# My grow closet! exhaust fan issues n Q



## TokeWithHope (Sep 3, 2008)

hey guys i just started building my grow closet, but im still doing all the necessary planning to make sure i do everything right the first time. so my box is 1'8 - 2'4 - 6'8 d- w -h   its one of those white cabinet's from home depot.  but im thinking about the ventilation/ exhaust. im thinking about buying a 6'' vortech but i was wondering. if its possible to put the vortex in my attic and run ducting to my box, suck air from my box then push it through a carbon filter and then of course straight into my attic. would this be possible? the attic is only about a foot away from my box. and how much cfm would u say i need in my exhaust fan. also do i need an intake fan aswell? there are 1/4 inch cracks by the hinges on the 2 doors butim thinking of throwing a blanket over it to stop the light. any ideas or remarks are welcomed plz help me. and thank you everybody!


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## PUFF MONKEY (Sep 3, 2008)

i would use a 180 cfm fan with speed control set to low and run it 24/7...the attic thing sounds perfect.no intake fan is needed with a small volume area like that but you could install a flap near the bottom to bring in fresh air. i would cut a 2x6" slot on each side and hinge a flap on the inside of the box so that the created vacuum opens the flaps to bring in air....as for the 1/4" "cracks" around the door, try removing the doors and applying an even bead of dark colored silicone on the back of the doors where the "crack" would be and allow to cure before reattaching the doors. that should not only make a light barrier but also keep the smell in...


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## Killertea08 (Sep 3, 2008)

I would hang the carbon filter on its side up against the ceiling connected to an elbow going up through the top where your vortex sits right on top no need to mount to the side unless you want to.  then run your ducting straight to the attic.  the hole thing is in a big "L" shape.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 3, 2008)

are u saying right on top of the box? the thing is im trying to make it as quiet as possible and by having the fan in the attic i dont believe it would be as easily heard i have room to put it inside my box im just wanting to know if this process would work? and i can purchase a bigger fan if need be to suck in all that air (thank god for travelers insurance). but could u possibly make a simple pic im confused?


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## Killertea08 (Sep 3, 2008)

ok I will try


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## Killertea08 (Sep 3, 2008)

Maby I can explain a little bit better.  Yes you are going to put your inline fan on top of the box.  When you cut your hole you just stick your fan in the hole you wouldnt have to mount it to the side of anything because its secure enought in the hole.  Now get some "J" Hooks to screw into the ceiling a total of 4 are needed and the carbon filter will be in the middle.  You can use bungee cords from J hook to J hook over the top of the filter to secure it to the ceiling.  Then run an elbow from your filter to your fan on the top of the box and ducting to the attic.  Your Idea works too if your concerned about noise but the vortex is pretty quiet.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 3, 2008)

rle cause i have heard some people say it isnt that quiet as well as i have heard some say it is. but how big of a vortex do u think i need? also should i run it by sucking air from the box through the ducting and then out the carbon filter? or through the carbon filter then the ducting then out the attic?


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## Killertea08 (Sep 3, 2008)

They are pretty quite the squirrel cage fans are load and you have to oil them.  You should be ok with a 6in in case you want to upgrade your lamp later. 

View attachment box.bmp


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## Killertea08 (Sep 3, 2008)

now that I think about it your length and width of your closet is not very big.  So I would suction the air and have the filter outside the box and vent through the filter into the attic.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 3, 2008)

so is that the carbon filter inside of the box?


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## Rogue (Sep 4, 2008)

Most carbon filters are meant to be on the intake not the exhaust side of the setup. You might want to check yours before doing anything. 

You best bet IMHO would be to mount the filter in the box along the top and run a duct up to the attic through the the top of the box. Put the fan in the attic. You can never make it to quiet. You might still want a fan control too, your doors might whistle if the flow is to high, just a thought. 

As for the gaps on the doors the silicon is a good idea or you might try that sticky backed foam tape weather striping stuff. It comes in all kinds of widths and thicknesses.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 4, 2008)

ya im planning on buying a speed controller as well, so just place the filter in the box attach ducting to the filter and run the ducting to the attic out the fan thats it? 

and also for a temp controller, like the one in the link below, do i simply plug in the ac cord from the 6 in vortex fan to it and set the temp i want and it will turn the fan on and off when needed?
thanks for ur help

http://www.nehydro.net/index.php?ma...id=337&zenid=55528d5e91c22b710f3b536789f01a12

this is what im planning on buying

http://www.nehydro.net/index.php?ma..._id=36&zenid=55528d5e91c22b710f3b536789f01a12

http://www.nehydro.net/index.php?ma...id=536&zenid=55528d5e91c22b710f3b536789f01a12

http://www.nehydro.net/index.php?ma...id=125&zenid=55528d5e91c22b710f3b536789f01a12

would all of this work okay for my box in my setup?


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## Killertea08 (Sep 4, 2008)

Your controller will work yes!  And It works very well if you want bottled co2.  If your going to be using a/c then you dont need to pull in fresh air your supplementing it with the bottle.  Have your a/c on a thermostat to turn on when temp rise above your setting.  Have another controller for your co2.  So at a certain times throughout the day your exhaust turns on to expel used co2 and your co2 shuts off so you dont loose any of it.  your a/c keeps temps at 80 and your set.


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## Killertea08 (Sep 4, 2008)

There are thermostats for inline fans and a/c and co2 I just depends what you want.  If you just want it for your fan then thats cool because then you dont have to run your fan 24/7.


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## bud.uncle (Sep 4, 2008)

Venting into your attic space is not a good idea.

Warm moist air condenses

This may not be an issue during the warmer months

But

During cold weather this condensation could very well cause all sorts of issues

MOLD

ROT

Which can not only damage your property but also your health.

Now

Placing the  ventilating fan in the attic, above your grow, is not a bad thing.

 However you would be best to vent direct to the outside from this space.


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## Hick (Sep 4, 2008)

..if you're injecting co2, I believe the low to mid 90's is recommended for best utilization, too.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 4, 2008)

well i dont plan on using co2 for my grow because i dont have the money to do it right and its my first grow so im tryn to keep it simple. also i live in florida where the temp rarely gets below 80 and if so will hardly ever go below 70 so is this still a problem with mold, etc.? and so this temp controller work with my fan? do i simply plug the ac cord into the temp controller or what if so how do i also plug into the power cord?


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## ugmjfarmer (Sep 9, 2008)

bud.uncle said:
			
		

> However you would be best to vent direct to the outside from this space.



Venting any amount of heat outside of the house for 12-18 hours a day is FLIR bait. Its one thing if it smells like laundry and the heat is vented for only 1 hour tops, but when it smells like carbon and is just hot air at a much higher volume than a dryer, i think your potentially opening yourself up to LEO being able to get a warrant for your home.

What if your carbon filter fails and you vent full smelly air outside?
What if your neighbors notice the modification and report it as suspicious?
What if nothing happens?

For me, the risk of venting outside is too great. I would rather vent into a crawl space, attic or into an interior room to avoid the risks associated with escaping heat and smell. Besides that, in my attic the heater is located there, so there is always a circulation of air happening. The attic is perfect for me.


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## TokeWithHope (Sep 9, 2008)

ok and if there isnt any circulating air minus what my fan pushes, would venting the filtered air into my attic have any negative side affects? and dont they need a warrant to use a flir? plus i live on alot of land here and there would be no visible mods to the outside so im not worried about that just wether it could do any harmd to my attic?


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