Ventilation For Indoor Gardens

By Susan Slobac

Systems that provide proper ventilation for indoor gardens are key to indoor growing success. Without an abundant supply of fresh air such as your plants would receive in a natural, outdoor environment, your efforts at indoor gardening will soon end in an unpleasant, mini-ecological disaster. In this article, we will discuss some of the reasons why ventilation for indoor gardens is needed, as well as some different options.

Grow Room Ventilation Systems - Overview

As you know, in the natural world, air is virtually always in motion - even on days when the air is "still;" there is almost always a slight breeze due to minor temperature fluctuations over various terrain. When it comes to indoor growing, such grow room ventilation systems are necessary in order to replicated this natural environmental condition. These consists of mechanical devices, such as "squirrel fans" or other air-moving devices, which circulates the air from one side of the indoor growing area to the other.

How Much is Needed?

The amount of ventilation for indoor gardens that you will need is dependent on several factors, including the size of the space in terms of cubic feet, how much of the space is used for indoor gardening, and the time of year. Normally, the rate of air exchange is greater during the summer.

A solitary single-speed fan will usually not be adequate for most indoor growing needs. You can determine this by multiplying the floor area by the height of the room; therefore, an indoor gardening room measuring 10'x 20' in floor area times 10' in height will need enough fan and ventilation capacity to completely refresh 2,000 cubic feet of air at least once per minute during the summer, and once every three minutes during the winter.

Fan Options

"Squirrel fans" and "Squirrel cage blowers" are technically known as shaded pole blowers. These are used in many applications in which heat build-up is a potential problem, such as HVAC systems and automotive climate control as well as high-end computers. They are constructed of two large rings, which are connected by as many as fifty diagonal blades; the entire assembly spins on its radius, drawing air in axially and exiting through a side opening. These are some of the most efficient fans available for grow room ventilation systems.

Several companies manufacture what are known as "whisper fans," which are particularly quiet-running. They tend to cost a bit extra, but if noise is a concern for you, these may one of the best indoor gardening supplies you purchase.