Need For Speed Control – Fan Speed Contollers |
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| Without close control of fan speeds the effectiveness of your extraction/filtration system may suffer. Optimise your growing environment to ultimately improve yields by incorporating a fan speed controller. Here’s a run down of the very best models around |
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The Importance of Ventilation
Regularly extracting and replacing air in your grow room has a significant and positive impact upon your plants. They need this constant supply of fresh air to replenish CO2 and oxygen levels and maintain healthy temperatures. A good ventilation system also helps minimise the risk of damp and mould forming and let’s you more closely manage grow room humidity.
All you need to set up an extraction/filtration system is:
- a good fan - like one of the Lti Systemair RVK Extractor Fans,
- a matching Carbon Filter,
- the relevant Ducting, Quick Release Clips and/or Fast Clamps plus hanging accessories from which to suspend it.
Alternatively, you could just opt for a Complete Extraction/Filtration Kit that include each and every required component.
Fan Limitations
Although you may have the fan(s) for the job, manually finding the optimum fan speed is very difficult - especially during summer when temperatures tend to change a lot between day and night. Your fan(s) alone won’t respond to such fluctuations, reducing their overall effectiveness and in the worse case scenarios restricting plant growth.
Fortunately a solution does exist!
Fantastic Fan Speed Controllers
Fan speed controllers allow you to adjust the level of extraction and/or intake in accordance to grow room conditions. In recent years designs have been progressed to account for a variety of factors and the demands of different growers. There are a number of Fan Speed Controllers currently available to choose from – just make sure you don’t go without! Check out our guide on Fan Speed Controllers below:
Control Method 1: “Phase Angle Control”
Most fan speed controllers use “phase angle control” to increase and decrease the amount of power that fans receive. These work in the same way as the dimmer switch for your living room lights, only at a more advanced level.
The Fan Speed Controller Rig and the Klimavator both use this method of control but with various degrees of sophistication. Here’s a simple breakdown of each device:
Fan Speed Controller Rig
- Allows you to reduce fan speed to a single setting (not reactive to grow room conditions)
- Easy to use - manage fan speeds by adjusting settings via a dimmer switch
- Cheapest option
KlimaVator
- Controls intake and extract fans independently with built in temperature control
- Features separate controls for intake and extraction fans
- Automatically runs your fans at full speed during high temperatures until suitable conditions have been restored
- In cooler climates your fans can be set to run at lower idling speeds, limiting the amount of cold air able to enter your grow room
Control Method 2: “Variac Control”
The other type of fan controller uses a variac (variable transformer) to regulate the voltage supplied to your fans. The Fan Speed Voltage Controllers use this approach to controlling fans.
Voltage Fan Speed Controllers
- Vary fan speeds without generating any noise from the unit or your fans
- Available in 1.5 Amp and 6 Amp versions
- Designed to be used with every make and model of fan we sell
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