lets talk about fans

[xox]

im so tired of buying fans for my grow room every year. they always die no matter what i do. ive even went as far as cleaning them with an air compressor and taking them apart and greasing the gears that move. sooner or later the gear breaks or the motor dies. i was thinking about getting a dyson but its too short. then i had an even more silly idea. i was thinking maby i should source a general electric fan from the 30’s i hear they don't break lol. am i crazy? how do i find one that doesn’t die within 6 months lol

 

[DarkWeb]

I got mine at ace years ago.

 

[Thurston]

The oscillation feature is the weak link in my experience. I have a slew of 3 year old fans that blow but not oscillate. I was contemplating some box fans I have had for decades to spread out the air flow without oscillation. Need to dig them out and see if they would work better. Obviously a 20" box fan is too big for a tent but for a room it might be better.

 

[xox]

The oscillation feature is the weak link in my experience. I have a slew of 3 year old fans that blow but not oscillate. I was contemplating some box fans I have had for decades to spread out the air flow without oscillation. Need to dig them out and see if they would work better. Obviously a 20" box fan is too big for a tent but for a room it might be better.

i used to do a box fan when had hps lights at the time i didnt understand how to identify plants getting wind burnt lol.

edit, your right about the oscillation feature being weak look at the big gear box thing that has a spot to add oil to on the antique fans im talking about. all cast iron and brass with a spot to add oil to the gears.

 

[Laughing Grass]

I only use small 6" fans. the oscillation servo motors in EC fans only seem to last about year at most. AC Infinity's manual says you should only run oscillating a maximum of 18 hours a day, yet you cannot control oscillating with the ACI controller, just speed. Kinda dumb, a grow tent doesn't run 18 hours a day!

The non oscillating hurricane fans are bullet proof and will outlive us.

Uline has some nice industrial floor fans, but they're pretty pricey.

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[Shane Karmann]

I've had much better luck with Vivosun than ac infinity but Darkweb is right, cheap fans from a hardware store have lasted longest for me. I don't worry about oscillating. My flower fan is installed above my light, doesn't blow directly on any plant, just moves the air everywhere.

 

[Laughing Grass]

I've had much better luck with Vivosun than ac infinity but Darkweb is right, cheap fans from a hardware store have lasted longest for me. I don't worry about oscillating. My flower fan is installed above my light, doesn't blow directly on any plant, just moves the air everywhere.

I have two Vivosun fans going now. Making noise but still going

 

[DarkWeb]

Yeah when the small clip-on fans got oscillation I thought "damn that's slick." It only lasted a few weeks. The next one was the same. I needed a fan so I went to the hardware store and got one. That one has been in there running 24/7/365 for more than 5-6 years now.

 

[xox]

Yeah when the small clip-on fans got oscillation I thought "damn that's slick." It only lasted a few weeks. The next one was the same. I needed a fan so I went to the hardware store and got one. That one has been in there running 24/7/365 for more than 5-6 years now.

damn thats lucky

 

[DCcan]

Ocillating tower fans, or tower fans in general outlast the round fans, from my experience.
Turn them sideways and hang them to blow above the canopy, works pretty good for me.

 

[DarkWeb]

damn thats lucky

Maybe. But I don't think that any hardware store has the same failure rate as some of these newish grower specific companies. ACI has been around. They where in business selling to the computer and AV industry for a while. And overall I'd bet places like ace or home depot out sell anyone that is selling SJ, ACI or VS. So a high failure rate would be a big problem at their scale. And probably wouldn't be carried.

 

[DarkWeb]

Ocillating tower fans, or tower fans in general outlast the round fans, from my experience.
Turn them sideways and hang them to blow above the canopy, works pretty good for me.

Right. The orientation of the axle in the fan makes a big difference on how the load is wearing the bushings it rides on.

 

[DCcan]

ACI has been around. They where in business selling to the computer and AV industry for a while.

That's why I'm so annoyed at their grow fans, it's not like they don't know how to make fans.
You think someone would make a better ocillating gear for those. You pay enough for them!

 

[DarkWeb]

That's why I'm so annoyed at their grow fans, it's not like they don't know how to make fans.
You think someone would make a better ocillating gear for those. You pay enough for them!

Yeah me too. I lusted over their equipment probably 25 years ago thinking of how I would build a totally automated room. Built in displays and quiet fans that you coud have total control of.......the whole 9.

 

[Thurston]

Oscillation is nice but not required. Takes more stationary 6" fans to do the work of one oscillating 6" fan but can be done. I have loads of stationary ones due to broken oscillation. They still will move air for 5w of power and are very useful when directed to key areas.

ACI does make some good items for indoor growers but not all their items are robust in my experience. Same as other manufacturers.

Perfectly automated grow is the goal/plan but Murphy is always lurking no matter what I am using. Trustworthy automation is needed when you can only visit the grow every 1-2 weeks way back when.

 

[xox]

Right. The orientation of the axle in the fan makes a big difference on how the load is wearing the bushings it rides on.

its also the quality of the materials, thats why i was interested in these antique fans there all cast iron and brass, take a look at the size of the box that holds the gears on the back that makes these oscillate. you can totally unscrew the cover likely take those parts out and clean them put them back in they may even sit in oil and lubricate themselves as they move. i haven’t seen one in person but i suspect they dont break. it would not take much to safely rewire one.

i did something similar for work once i got tired of buying a $40 dollar to $60 dollar chalk line every year due to the gears inside being plastic i figured out chalk lines before the 50’s had no plastic gears with a metal reel inside so i picked one up from the 40’s for $8 it never breaks.

 

[DarkWeb]

its also the quality of the materials, thats why i was interested in these antique fans there all cast iron and brass, take a look at the size of the box that holds the gears on the back that makes these oscillate. you can totally unscrew the cover likely take those parts out and clean them put them back in they may even sit in oil and lubricate themselves as they move. i haven’t seen one in person but i suspect they dont break. it would not take much to safely rewire one.

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i did something similar for work once i got tired of buying a $40 dollar to $60 dollar chalk line every year due to the gears inside being plastic i figured out chalk lines before the 50’s had no plastic gears with a metal reel inside so i picked one up from the 40’s for $8 it never breaks.

I have an old dual head fan with a thermostat. All metal. I used it in my greenhouse. Great fan.