Fan circulation and position in 4x4 tent

koalajesus

koalajesus

Active Member
Hello!

Was brainstorming new ideas for my tent setup and I was thinking about clip fans, floor fans, oscillating, etc.

So my main question pertains to fans blowing on the plant itself to provide airflow.

Regarding the position, I almost always see a recommendation for air flow on top of the canopy and flow for the bottom as well. Most of the time, under the canopy is the optional and over the canopy is always needed.

My new setup (and experience with tent pole clip oscillating fans) has led me to oscillating floor fans, but to get one above the canopy, it'd be on a stand much higher than the one at the pot/medium level. Aesthetically, not that pleasing.

So I was wondering if two floor fans pointing up and an angle and oscillating from underneath the canopy would be enough air flow for roughly 4 plants in the 4x4?

Seems silly to make this decision over looks, but that OCD can kick hard sometimes.

Thanks reading!
 
V256.420

V256.420

Well-Known Member
You can but this may give you another idea. I recently installed all new LED lights in my tents. I had to adjust where all the fans went and where the new intakes would come from. So I went with 2 incoming 6" passive intakes at the bottom of my tents and 2 fans with specially made holders to fit on the poles blowing towards the output up top. Some pics might explain better.


The fans tilted slightly upwards blowing on the light towards the exhaust which is above and on the other side.
DSCN0823.JPG

Here is the exhaust which leads to a duct silencer that sits on a fan which sits on a filter.

DSCN0826.JPG

DSCN0812.JPG

DSCN0811.JPG

Overkill a bit for some but I want it as quiet and odorless as I can get it. This pic also shows the passive duct on the bottom from the outside.

Here is a pic from the inside on another tent that shows the passive air coming in. This is the air I use to "blow" over the plants. They get plenty of movement like this so no need for lower fans.

DSCN0824.JPG

When the tent is closed that air moves plenty.

Here is the special holder I use for the fans.

DSCN0825.JPG

He makes these replacements for 16, 19 and 22 mm pole thickness

Just some ideas for you to toss around.
 
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Star Dog

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
I'd taken down for a photo but you'll get the idea.
_20210621_215213.JPG
the wooden pole (left) with the fan on it fixes in the middle, I've got it oscillating over the lights and it catches the canopy lightly, out of sight on the floor there's another fan facing up to the oscillating fan, the idea is that the floor fan pushes up the cool air coming in through the passives.

Be careful your fan doesn't/can't push/waft air out of the inlets.
 
koalajesus

koalajesus

Active Member
Thanks for the replies guys! Definitely helping me formulate a solution by seeing what others have come up with.

I like the idea of passive intake and the air being pulled through as the "blowing air" for the lower part of the plant. I have some downsides though that has kept me away from passive intake in my setup.

I live the dryer parts of Arizona and so my humidity is terribly low. Passive intake leads to low humidity very fast, seen it get as low as 28% and as hot as 90 degrees with lights at full blast. The ambient room conditions are about 77-79 degrees and 35-40% humidity. I can't extract the air out of this room, leading to outake air being recycled, and heating the room slowly. The higher I get the fans going, the more it would stay hot and just dry up moisture in the air. Was running into this as I started my first grow and found a neat DIY solution.

I closed up the passives and installed an intake fan that hooked up to this 5 gallon bucket I drilled holes in. Inside the bucket is two layers of swamp cooler pads rolled into a cylinder, then a water pump hooked up to a tube that loops in a circle at the top of the pads and holes in the circle.

IMG_20210428_084535.jpg

i wish I had a picture of the inside to describe it better, but I just have this on me. Basically, the water pump pushes water up the tube into a tube ring with water dripping out the holes and onto the pads, then air pulls in, grabbing some moisture along the way, and comes into the tent.
Running this brings my tent conditions to 79 degrees and 52%-55% humidity with full power lights. With lights off so does the pump in the bucket for the water, so air still flows in, but not as much moisture. Roughly 73 degrees and 47%-50% humidity.

A long way of explaining my passive intake issues, but that's what I have going on.

Additionally, I have seen and love the idea of those 3D printed attachments for clip fans to go to poles, but I would think an oscillating fan is needed to prevent wind burn? Just having them stationary instead of rotating seems like it might not do as great. Your pictures speak for themselves though!

Might have to mull things over and revamp my thoughts on what I consider viable.
 
Star Dog

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
koalajesus said:
Thanks for the replies guys! Definitely helping me formulate a solution by seeing what others have come up with.

I like the idea of passive intake and the air being pulled through as the "blowing air" for the lower part of the plant. I have some downsides though that has kept me away from passive intake in my setup.

I live the dryer parts of Arizona and so my humidity is terribly low. Passive intake leads to low humidity very fast, seen it get as low as 28% and as hot as 90 degrees with lights at full blast. The ambient room conditions are about 77-79 degrees and 35-40% humidity. I can't extract the air out of this room, leading to outake air being recycled, and heating the room slowly. The higher I get the fans going, the more it would stay hot and just dry up moisture in the air. Was running into this as I started my first grow and found a neat DIY solution.

I closed up the passives and installed an intake fan that hooked up to this 5 gallon bucket I drilled holes in. Inside the bucket is two layers of swamp cooler pads rolled into a cylinder, then a water pump hooked up to a tube that loops in a circle at the top of the pads and holes in the circle.

View attachment 4928212

i wish I had a picture of the inside to describe it better, but I just have this on me. Basically, the water pump pushes water up the tube into a tube ring with water dripping out the holes and onto the pads, then air pulls in, grabbing some moisture along the way, and comes into the tent.
Running this brings my tent conditions to 79 degrees and 52%-55% humidity with full power lights. With lights off so does the pump in the bucket for the water, so air still flows in, but not as much moisture. Roughly 73 degrees and 47%-50% humidity.

A long way of explaining my passive intake issues, but that's what I have going on.

Additionally, I have seen and love the idea of those 3D printed attachments for clip fans to go to poles, but I would think an oscillating fan is needed to prevent wind burn? Just having them stationary instead of rotating seems like it might not do as great. Your pictures speak for themselves though!

Might have to mull things over and revamp my thoughts on what I consider viable.
Click to expand...
I used to have a similar bucket set up with a sonic mister and a small fan to add rh%, the bucket was kept at the optimum height using a smart valve.
My needs for it were limited to a couple of weeks during seedling/clone stage in summertime, even then 50% would be relatively dry for me, it was a novelty to make and didn't get used much, however in your situation it could be useful?
I see your aware of wind burn, its a very real problem ime.

Cool and humid are the issues I deal with mostly, I've found messing around with the angles/speeds of fans can make a worthy difference (1.5/2c) to the temperature and humidity, adding ducting to the inside of the vents can make sure your collecting it with a fan rather than it heading straight for the filter without being pulled through the canopy.

I'm just putting random stuff down that comes to mind, they all make a difference to some degree ime.
 
SkorpeonDan

SkorpeonDan

New Member
I have 4x4x8 tent, currently just 4 autos at about 6 weeks and here is my setup:
4" carbon exhaust running constantly to keep air flowing since I'm trying to 'dial-in' temp and humidity better because my VPD climbs a lot daily when lights are on; so besides the 4" exhaust I have four (4) oscillating fans, 2-6" clip-on and 2-4" flat bottom/clip-on.
My 6" are placed so one is blowing just at/above the canopy and oscillating, one 6" is placed oscillating towards/over/above the light to remove heat, a 4" is using a magnet through the floor screen to bring in outside air and blow across bottom center between the plants and the last 4" is above all others and just below the inline carbon exhaust but on the opposite corner of tent from the exhaust. Zero dead spots and it's that final 4" fan making sure the last breezes crosses the heated air above lights to the exhaust of the tent. This may seem like overkill but nothing is swaying hard causing damage and it helps me keep temp/humidity where I want it and the higher VPD during the day isn't adversely giving issues to the plants and I believe it's because of the air flow they now have. All fans are running constantly, exhaust at 10 and smaller oscillating fans (all 4) run at half speed, I'll adjust if I need to if plants show signs of anything but truth is, once I placed all these fans, the plants started jumping in good healthy growth.
 
J

joesoap2013

Well-Known Member
I have a clip on but not a fan of them they are loud
I'm thinking maybe getting a desktop fan bungee cord have it tied to the bar on the tent ceiling
Did have mine at light height blowing the warm air down
Have it right under the net atm
Have done this before ..like the branches are right in the line of the fan and don't want to be there they will stretch up past the net
I used to do this with hps growing I did think you could manipulate the plant using the fan that way
But I defo will have the fan out of the road when the tents full ..thats a yield decreaser having it at canopy level bids should be growing there
 
Jimski

Jimski

Well-Known Member
New guy here. In a short 2.7x2.7 I am very limeted by space. I placed the exhaust on extraction and put it on the roof with the carbon filter. I built a space panel even with the dws pots and wrapped it in mylar. the underside has all mechanicals for the pots and I can extract and fill and test ph/ec/ppm without opening the tent. The pots mount to the panel which can be lifted with slide pull mounts at all 4 corners. The panel and pots can be lifted as a unit leaving buckets on the floor to be remove or the panel can be lowered to the floor. The entire grow will lift even the scrog weave.
The underside with the buckets has a fan on extraction that pulls air through the bottom section. There is a 1way duct in the devider panel. The extraction method keeps this closed and is the same temp and humidity as lung room. When airflow is needed top mounted extraction fan turns on and lower section fan turns off allowing one way duct to open. 2 x 150 watt led with fans on top. One clip on orbital fan and one fan level with panel does not move. Instead I have a few curved plastic forms to direct air whereI want. Soon to launch my first grow.
Jimski
 
SkorpeonDan

SkorpeonDan

New Member
Jimski said:
New guy here. In a short 2.7x2.7 I am very limeted by space. I placed the exhaust on extraction and put it on the roof with the carbon filter. I built a space panel even with the dws pots and wrapped it in mylar. the underside has all mechanicals for the pots and I can extract and fill and test ph/ec/ppm without opening the tent. The pots mount to the panel which can be lifted with slide pull mounts at all 4 corners. The panel and pots can be lifted as a unit leaving buckets on the floor to be remove or the panel can be lowered to the floor. The entire grow will lift even the scrog weave.
The underside with the buckets has a fan on extraction that pulls air through the bottom section. There is a 1way duct in the devider panel. The extraction method keeps this closed and is the same temp and humidity as lung room. When airflow is needed top mounted extraction fan turns on and lower section fan turns off allowing one way duct to open. 2 x 150 watt led with fans on top. One clip on orbital fan and one fan level with panel does not move. Instead I have a few curved plastic forms to direct air whereI want. Soon to launch my first grow.
Jimski
Click to expand...
Love the engineering it sounds like you've put into this to maximize your grow space so you can control the environment as easily and the best way that you can, especially since you're also saying that you're about to start your first grow within it. I'd love to see pictures of the different steps of the build, grow setups always amaze me and I personally love seeing people use the basic supplies and then do 'Extra' for their own needs or what they think will be cool.
No doubt the ideas will keep coming and changing for you so remember small changes on-the-fly only as needed for that specific grow and those plants needs and then save any major changes for next grow you start.
 
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