Quietest fan recommendations

[szglassy]

Hi!!

I am redoing my studio and firing up after a 4 year hiatus.

My question is about fans. I currently have an inline fan but not enough cfms.

Which fan is quieter? Squirrel cage or inline?

Can anyone recommend a particular brand of fan that you currently have that you love?

It is going to be mounted inside the garage.

Thanks!!

[Lorraine Chandler]

Most ads for the fans will list the decibel range and depending on how close it will be to you, you might get an idea of the sound. I have a three speed squirrel cage fan and it is now being put on the OUTSIDE of my new studio shed.

Sounded like a jet engine to me and no I don't have a clue of the decibels with out a meter, it came used from the A/C companies squirrel cage graveyard.....

This link might help:

https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafe...n/dblevels.htm

[GregD]

There are apps for smart phones at claim to measure sound pressure level in dB. As I remember we checked a couple a few years ago ant they were fairly acurate (+-3dB). The standard measurement distance is 1 meter or 3.3 feet. This should put you in the ballpark.

[szglassy]

maybe outside is the way to go


I am not expecting silence but am looking to avoid turbulence

[Cosmo]

inline fans will generally be quieter than squirrel cage fans. The tradeoff is that squirrel cage fans tend to offer more CFM.

I have two 900 cfm inline fans in my shop and you can barely hear them running. The torch is louder than the fans.

[Lorraine Chandler]

If you can swing it go for outside, soooo much better.

[szglassy]

What brand do you have?

[Speedslug]

Aye and I would add that trying to deaden the sound from the structure with thick foam padding between the fan and the mounting bracket can help as well.

Anything to keep the vibration from getting to walls , roofs or floors will cut back on the noise levels.

I have my fan mounted to my huge hood and the hood is hung on chains with springs to more chains that hang from hooks in the ceiling.

Isolating vibration is the next step after getting quiet fan blades.

You might have to run two vent systems side by side to get both the low noise level and the amount of air movement you want.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Speedslug

Aye and I would add that trying to deaden the sound from the structure with thick foam padding between the fan and the mounting bracket can help as well.

Anything to keep the vibration from getting to walls , roofs or floors will cut back on the noise levels.

I have my fan mounted to my huge hood and the hood is hung on chains with springs to more chains that hang from hooks in the ceiling.

Isolating vibration is the next step after getting quiet fan blades.

You might have to run two vent systems side by side to get both the low noise level and the amount of air movement you want.

That's basically how mine is set up. I'll try to get some pictures later.

I have the two fans on either side of a T blowing into it. Then up through the T and out the top of the hood and out the window.

I have all of my ductwork hanging with... whatever that stuff is called. It's basically a thin strip of metal about an inch wide with holes in it every half inch or so. I've had it sitting around forever and can't remember what it's actually called. But the whole ventilation system is held up with it, so there are very few solid contact points with the hood. Very little vibration.

[Speedslug]

I think we used to call that plumbers tape or plumbers strapping.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Speedslug

I think we used to call that plumbers tape or plumbers strapping.

Yeah. Plumbers strapping. I knew I knew the name, I just had to hear someone else say it first...

[szglassy]

Could you guys post a picture?

Just curious..why do you have 2 fans a opposed to one strong one??

[Speedslug]

Sometimes it is hard to fine one strong fan that is as quiet as two smaller fans working together.

If you are limited on space so you can not get the motor far enough away to not be overly annoying in your ears you have to find other ways to reduce the noise while still moving enough volume of air at a high enough speed to keep the particles suspended in the fumes from settling in the duct work before that air gets outside to disperse in the wind and rain.

Also, I have Tinnitus (ringing in my ears) and some motor noises can match that ringing to the point that it sounds like a jet engine is trapped in my room with me.


Noise reduction can be worth the effort and expense of pairing up two quieter fans for me.

[Speedslug]

This is the stuff;