What’s the closest place to heaven on earth? Nature, for sure. Everyone loves nature. That’s why technological advancements have blessed urban people with various indoor gardening methods. However, new indoor growers might be confused about how to set up a grow tent or they might be inquiring about how to set up exhaust fan in a grow tent for the proper ventilation system.  
 
Suppose you bought an AC infinity or Gorilla grow tent recently. Now you want to set up an exhaust fan to maintain an optimal environment in your grow tent.  
 
Because you can’t grow healthy plants without a proper ventilation system. In fact, ventilators are indoor plant care tools that help to control the grow tent’s temperature, humidity, and air circulation. Here comes an exhaust fan to support your ventilation systems.  
 
This blog will help you with a step-by-step guide to setting up an exhaust fan in grow tents. 


 

Why Do You Need an Exhaust Fan in a Grow Tent? 


The question that may come to any newbie indoor grower’s mind is do I need an exhaust fan in my grow tent? Absolutely, yes. You do need an exhaust fan which is a fundamental component for your indoor growing setup.    
 
Exhaust fans for grow tents serve two purposes in a grow room setup.  

  1. Temperature  
  2. Humidity 

Temperature Control

 
For both the seedling and flowering stages, exhaust fans are required to maintain optimal temperature. For instance, the best plant seedling temperatures are between 23-26°C. 
 
Besides, Grow lights and other plant care tools can generate heat which is why growers need an exhaust fan. It will cut off excessive heat and prevent heat stress.  

 

Humidity Regulation

 
Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. Your plants will rot if the humidity level is high or if there is any shortage of air circulation. Normally, a small amount of water is absorbed by the plant’s roots, and more than 97% of water is lost by transpiration and guttation.  
 
Note that, through transpiration water moves through a plant and evaporates from its leaves, stems, and flowers. If there is too much humidity due to a lack of fresh air circulation, it will prevent the proper growth of plants and lower the driving force of transpiration. 
 
In short, exhaust fans are the best way to control the humidity levels and temperatures in your grow tent at different stages of plant growth. 

 

Steps to Set Up an Exhaust Fan

 
To ensure fresh, cool, and gentle air for your plants, you’ll need to set up the exhaust fan in an accurate way. Because you want to bring fresh air from the outside and exhaust the air from the grow tent out.  
 
The steps you should follow for grow tent exhaust fan setup: 

  • Choosing the right fan  
  • Positioning 
  • Air ducts and attachments 
  • Carbon filter installation  
  • Intake Air  
  • Fan speed and timers  
  • Sealing  

 

The following step-by-step guide to setting up an exhaust fan in a grow tent will definitely help you out. 
 
 

Choosing the Right Fan

  
To choose the right exhaust fan, you’ll need to be aware of the size of the fan, the volume of your growing area or grow tent, air delivery, speed, and fan capacity.  
 
However, the fan’s capacity is calculated by Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM). To measure the growing area, simply multiply length*width*height. Then multiply the growing area number by the number of air exchanges you’re seeking in your grow tent.   
 
However, air exchange is mandatory to keep the air fresh in your grow tent. So, you should look for an exhaust fan that can exchange the air in your tent at least once every 3 to 5 minutes or 12-20 times per hour.  
 
 

Let’s learn to calculate Exhaust Fan CFM requirements:

For instance, your grow tent is 4*4*6 ft. 

Then, the growing area volume will be 4*4*6 = 96 cu ft  

If you use 12 exchanges (1 per 5 min) = 12*96 = 1152 

Now, simply divide this number by 60. Then, 1152/60 = 19.2 CFM  

Double this number 19.2*2 = 38.4 CFM  

So, roughly you need a 40 CFM capacity exhaust fan for your grow tent.  

 

Positioning

 
Depending on the fan type and available space place your exhaust fan near the top of the grow tent. This placement will help you wipe out warm air.  
 
This will make sure that your grow tent temperatures and humidity levels are in perfect condition for growing healthy plants.

 

Air Ducts and Attachments

 
To set up an exhaust fan, Indoor cultivators need to attach an air duct to the indoor port of the fan. First, install the cool hood and filters, then connect the filter and hood to the ducting and pull the ducts into the other side.  
 
Then, attach the fan at the end of the duct so that it exhausts the air out of the grow tent. Next, attach a fan outside or inside of the grow tent and apply ducting on both sides. Thus, you can bring fresh air from the outside and another room in the grow tent can do the fresh air exchange.  
 
However, in the case of a larger grow tent, you might need an additional exhaust fan setup. 
 

Carbon Filter Installation

  
So as you already know, the fan will connect with the duct on one end and the carbon filter or carbon charcoal filter will connect to the opposite end.  
 
Normally, a carbon filter is attached to the inline fan or inline duct fans.    
Using carbon filters will reduce the odors and control the discharge of polluted elements from grow tents by cleaning the air circulation. 

Intake Air  

For efficient airflow, make sure there is an inlet for fresh air to enter the tent. Normally, an indoor grow space or any indoor space has a negative static pressure.  
 
Simply put, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of your grow tent creates a force that pulls air in. Therefore, for the effective and balanced flow of air, passive intake (mesh-covered openings) or active intakes (small fans pulling in air) can be used.  
 

Fan Speed and Timers

 
Most of the Exhaust fans have adjustable speed settings. For instance, the seedling stage needs a very gentle breeze to keep the humid enough for seedlings.  
 
In the plant vegetative stage, use the maximum speed of your exhaust fan so that airflow moves through your plant canopies. However, during night hours the temperature of your grow tent starts to decrease due to the light going off. So, at night we recommend reducing the speed of your fan.  
 
Lastly, during the flowering stage turn your fan on all the daytime and turn it off at dark hours. So, do not forget to use timers and speed controllers for your indoor plants' various growth stages. 
 

Sealing

 
The last thing indoor farmers should ensure is that there are no air leaks in the grow tent. In fact, Air leaks can disrupt the effective air circulation of your exhaust fan.  
 
However, growers can use weather-stripping, insulation, foam, or caulk to wrap up any gaps or openings in the grow tent. 

 

Exhaust Fan Setup Maintenance

  
Indoor farmers and gardeners should regularly maintain the exhaust fan for its longevity and efficiency. Normally, manufacturers provide a 12 to 24-month warranty for grow tent exhaust fans.  
 
Nonetheless, regular cleaning and proper maintenance can increase its lifespan. You can follow 3 cleaning tasks for maintaining a grow tent exhaust fan.  
 
 

1. Clean the Carbon Filter 


It’s not unusual to build up some dust in your carbon filters. But cleaning it every 6 to 12 months will maximize its odor-absorbing efficiency. You can use a soft brush or microfiber cloth to get rid of the soft dust.  
 
Also, use a toothbrush to clean the areas that are hard to reach. For safety, put on a face mask to keep away from pollen and excessive dust.  
 

2. Duct Cleaning

 
To clean the air duct system properly, first inspect it. After assessing its condition, use a suitable cleaning technique. 
 
However, with an appropriate tool, you can remove the dirt, dust, and debris that might be creating clogs and preventing airflow. So, make sure to clean the air duct of your exhaust fan to provide fresh and clean air to your indoor plants.   
 

3. Fan Cleaning

  
Your grow tent exhaust fan might decrease its capacity, and speed due to the accumulated dust and debris.  
 
Therefore, gently clean all the blades with a damp cloth and then use a vacuum cleaner to extract the debris. Also, you can spray the inside of the exhaust fan with antibacterial spray and wash it up.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some answers to frequent queries regarding “how to set up exhaust fan in grow tent”.
 

Do you need an exhaust fan in a grow tent?


Yes. You need an exhaust fan in a grow tent. As the grow lights in a grow tent produce heat that can make your plants wilt, setting up an exhaust fan can prevent that heat stress. Besides, it will help to control optimal temperatures, and humidity in your grow space.
 

How do I calculate the exhaust fan CFM requirement?

To calculate the exhaust fan Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM), you need to multiply the size of your growing space by that number and then divide that number by the air exchange per minute.

 

What are the steps of exhaust fan grow tent setup?

To set up exhaust fans in grow tents, you’ll need to choose the right exhaust fan that meets the accurate CFM requirement for growing space. Then, you need to position it at the highest point and attach the air duct to the exhaust port to the fan. Next, install carbon filters and ensure efficient airflow to control unpleasant smells. Keep in mind to adjust exhaust speed and use timers to secure your plants' different growth stages. Lastly, don’t forget to check for air leaks.

 

Final Words


Hope you have understood how to set up exhaust fan in grow tent. Note that, you must install an exhaust fan if you want to secure fresh air and optimal environmental conditions for your indoor plants.

The grow tent exhaust fan installation is simple. However, the effectiveness of exhaust fans in keeping plants healthy is undeniable. From maintaining temperature to humidity to air filtration, an exhaust fan can make your indoor cultivation journey successful and maximize yields.