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    The Best Fans for a Grow Tent: EC or AC?

    Are you interested in the main differences between EC fans and AC fans? Then read this article, in which we will not only explain them, but you will also find out why, from a professional point of view, it usually pays to pay extra for a quality fan fitted with an electronically commutated direct current motor (EC). We will also recommend proven products to you. Every experienced indoor grower knows that ventilation equipment, which can boast a combination of properties such as long service life, quiet operation and low electricity consumption, belongs among those investments that pay back with every further harvest.

    ECvsAC_covermaybe

    While AC fans, driven by an asynchronous electric motor with a traditional design, are generally used more for occasional ventilation of the growing space, EC fans work much more efficiently, and therefore in cultivation practice you can also use them much more to ensure your plants continuously have ideal conditions for vigorous development thanks to a perfect microclimate inside the grow tent or room throughout the entire growing cycle.

    Advantages of EC fans

    EC fans are driven by modern electric motors with higher output and efficiency. Compared with AC fans, they offer especially an average of 3x lower electricity consumption! That is certainly a sufficiently strong argument in itself, but because the purchase price of EC fans is usually considerably higher than that of AC fans, it is necessary to emphasise that the list of benefits does not end there. These are therefore further reasons that, despite the higher price tag, speak in favour of EC fans:

      • Many times longer service life
      • Significantly lower operating costs (costs for energy efficiency)
      • Low noise and zero “hum/humm noise” even at low rpm
      • Smaller size for the same output
      • Simple and precise output control using digital controllers without reducing service life

    Our TIP: Discover the number one in the field of speed control! Use controllers from the top Dutch manufacturer TechGrow.

    TEchGrow

    In the picture on the right you can see one of the best-selling controllers for fan speed from the TechGrow brand.

    EC control for EC fans:

    This digital controller from a renowned German manufacturer was made exclusively for EC fans. It allows up to 15 individual settings using just 3 buttons and easy control depending on temperature, humidity, day phase and hysteresis. Technically, it is also equipped with a clear LCD display and a built-in light sensor.

    ECREGULACEkomplet

    How do EC motors work?

    Electronically commutated direct current motors, which we classify among synchronous motors, have a so-called commutation circuit, which is an electronic speed control system that keeps the fan at optimal rpm. The EC motor consists of a stator and a rotor fitted with permanent magnets made of ferrite material. The rotor and stator form a pair of elements, both of which create their own magnetic field. These fields act on each other and the result is torque on the rotor. The rotor speed in these synchronous motors (for example Ziehl-Abegg) is therefore identical to the speed at which the electromagnetic field rotates. As a result, there are also no slip losses, which are typical for asynchronous motors (AC), where the electromagnetic field rotates faster than the rotor. (With AC motors, this would not even be possible without slip, because without it no magnetic field would arise.)

    Prima Klima fans with EC motor

    The control electronics, including the connections and capacitor, form in the case of these fans of German manufacture one compact unit, protected by an impact-resistant and non-flammable nylon housing.

    Our TIP: If you are thinking about getting an EC fan and are interested in the best efficiency on the market, you can go straight to the separate article about WHISPERBLOWER professional fans, which are practically without competition in this respect.

    Whisperblowerjinypohled

    Fans of the Prima Klima brand are manufactured in the Czech Republic, but to German quality standards. That is also why they have long been among the most popular with growers on the market, whether we are talking about the more efficient ones - fitted with a synchronous (EC) motor, or the cheaper Prima Klima fans with lower efficiency and shorter service life, driven by an asynchronous (AC) motor.

    That is why, in cooperation with our specialists and also on the basis of our customers’ experience, we have selected a few key models beyond the above-mentioned WHISPERBLOWER range:

    • A small but highly efficient radial duct fan with an improved aerodynamic shape is, for example, the Prima Klima PK160EC-TC. This quality fan with thermostat is driven by a premium motor from ZIEHL-ABEGG with a rotor whose blades are curved backwards.
    • The long-term best-selling EC fan from the popular Prima Klima manufacturer is a real ace, bearing the designation PK125EC-TC, with an air flow capacity of 680 m3/h. This EC fan is also equipped with a thermostat. It therefore allows users to conveniently regulate the temperature in the growing space.

    ec_cover

    • More than double the air flow capacity is also offered by another long-term Prima Klima bestseller in the category of duct fans with EC motor, namely PK250EC-TC, which allows you to regulate both speed and temperature.

    PKdalsi

    • The royal BLUE LINE range is fitted with ECblue motors from Ziehl-Abegg, which were subjected during development and subsequent production to the strictest tests, whether for IP protection rating or increased humidity. An example is the model for which the ECO K2607 filter together with combiflex ducting or quiet sonoflex ducting and cable ties are suitable. Exceptionally powerful, large fans with an air flow of 8000 m3/h are fantastic for large commercial operations. 

    PKdrahé

    Silenced EC fans of the Q-Max range from Can-Fan RUCK 

    The main added value of these reliable and high-quality EC fans is undoubtedly discreet operation.

    It would be a great pity not to introduce, in connection with the topic of EC fans, at least a pair of the best-selling models from this silenced range, which differ from each other in air flow capacity, while both axial fans offer absolutely the highest aerodynamic efficiency and unrivalled electricity consumption thanks to the new 3D rotor and stator:

    • Silenced fan Q-Max EC 2000 m3/h, 250 mm (see detailed parameters)
    • Silenced fan Q-Max EC 3247 m3/h, 355 mm (see detailed parameters)

    In addition to the incredibly quiet operation, which is the result of perfect acoustic insulation of the metal casing, these fans also offer other advantages:

    • High output and long service life.
    • Even flow without turbulence.
    • EC motor speed controller.
    • Easy installation thanks to integrated hangers.

    QMAXKOMPLEEET

    You will achieve the best results when growing in a grow box by combining them with Can-Filters. Can-Fan RUCK EC fans can also be perfectly combined with these original controllers from the same manufacturer:

    • Can-Fan EC temperature and speed controller
    • LCD EC Can Fan controller - EC fan speed controller: in addition to the large LCD display, this digital controller for Can-Fan EC fans stands out especially thanks to a special probe, thanks to which the device reacts immediately to the slightest changes in the optimal conditions inside the growing space.

    We hope this article has helped you decipher the answers to the most common questions and that you now have an idea of which type of fan will be the right one for you. Whether it is worth buying an EC fan, or whether an AC fan will be sufficient. Be assured that we enjoy your questions, so do not hesitate to ask us anything at the well-known e-mail address info@higarden.eu. We are here for you!

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