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  • From: "Brian Catts" <bcatts AT earthlink.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Quieter greenhouse ventilation
  • Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 18:51:53 -0700

We’ve just finished erecting a modest-sized (12x16 with an average height of about 8.5’) lean-to style greenhouse in our backyard to support the plant sales we do at local farmers markets.  We’re in Tucson, so warm weather ventilation is critical, and in this particular situation there is no passive alternative – it has to be a powered, negative-pressure ventilation system.  Houses are quite close together where we live, and we prefer to be good neighbors, so the sound of our ventilation equipment is a concern.  Not the ideal situation, but for the moment, it is what it is.

 

In our heat, its necessary to change the air every 40-50 seconds, so I purchased a 20” direct-drive exhaust fan that’s rated to move enough air to accomplish that (and a thermostat with an automatic variable-speed function).  The problem is, I plugged in the fan today and it is much louder than expected, and I’m very concerned that it will be considered a nuisance.  The (auto) variable speed controller will help by limiting the speed to whatever is necessary to catch up with the thermostat, but once it gets warm, it will be running the fan at full speed.

 

My thought is that a larger fan, running at a slower speed, will have less motor noise, and less of the persistent “buzz” created by moving a large volume of air through a relatively small louvered vent (20”).

 

I’m hoping that others can either confirm or dispute this theory (before spending more money), and perhaps have some recommendations for a quieter type or brand of fan (and source).  A big, slow-moving, belt-driven fan seems like it might be a better solution, but it may be somewhat out-of-scale (in capacity and cost) with my wee greenhouse.

 

Many thanks for any response, it will be greatly appreciated.  I’m a new member of this list-serve and will read any input in the daily journal.

 

Brian Catts

Victory Gardens

Oro Valley, Arizona

 

 




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