Installing fan

[StevenO]

I have a small fan on batteries now, I read some posts that people used cell phone chargers. I was wondering should I be matching the volts, amps, electronic numbers, alignement of the stars up. I'm lost. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Steven O

[USMCNUT]

Yo Steveo.. I made this cool a*s blower after work today.. I read what some other guys did.. and with stuff I found at work I made it.. I used a small thick cardboard box ( 6in by 6in. square).I duct taped the inside .. I cut a circle in one side and placed a 12v .33amp computer fan inside the box sucking air in and wire tied it in. I wired it to a 9v 1.5 amp cordless phone plug. on the other side I cut a small hole and ran a flex gas hose through ( 36in piece) Once all was together, I closed the box and calked the seams and duct taped the whole thing air tight. I hung the box in the bottom back of the kegerator with the fan facing the cold plate.. and ran the hose up the tower.. In about 10 minutes the tower was cold to the touch.. It cost me $0.00 and about 1 hour of work. Oh as far as running the wire out I drilled a hole in the top right corner in the back of the kegerator. EASY

[monkey710]

Originally Posted by StevenO

I have a small fan on batteries now, I read some posts that people used cell phone chargers. I was wondering should I be matching the volts, amps, electronic numbers, alignement of the stars up. I'm lost. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Steven O

I am assuming it is a DC fan. You need to match the voltage and ensure the adapter can support the required amps. If you do not have one at home, then go to Radio Shack with the fan and they will help you. They have them (but they are pricey). I also found a great site that has cheap fans and adapters. Here is the link: BUYEXTRAS.COM

[cubby_swans]

Originally Posted by StevenO

I have a small fan on batteries now, I read some posts that people used cell phone chargers. I was wondering should I be matching the volts, amps, electronic numbers, alignement of the stars up. I'm lost. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Steven O

The monkey man is correct. You should match the voltage. If you run a 12V fan with a 9V charger, it'll spin, but slower. I tried this and it was too slow. Then make sure the Amperage stated on the fan is lower than the amperage supplied by the power supply. The fan will only draw what it needs. I'm running a .12 Amp fan with a 1.5Amp charger.

[StevenO]

Thanks, I'll keep looking at chargers till I find the right one. I like the cardboard box idea. I was thinking about mounting the fan onto a tupperware type lid and then I can pop it off and on of a tupperware carton if needed. Cut a hole in the bottom of the carton and tape a hose on it.

[pumpkinvw]

Originally Posted by cubby_swans

If you run a 12V fan with a 9V charger, it'll spin, but slower.

What about the opposite? I have a battery powered fan that runs on 2 'D' batteries, which should be 3 volts. I have a 12 volt 200mA cell phone charger that I can use. Will it burn the fan up?

[cubby_swans]

Originally Posted by pumpkinvw

What about the opposite? I have a battery powered fan that runs on 2 'D' batteries, which should be 3 volts. I have a 12 volt 200mA cell phone charger that I can use. Will it burn the fan up?

Probably, especially at 4 times the voltage. I can't find an exact answer, but everything I can find says to match the current (voltage). My guess is that if lower voltage causes the fan to spin too slow, higher voltage will cause it to spin too fast, burning it up. Either that or the electronic wiring in the fan just can't handle the voltage and will fry right away. You might get away with 4 or 5 volts, but I'm thinking 12 will fry it right off the bat.

RadioShack Guide to Understanding Power Conversion: AC Adapters

[YuenglingFan]

Radioshack's supply of AC adapters varies store to store, but they aren't all expensive. I found a 6/7v one that is like 1.5amps or similar, for $12. I bought a fan from them for $6. And a project box for around $6.

Not free, no...but I don't have spare computer parts laying around, so I wasn't too upset with the $25 price range.

[StevenO]

Hi my bud got me the charger, it's a Archer Universal AC adapter. It has 5 settings 3v 4.5v 6v 7.5v 9v on it. I have a very small fan from radio shack, about 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. When I run it and switch to the higher volt settings the fan gets faster. Output on the charger says DC 300mA. The fan says 12VDC 0.13A 1.56W. So I'm thinking that the fan should be able to work on the highest setting 9v. Since it's a 12VDC fan. It doesn't push alot of air but I can feel it at the end of the hose I connected.
By the way the Charger says Radio Shack on it: CAT. NO. 273-1650. Don't know how old it is.

Steven O

[lunkhead]

Using 12 volts on a 3 volt fan is a bad idea, unless the fan has a data plate on it saying it's a 12 volt unit. Running a fan or blower higher than it's rated voltage is not a good idea. The current draw goes up as does the heat and wear on the motor. Running at less than rated voltage is fine as long as it moves enough air. The current draw goes down too, which reduces heat. In my current setup I have a 24v unit that I run at 7.5v. At 24v it draws .33amp and moves 33cfm per the data plate. At 7.5 volt it measures .125 amp. the cfm is way down, noise is way down and it still moves enough air. And no heat.