Are computer fans strong enough to pull through a small carbon filter?

praiseodin

praiseodin

Active Member
hey guys, ive been having doubts lately about whether a 120mm PC fan is strong enough to pull through a DIY carbon filter. Do you guys use any special kind of fans for that, does it need to be at a certain speed to be able to pull through the filter?
In my cab thats in my signature i was wondering if one PC fan would be enough to extract all the smell from the cab through a filter or if i should make two filters with 2 fans to keep the smell at bay?

Thank you for your help guys! Much appreciated
 
praiseodin

praiseodin

Active Member
I'm trying to make the cabinet as quiet as possible that's why I'm avoiding any big intake fans and i wasn't to eliminate the smell as well
Any other options to keep it quiet while removing the smell of two plants?
 
praiseodin

praiseodin

Active Member
In a small cabinet that is roughly 3x3x2 = 18 cubic feet would that fan be adequate even tho it would have to pull through a carbon filter.
Say if the filter obstructed it by %50 then the air flow would go from 150cfm to 75cfm, then divide how many cubic feet my box is, which is 18.
That would equal the fan cleaning out the cabinet at 4.1 times a minute.
Unless I'm wrong with my understanding of how it all works :/
 
Darkjasper

Darkjasper

Member
I personally (with the little experience i have =P) would think that the fan would not pull air enough through the filter. I have a 200mm 165cfm fan as a exhaust (will be a intake fan when I get my tent) and if any thing is near the front of it it slows the pull down drastically. Almost to the point that there is not any air flow.

You also have to look for the filters cfm rating. I have not seen any filters with below a 100 cfm rating on it =(. Maybe a couple of ona blocks would be up your ally?
 
Darkjasper

Darkjasper

Member
You could try it, seems pretty cheap to make. Look for some cheaper fans though. No reason to spend 40 bucks on one. Though remember that that pencil holder is way smaller thant a 200~ mm fan.
 
praiseodin

praiseodin

Active Member
I can always get an adapter made up result enough to connect the fan to a small filter
Im just wondering if that filter and fan would work to take out the air fast enough to keep temps nice and also reduce the smell
I'm still undecided about a 250w or 400w in my 3x3x2 grow space
So i need to move as much air as i can while still keeling silent
 
mr2shim

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
Computer fans rated cfm is with absolutely no resistance. You put a filter over it or in it's way the rated cfm plummets to about 0. They are by far the worst fan you can use. Get an inline duct fan. They are much better, although they are far from the best it will do a hell of a lot more than a stupid computer fan.

If you're going to get a 250 or 400w hps/mh don't be an idiot. Get an inline fan.
 
mr2shim

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
exabits said:
If you are set on using a computer fan and need some serious cfm, get a delta. Recommend http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8147/fan-500/Delta_Mega_Fast_120mm_x_38mm_Fan_-_252_CFM_-_Bare_Lead_PFB1212UHE-F00.html?tl=g36c15s562, serious fans, these will remove fingers.
Click to expand...
I had one, tried it. Made a homemade filter and after putting that on the cfm was basically zero. They don't have the torque to flow air with resistance from a carbon filter.

inline duct fans are cheaper and better.

BTW, those fans are loud as fuck. Sounds like a damn jet is in your house.
 
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exabits

Active Member
You are entitled to your opinion. I agree that inline duct fans are superior and better suited to the task. Though I also, disagree, a couple of these deltas will suck through a carbon filter with ease. At over 500cfm, these fans are no joke when running at 7k rpm. Meant for "sucking" air through radiators, these fans have the power whether yours did or not.
 
mr2shim

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
exabits said:
You are entitled to your opinion. I agree that inline duct fans are superior and better suited to the task. Though I also, disagree, a couple of these deltas will suck through a carbon filter with ease. At over 500cfm, these fans are no joke when running at 7k rpm. Meant for "sucking" air through radiators, these fans have the power whether yours did or not.
Click to expand...
You can look at my first grow if you like. It's on this site, I had two of them. They were a different name but had the same rated cfm. With both of them on they were insanely loud. The OP already stated that noise is an issue. Those fans are loud. Have you actually used them?
 
A

AegisVeritas

Well-Known Member
You should get yourself an inline fan and insulate the housing to reduce sound. There is this material used for car stereo and road noise dampening called, Dynamat. Its easy to use and works very well for reducing noise. Its easy to use, just remove the backing and place it on like a really thick sticker. You can pick it up at auto zone, pep boys, etc. Then you'll have plenty of cfm and low noise.
 
ASMALLVOICE

ASMALLVOICE

Well-Known Member
I use a 120cfm 6" axial fan (67,000hr life) through about 10 feet total of ducting and light and it is cool to the touch even with 73 degree air at the intake and almost silent on "duct" noise (6" duct can only handle so many cfm before it starts to whistle) but it will not do squat on a carbon filter( probably burn out fairly quickly).

There are axial fans out there that do have the capacity for pulling through a small filter, but to do it efficiently and not make it sound like a 3 foot dremel tool, a centrifugal(vortex) fan will stir the koolaid much better. I have a 4" on a 14" filter in a 4x4x7 room and it works without a hitch.

Peace and Stealthy Grows

Asmallvoice
 
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exabits

Active Member
You can look at the data specs, http://www.delta.com.tw/product/cp/dcfans/download/pdf/PFB/PFB120x120x38mm.pdf , I know how much air it moves, I know the air pressure it can exert and I know how loud it gets. Are you out to be mrThreadwarrior? If I get banned for this post, I don't really care, look at my post count... You said your own fail. Delta is the only company that makes a pc fan that powerful. If you didn't have a delta then your fans were shit, it's that simple. I don't know how many decibels a 4" inline is but I know my 6" is roughly the same a delta. Sound can be dampened and reduced. How many people here have sound reducing techniques? You keep argueing your opinion about your fans.....until you own a Delta UHE you shouldn't even comment about how your fans couldn't hack it and no other pc fan can either. It's simple science, this delta http://www.frozencpu.com/products/81...?tl=g36c15s562 fan moves more air then a 4" inline such as http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-Inline-%204in-Fan-by-CAN.asp
 
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exabits

Active Member
Anyway, I was just trying to help the guy out, as I know more about pc parts then others, I was offering my expertise. I agree still that a AC powered inline fan is superior in general but this guy was set on a pc fan so I was "giving" him an option. If this was for some stealth speaker box grow and I'm trying to cool a 400w light, delta would be the way to go. ;) If your running a carbon filter and possibly air cooled light, don't scimp, get a proper inline duct fan!!
 
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