to find a one fan solution in a stationary spot to be done with moving fans for good.

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Are you aware of the free replacement scheme they've done on all faulty cloudrays?

I wasn't until a good egg DMd me, I applied last week and it arrived today, no need to send original back either, which is good since I'm on UK.

In other news, I use 16" wall mounted fans in all my flower tents, mounted to the ceiling.
Might be a bit big for a 2x4 though.

Alternatively, PC fans and a controller, they never fail , least none I've had .
Obviously no oscillation but you can have them under canopy, attached to anything really.

RuggedWombat said:

Do you need air flow directly on the plants or just air flow to dissipate heat over the canopy?

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Directly, they should dance slightly, it stops microclimates and thus PM or rot and helps transpiration

The best solution to unreliable oscillating fans is not to use an oscillating fan.

I've had the same two ~$10 non-oscillating fans running for the past 4 years.

Positioned in opposite corners as in the 'small' diagram above; works great.

Less expensive and far more reliable than oscillating fans.

Yeah, it seems its the mechanism that oscillates that buggers them.

Mind you I think I've set up maybe 6 x 16 wall mounted fans on tent ceilings and only one failed and that was after a few years, at £28 its good value

Yup, unless you spend the big bucks for something industrial with a real bearing and gear mechanism, they're lucky to last a few hundred hours of runtime.

I'd like to see someone knock up a little pole bracket for PC fans. Unfortunately I have no knowledge of 3d printing, or a 3rd printer

Anything is possible with the help of Superman.

@Billy the Mountain so you have a kind of slowmo tornado in your room.
Yes, I think that would work. I have to remember this.

Billy the Mountain said:

Yup, unless you spend the big bucks for something industrial with a real bearing and gear mechanism, they're lucky to last a few hundred hours of runtime.

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I guess I must of lucked out with mine. I bought my first one 1/14/2023. Went back to my grow records and that fan has been through 4.5 auto-flower grows running and oscillating 24/7. I average about 13 weeks per grow. There are 168 hours in a week, so that's 2,184 per grow. Multiply that by 4.5 grows is a total of 9,828 hours that this one fan has been running and oscillating to date.

I think that like any other mechanical device maintenance is key, especially in the grow tent environment. It's really hard to believe how much more quiet and smoothly the fan runs after cleaning and oiling. After my current grow I will see if I can get into the oscillation mechanism without damaging it to take a look. When I've done that with the cheaper ones, they are pretty janky with plastic gears and a little grease and there's really no fixing them.

I found a deal on Amazon for the cheap white stationary fans, 10 for like $2.50 each. You can create pretty good airflow pointing them at the tent walls.

The new AC Infinity V2 osc. fans are fantastic. They changed the entire rotating mechanism to have less weight bearing down on it, I'm sure this will extend the lifetime dramatically. Plus they have 2 year warranty program- even if they do crap out eventually they will be replaced for free.

FYI, AC Infinity is offering free upgrades to all V1 fan owners. You just need the serial number and the order number. I bought 2 at two different times from Amazon last year, through AC Infinity's shop, and they replaced both. My serial numbers were even worn off from the tent and it wasn't an issue. When I submitted for replacement they said it would take up to 6 weeks but I got them both in about 4 days.

Also you don't have to send back the originals.

Here's a link to the form:

Redeem Your CLOUDRAY S6 Gen 2 Upgrade! (acinfinity.com)

Qube said:

FYI, AC Infinity is offering free upgrades to all V1 fan owners. You just need the serial number and the order number. I bought 2 at two different times from Amazon last year, through AC Infinity's shop, and they replaced both. My serial numbers were even worn off from the tent and it wasn't an issue. When I submitted for replacement they said it would take up to 6 weeks but I got them both in about 4 days.

Also you don't have to send back the originals.

Here's a link to the form:

Redeem Your CLOUDRAY S6 Gen 2 Upgrade! (acinfinity.com)

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That's awesome! Thanks