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Variator Variispeed
The Variispeed is an analogue speed controller that sits between the socket and the extractor fan. There is no wiring and no installation: plug it in, connect the fan, turn the dial. Control is stepless, so the setting can be dialled to the point where the tent stays cool enough and the noise becomes tolerable. It is intended for fans with an AC motor. EC and DC motors, which carry their own electronic regulation, are excluded, as are dual-winding two-speed motors. Before connecting anything, read the current draw off the fan's rating plate and compare it with the load rating printed on the controller's packaging.
Variispeed controller – stepless speed control for AC extractor fans
The Variispeed is an analogue speed controller that sits between the socket and the extractor fan. No wiring, no installation: plug it in, connect the fan, turn the dial. Control is stepless, and the unit is intended for fans running a conventional AC motor.
Why an extractor should not always run flat out
An extractor is sized for the worst case: the hottest hour of the day, mid-flowering, lights at full output. That is precisely why it is oversized the rest of the time. With the lights off the heat load disappears, and in early veg small plants generate almost none. A controller lets the fan track those differences rather than ventilating straight through them. The noticeable effect lands in two places: noise drops, and the tent stops drawing in more cool air than it needs, which makes the temperature steadier rather than swinging.
Which fans accept this kind of regulation
An analogue controller works by cutting back the voltage reaching the motor. That suits a conventional AC motor, the type found in most inline and axial fans — a Vents Quietline Ø 125, for instance. It does not suit an EC or DC motor, which carries its own electronics and expects clean mains. A third category is easy to overlook: motors with two separate windings, such as the Prima Klima 2 Speed. Each winding there is wound for one fixed speed, and cutting voltage to it does more harm than good. If the fan's rating plate lists a maximum current, check it against the load rating printed on the controller's packaging before connecting anything.
Setting it without straining the motor
- Start at full when bringing the tent online, and dial back once the climate has settled
- Ramp down gradually rather than sweeping the dial straight to minimum
- Avoid parking it at the very bottom: at very low speed the motor no longer cools itself adequately
- Humming or vibration means the speed has dropped below where that motor runs steadily — bring it back up slightly
Growers who would rather not adjust by hand should look at the Cli-Mate Fan Speed Controller: electronic, with defined settings instead of a free dial. The Variispeed is the choice where the setting is judged by watching tent temperature and no menu is wanted. The full range sits in the climate control category. Shipped from Belgium throughout the Benelux via plantandflower.be.
Will the Variispeed work with my extractor fan?
With a conventional AC motor, yes: that covers most inline and axial fans in the hobby segment. Not with an EC or DC motor, and not with a two-speed motor built on separate windings. Check as well that the fan's current draw falls within the controller's load rating, which is printed on the packaging.
Can the controller damage the fan?
On an AC motor and in correct use, no. Two precautions still apply: do not sweep the dial to minimum while the fan is running at full speed, and do not leave it parked at the lowest setting indefinitely. A motor cools itself through its own rotation, and that mechanism stops working at very low speeds.
Why does my fan hum when I dial it back?
That follows from the principle. An analogue controller clips the voltage waveform, and a motor running on the result operates outside its design point. Some fans stay quiet a long way down; others start to buzz or vibrate early. Find the lowest setting at which your particular fan still runs smoothly and treat that as the floor.
Variispeed or Cli-Mate — which one when?
The Variispeed is a free dial: you watch the temperature and adjust. The Cli-Mate Fan Speed Controller works electronically and holds a setting without anyone present. A stable setup with a steady climate is well served by the Variispeed. Where conditions swing day to day, an electronic controller saves the manual correction.
