Vortex Y-Piece - Split One Fan Across Two Ducting Runs
Best for: growers running one extractor fan who need to feed two grow spaces, or who want to combine two ducting runs into one carbon filter.
Our thoughts
About as unglamorous as grow kit gets, but it does the one job it's built for. If you've got a single decent fan and two tents, or want to route air from two spaces into one filter, this is the cheap way to do it rather than buying a second fan and filter. Welded steel construction means it'll outlast the ducting either side of it.
The Y-piece is a Y-shaped ducting connector that splits airflow from a single duct run into two branches, or merges two runs into one — useful whichever direction the air is travelling. It's built from pressed and welded steel with a smooth internal bore, which keeps turbulence and airflow resistance down compared with a sharp-angled joint.
Each of the three ports has a slightly raised lip, giving duct tape or a jubilee clip something to grip so the joint stays sealed under normal ducting pressure. It's a passive fitting — no moving parts, nothing to wear out — so as long as the diameter matches your ducting, it should outlast several fan and filter upgrades.
How it compares
Ducting Y-pieces are a commodity fitting, but build quality and material still vary.
- Compared with Manrose's own Y-piece ducting connectors, commonly sold through UK electrical and ventilation retailers for domestic bathroom extraction, this is built to a similar welded-steel spec but sized and priced for grow-room ducting runs.
- Against running two separate inline fans, a single fan plus Y-piece is the cheaper and quieter route when the combined airflow demand across both spaces doesn't exceed what one fan can comfortably deliver.
- Compared with lighter plastic or composite splitters sometimes sold for general HVAC use, the solid pressed-steel body holds its shape under duct tension and won't collapse or kink over time.
It's a small, cheap fitting, but the steel build is the difference between one that lasts the life of your tent and one that needs replacing after a season.
Usage guidance
Fitting is straightforward, but a couple of things are worth getting right.
Installation
Slide your ducting over each of the three ports and secure with duct tape or a jubilee clip. Seal every joint properly — a loose fit here is the most common cause of odour or noise leaks in an extraction setup.
Sizing
Match the Y-piece diameter to your existing ducting. Common sizes run from 100mm (4") up to 315mm (12"), so check your fan and filter outlet size before ordering — a mismatch will need a reducer as well.
Airflow planning
Splitting one duct into two branches reduces the airflow (CFM) each branch receives compared with a single run, so make sure your fan has enough spare capacity to still hit your target air changes in both spaces.
Technical specifications
- Material: pressed and welded steel
- Design: Y-shaped, smooth internal bore
- Port ends: raised lip for a secure tape or clip fit
- Common sizes: 100mm / 125mm / 150mm / 200mm / 250mm / 315mm (4"-12")
- Fixing method: duct tape or jubilee clips (not included)
- Function: splits one duct run into two, or combines two into one
- Compatible with: standard round flexible or rigid ducting of matching diameter
Who this is for
- Growers running two tents or spaces off a single fan and filter
- Anyone combining exhaust from two areas into one carbon filter
- Budget-conscious setups that don't want to double up on fans
- Not a fit if your ducting sizes don't match — you'll need a reducer alongside it
Our take
There's nothing complicated about a Y-piece, and that's the point — it's a cheap, durable fitting that lets one fan and filter do the work of two. Get the size right for your ducting and it's a fit-and-forget part of the extraction setup.
Does exactly what it should, day in, day out.
