Turning off extract fan in dark period

Hey guys,

I have a grow going which is still in veg 18/6 and will soon go into 12/12 . I was wondering (mostly for safety) if it would be ok to turn off my blowing fan and my extract fan with my lights so there is no electrics running in dark period. I am out during the dark period and have my lights set to this schedule as i have a bit of a paranoia when it comes to electrical being on whilst i am not in the household. Would it be ok for the plants to do this? I know humidity will creep up but i could combat that by turning the extract on the timer for an hour in the middle of the dark period.

Does anyone else have fears of growing when your not at home during the day?

Thanks

Do you use a carbon filter on your extraction side for odor control? If so, no fans equal no odor control.. I used to be paranoid about fans and pumps and lights and shit running while I was not home, but if your equipment is in good working order and you don't have too much draw on each circuit then it's no different than any other appliance that runs while you're gone. Do you worry about your heater or your AC running when you're gone?

NanoGadget said:

Do you use a carbon filter on your extraction side for odor control? If so, no fans equal no odor control.. I used to be paranoid about fans and pumps and lights and shit running while I was not home, but if your equipment is in good working order and you don't have too much draw on each circuit then it's no different than any other appliance that runs while you're gone. Do you worry about your heater or your AC running when you're gone?

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Yes i use a carbon filter buddy. I have never noticed a smell but i have always had my extract running so i see what you are saying. I would be happier than i am now even if i was to just leave the extractor off just for veg time or up until the plant starts to give off those delicious scents? I don't use a heater as my home sits between 18-20 degrees all the time and when lights are on it goes up to about 28 degrees so it is not the heater, i am worried about the moving parts of the LED lights and the moving parts of the extract fan. I always imagine the grease lubricant in the fan part of the extractor drying up and the unit overheating, plastic melting, fire etc. I think it is more paranoia as i know 99/100 nothing would happen. I guess i am just over cautious regarding the issue.

The humidity sits about 35-40 when lights are on, and a little higher with lights off. Do you think having the fan off for the dark period duration could cause issues apart from the smell which might escape the tent?

You need air circulation all the time or your buds could rot. Plus Nano is correct on the lack of filter running if you run one, your whole house will stink and likely your whole street by the time you come home.
Provided your fans are not wired incorrectly by yourself theres no reason to worry about leaving them on. They are very small wattages and if something fails the fuse in the plug will blow and it will not run.
My only concern regarding electricity is if your lights are not plugged in correctly and they arc melting the plug. I might be wrong but I suspect that's the main reason for a fire in a grow space.

Edit, my fan ran for about 4 years without ever been turned off. These days it gets turned off when I open the grow room door and on again straight after just because of noise.

Thanks for the replies, thats awesome. I think i just needed my mind put at ease. I don't run my blowing air fan during lights out but i can get away with this because i live in a place thats not hot or humid and for the 6 plants iv grown so far i don't see any issue. I will keep the extract running though if you say it would make mouldy buds !

FruitSpirit said:

Thanks for the replies, thats awesome. I think i just needed my mind put at ease. I don't run my blowing air fan during lights out but i can get away with this because i live in a place thats not hot or humid and for the 6 plants iv grown so far i don't see any issue. I will keep the extract running though if you say it would make mouldy buds !

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There needs to be air movement near the plant bc as the plant transpires the immediate atmosphere around the plant gets saturated with moisture

Bareback said:

There needs to be air movement near the plant bc as the plant transpires the immediate atmosphere around the plant gets saturated with moisture

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I will be keeping it on thanks for your input and to everyone else who also helped out. Much appreciated

The humidity will build up with no exhaust as well as the smell.

Install an afci outlet, that should keep anything bad from happening if something does decide to go wrong

You need to pull fresh air through the grow 24/7 there are no shortcuts.

For the record I always just ran a small 10" fan in the room during lights out and that was good enough. Blow it at the wall so it kinda bounces all over.

Really glad I red this as my fans go of to well when my veg tent goes of witch is 4 in the morning and bk on at ten will be changing this thank you