Rise Gardens Fans

Rise Garden

The first generation family size Rise Garden is a pretty solid all-in-one hydroponic system.  In a short time a novice can have great results growing food.  That said, there are some challenges with a hydroponic system.  One of those is tip burn. 

Problem

Tip burn can be caused by nutrient deficiency, too much fertilization, limited air movement, high humidity, and too much light. Additionally, this issue can be exasperated by reverse osmosis water.  The near sterile water draws calcium and magnesium from the plants. 

Solutions

Supplements for calcium and magnesium can be added to the water, light cycles can be adjusted, nutrient levels adjusted, humidity controlled, and use a 3D printer to make a fan system! P.S. Fans can also help with pollination of fruiting plants like tomatoes and peppers :) 

Supplies

• 3x Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM 120mm fans [Amazon link]
  • Pros
    • Extremely quiet
    • Every part for installation is included
    • Great build quality
    • 6 year warranty
  • Cons
    • Left over parts
    • Expensive
  • Substitutions
    • I'm sure most any fan can be used, however, certain tolerances may be off given the design was made around the Noctua fans
•  Noctua NA-FC1 PWM Fan Controller [Amazon link]
  • This small controller will let you adjust the speed of the fans via pulse width modulation.
  • A 3-way splitter is included in the box - this will be useful later
• Coolerguys 12V Fan Power Supply [Amazon link]
  • You'll need power to the fans.  This inexpensive and small power supply gets the job done.
• Smart Plug (Eve Energy recommended for HomeKit ecosystems) [Amazon link]
  • Schedule the fan to run for periods of time through the day
• 3M Command “Small” strips - refill pack
  • These will be used for cable management
  • Readily available at any grocery store, no online link provided
• A couple of small zip ties
  • These will clean up any slop with the cables at the end
• Custom wiring harness (optional)
  • 24 AWG 4 stranded wire (No link provided, you can pick your own flavor)
  • Female 4-Pin PWM Fan Connector Kit [Amazon link]
  • PWM Plastic Shell Computer Case Cooling Fan Male Plug [Amazon link]
  • IWS-3220M Micro Connector Pin Crimping Tool [Amazon link]
  • 2x 3” long ¼” shrink tubing
    • This will go at the ends of the custom harness for a professional look
    • The 3” sections will be plenty to cut into 1” pieces for each end of the harness. 

Printing

All parts were printed in black Elegoo PLA (choose your own color/brand/material) with the following  relevant settings - flow and temps will be omitted as they are material specific

• 100% Infill
• 4 perimeters
• Supports on (for main brackets)
• All parts were printed grille side down
• I have included multiple shrouds to leave the cord as you see fit
  • Bottom exit
  • Right exit
  • Optional bottom or right exit

Footnote: The cable management clips would benefit from being printed in PETG.  This would provide additional flexibility that is just not there in PLA.  However, I was just wanting to finish the project, so I did not bother with a filament swap. 

Assembly

Assembly of the fan modules is pretty straight-forward.  However, I have designed some options into the main mount.

• If installing the fan with anti-vibration mounts, the holes on the mounts will need to be expanded.  This can be done easily with a 3/16" drill bit. Again, tolerances will be snug, but the mount will pull trough and hold well.
• If installing with a standard fan screw, just screw it right in, no modifications are required. Note: tolerances may be slightly affected with this method

Full assembly order is as follows

• If using anti-vibration mounts, insert the fan side mounts into the fan.  Trim any excess leads to make room for the screws in the next step.  

• Carefully insert fan into the fan shroud noting the position of the power cord.  This should line up with the notch in the bottom of the shroud. 
  • If using the Noctua fans listed above, the tolerances are near exact.  To aid in this process, get a little soapy water on your finger tip then apply lightly to the silicone bumpers.  This will help get started. 
  • When reaching the top side of the fan, use a small screwdriver to tuck the silicone bumpers into the shroud. Again, some soapy water may be employed to assist. 

• Use the included threaded screws to attach the fan to the shroud.  The screws are self tapping, so they should go in easily.  Do not over tighten. 
• Line up the “computer side” of the anti-vibration mounts into the main body of the module.  Be sure to line up the cord notch to the bottom or right depending on the shroud used. 

• Make sure overhangs are in place, apply some pressure and pull the anti-vibration mount through the hole.
  • If struggling with this step, use some pliers to get a better grip
  • Should the anti-vibration mount pull out of the fan, you will need to separate the two pieces and push the anti-vibration mount back in with a small screwdriver and start again
• Once all four are through, the fan module is assembled!

All modules will use the same shroud, the STL labeled Top is for the top level in all systems.  The STL labeled Bottom is for the additional levels in a 2-3 tier garden.  This can be distinguished by the block at the back of the clip.

Final Installation

• Pull the wires for the lights out of the channel in the side of the garden - these will be repositioned after installation of the fan module
• Line up the wings of the fan module and the slots in the garden - holding the fan module at a ~45 degree angle.  With the removal of the wires, this should allow the module to be rotated into the slots and then hooked on to the levels. 
• Once hooked on the levels, reinsert the wires for the slots.  You will need to route the LED wires behind the wings of the module, they should stay just fine and not be terribly noticeable.

• Either using the custom harness (optional), or the included connectors, run power to the fan modules. 
  • The power plug will run to the Fan Speed module
  • The 3-way splitter will come from the Fan Speed module
    • Note: the Low-Noise Adapters included with Noctua fans will limit the overall fan speed
• Run the 3 power leads to the fan modules
• Tidy up the cables how you see fit, the provided STL for cable management will require at minimum 2 sets. 
  • The tolerances of these clips is quite tight - especially with the wire I ended up with which was 5mm - the clips are designed for this.  A firm 5mm wire will snap in with some force.  Be extra careful with the 3 wire clips, as the middle sections are fragile in PLA. 
  • If struggling, string the cables through the clips before adding the connectors on a custom harness.  If using the stock cables included with the Noctua fans, you will not have any issues. 
  • Using Command strips, the clips can easily be attached to the back of the garden for a clean presentation.