Buy a fan with a controller or without?

When customers ask us whether they should buy a fan with a controller or not, we almost always answer in favor of regulated fans. Why?

In short: they're more practical. Estimating the optimal fan speed setting in advance isn't easy. Many factors play a role, such as the temperature inside the tent, the temperature outside it, placement (in a basement you'll need to reduce temperature less, in an attic more), humidity and more.

At the same time, conditions inside the tent change during the growing cycle (and throughout the day), and the ventilation must respond accordingly. The temperature outside the grow room also changes, so you may draw in warmer or colder air. Without a controller it's really difficult to react to either situation.

Also, a regulated fan doesn't run at full power when it isn't needed, so you save on energy.

Some controllers (usually external ones) have an adjustable hysteresis, so they don't react to temperature change with a simple on-off behavior, but when the temperature rises slightly they slightly increase the speed to compensate. If the temperature keeps rising, they increase power again. As a result, the temperature in the grow tent/room will stay even closer to your chosen optimal value and you can influence it effectively.

TIP: Is the fan with a controller still running at full speed continuously? It may be that you have an underpowered fan or you are bringing in air that is too warm.

These are the main reasons we recommend fans either with built-in control, or at least adjustable ones to which you can buy a controller. Of course, if you know the space you grow in well and want a sure bet, a single-speed fan is not a problem and many people use them.

With a controllable fan you can better tailor the growing conditions to your plants. This gives you a much greater chance of achieving good results.

So which specific fan do we recommend? We have tried PrimaKlima fans, which are popular with our customers. The PrimaKlima PK125-TC (400m3/h, 125mm) with a thermostat is an unbeatable bestseller in its category.

Choosing a fan isn't trivial and general advice is often not enough. We're happy to advise you individually at info@higarden.cz and help you choose the type and power of fan.

We recommend:

• Fan PRIMA KLIMA 400m3/h, 125mm, with thermal control (PK125-TC)
• Garden High PRO - PROFAN TT 125mm, 220-280m3/h, 2 speeds
• RAM Silent 100mm 165/200 m3/h

Further articles:

• Don't underestimate air exchange and circulation inside the growing space
• How powerful a fan do you need?
• TechGrow: microclimate under control thanks to flawless multifunction controllers!