Wiring Computer fans.....

[JDigital]

So, I went to Memory Express today, figuring I could grab a couple fans and a unit that would plug into the wall socket, but sales guy said that that doesn't exist, and that I would need to solder the power to an existing piece of equipment????

I know lots of people use PC fans in canopies, so how did you wire them up? or is there a unit that does plug into the wall outlet that controls the fans?

[Tarolisol]

its super easy, all you need is a coverter thingy(one of those larger things that plug into the wall), to covert the PC power to a wall plug. Ill take some pics of mine and post them tomorrow for ya.

[Borderjumper]

Ive bought a couple of these. They come with the adapter to plug into the wall, plus they have an on/off switch.

http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/cgi-bin/smpagegen.exe?U+scstore+yzdf5728ff42f342+-c+scstore.cfg+-p+LICL-53071

[untamed]

Well...maybe you can't get really tiny computer fans in 115V...but you can certainly get them in about 4" diametre.

Check out RP Electronics....Look at the fans they have available and you can choose from a good variety of air movements and they all connect to 115V directly. (just plug them in!)

You can even choose the 230V ones. If you plug those directly into 110V, they run at 1/2 speed and are especially quiet. If you are going to do this, you have to purchase the ball bearing type otherwise they may fail to restart when stopped. (Mine never have, but that is what I understand)

http://www.rpelectronics.com/

[mseepman]

Only problem with the Coralife fans is that they are expensive. I have one and it work well, but not the quietest fan either.

When you buy PC fans...go for a decent one, like a stealth or something similar and you will be glad for the lack of noise.

Now as for wiring them...I recommend a variable voltage adapter (the larger things that plug in to the wall, lol) That way you can control how fast they go and how loud they are.

When you go to wire it, you clip the 3 or 4 pin plug off the fan first. You should have 2 wires left (usually a red and a black) If you have 3 wires...then you usually have a blue one and that is for temperature...you can clip it at the fan as it's not needed. When you clip the adapter you will have a black and a white wire...the white goes with the red and the black sticks with black. Use Mar-connectors as they are easy and safe.

Oh, a good place to get variable voltage adapters is sometimes at dollar stores (that aren't really a $1) otherwise The Source by Circuit city will rob you blind.


Hopefully that makes sense. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

[JDigital]

A buddy of mine suggested picking up a cheap used PC power supply too.. Trying to keep it cost effective as it is going on my Nano... i can get 2 fans for $18 (80mm is diameter) trying to find a controller in the $20 mark.

[slakker]

A buddy of mine suggested picking up a cheap used PC power supply too.. Trying to keep it cost effective as it is going on my Nano... i can get 2 fans for $18 (80mm is diameter) trying to find a controller in the $20 mark.

That's not too bad an idea as the plugs and jacks are the same, but if you have a old 12 VDC kicking around from old cordless phones, cell chargers, etc. youc an save a bit of cash.

[Marlin65]

You can get 110v ones from Circuit City for about $15.00 thats what I used a bit more flow and not a lot of noise.

[mseepman]

You can get 110v ones from Circuit City for about $15.00 thats what I used a bit more flow and not a lot of noise.

110V Small 80mm fans? Never seen them there...hmmm

[mseepman]

A buddy of mine suggested picking up a cheap used PC power supply too.. Trying to keep it cost effective as it is going on my Nano... i can get 2 fans for $18 (80mm is diameter) trying to find a controller in the $20 mark.

The problem with this is that it would have to be an AT power supply, not an ATX which is what computers have used for years already. AT is a physically switched power supply...versus the ATX is software driven...no power without the motherboard telling it so. I thought of doing that and buying a pc based fan controller so I could vary the speed of the fans...but it was more of a hassle than it was worth.

You should be able to get a variable voltage adapter (12v) from some type of dollar store for about $7-$10. Make sure that it is enough to power both fans in mA...typical PC fans are around 250 mA.

[Phanman]

I did the same thing as your thinking... picked up 2 of the smallest fans available at memory express and hooked them into an AT power supply box that I had from a really old computer. Threw on a cheap timer and away I went. Worked well for my 10gal nano that I had running. I drilled 2 holes in the canopy on either end for the fans and reversed one fan so one side was sucking in air and the other was blowing it out.

Works like a charm.

[spreerider]

you can mod an ATX power supply by jumping out two wires on the 24Pin plug, i cant remember which ones but i have done it before, but you are better off just buying a 12VDC adaptor like the ones that come with cordless phones etc,
i would give you one if you lived close to me as i have over 100 at work that we usually donate to schools.
you can even buy variable adaptors that you could use to slow the fan down, they are only $20 at circuit city and come with a range of plugs,
The best computer fans i have found are SilenX they can be tricky to find but NCIX carries them, by far the quietest fan i have ever used.

[midgetwaiter]

its super easy, all you need is a coverter thingy(one of those larger things that plug into the wall), to covert the PC power to a wall plug. Ill take some pics of mine and post them tomorrow for ya.

You need to be picky with this. There are two types of plug in transformers, regulated and unregulated.

If you use a regulated power supply like the Circuit City adjustable one it's easy but they are more expensive. No matter what the current draw is you will get 12v out of it.

With a cheap unregulated one like most of the ones everyone has sitting in a drawer you need to be a bit more careful. First figure out how much current you need for all your fans by adding up the mA rating on them. (eg. 4*150=600) and then go looking for a power supply that is rated at 12v and 600 or more mA. If you get one that does 600mA you're done, wire it up and go, however you are more likely to find one that provides more current like 1000mA. This is a problem because what that means is that the power supply will give you 12v only when you draw 1000mA, because we are only drawing 600mA the voltage will be higher like 15v. This probably won't set anything on fire but it will make them noisy and probably shorten their life.

The easiest way to fix this is to add a variable resistor or potentiometer (think dimmer) to the circuit to adjust the current draw and adjust the fan speed.

[parkinsn]

we sell fans that are 120vac, for around $30 and you would just need a chunck of cord and a male plug end...... thay are a 4"

[spreerider]

dimmers are SCR's not Potentiometers just so you know, they dimm by flickering the power on and off, thats why you cant use them on arc lamps.
Most computer fans will be fine to run at 15-20V but it will shorten their lifespan.