Wiring Q for 115V Blower - Help Needed!

[ironmike08]

I am all set with a chest freezer connected via 2" PVC to a double beer tower approx. 5 linear feet away.

I expect to receive today from Grainger a 115 V, .55 amp shaded pole blower that will produce 60 cfm.

Here is the link.
HVACR > Blowers > Small Centrifugal Blowers > Blower,60 CFM,3030 : Grainger Industrial Supply

I have searched and searched on here (and the net) and I am just looking for the right way to power this blower.

Can I strip an extension cord, wire it up and be good to go, or is there something more involved, such as a power source that is properly rated to match the volts and/or amps of the blower.

I am guessing this is a simple answer for many folks on here with electrical knowledge.

I appreciate the help!!

[El Geordie]

That blower maybe a little more than you need.

Looks like you got a good deal on the blower, but it may be a bit more than you need.
My set up uses the 12 CFM blower on a dual tap set up and works adequately - I use 3" pipe for my cooling loop.
I wired mine directly to an old power cord, which goes via a grommet through the freezer wall.
I fear you may end up producing too much heat with that blower, good luck

[THE ICEMAN]

If you plan on powering it with a separate cord going directly to the wall outlet then all you need is something the size of 16ga or greater cord for that size motor.
If you want to use the same cord as the freezer you would need to splice it in before the it branches off to any controls, i.e. thermostat etc.


THE ICEMAN

[photog]

Possible???

You say this might be too much blower, and would generate too much heat. Would it be possible to wire it through a "dimmer" switch and regulate it's speed and thereby reduce its heat signature???
Just curious, as I am getting ready to build a box... as soon as I can assimilate all the info around here.

[Jay1]

Cool deal on the blower.

I purchased have a chest freezer. The first thing I did was unscrew the inside of the lid so I could cut my holes in it without damaging anything.

The inside had 110v that went to a switch and a light. I simply cut the end off a 3 pin extension cord and wired it to the 110v. I ran it nice and clean through the plastic covering an then put it back all nice and pretty. This way I have a grounded recepticle inside the freezer.

I bought a bathroom ceiling fan that has a 3" output and used an adapter to take that down to a 2" opening. I used the other 1/2 of the extension cord (the male 1/2) so I could plug it into the recepticle.

My line is about 30feet. I have my beer line fed through a 2" line from the freezer to about 1/2 way up mytower. The base of the tower has a 4" line that runs back to the freezer for my warm air return. I seem to be getting decent circulation and the tower feels cold to the touch. Not quite as frosty as I anticipated but then I am only lowering the freezer temp very conservatiely as I don't want my lines to freeze up on me.

I need to get a decent thermometer for the inside.

[ironmike08]

Thanks!

Thanks Guys.

I agree that from reading the various posts here that 115V & 60 CFM is probably way more than I need, but as mentioned, this was a pretty good deal & I wanted to err on the side of too much power than not enough. Plus I have a couple of 90 degree bends in the PVC and wanted to make sure I had the juice to get past them.

Thanks ICEMAN, getting clarification that as long as I use a good 16 gauge extension cord I can plug dirctly into the wall is what I really needed to know. I am not going to attempt to splice it into the actual power source, as I don't want to over complicate things and I would want it to run 24/7 and not only when the freezer is being powered.

photog - As long as other agree it's ok, I think I will try your suggestion of wiring through a dimmer switch, as I too am worried that this unit will give off too much heat for what I need it for, although it is inside a 8.8 cu ft freezer, so hopefully even at full power the freezer can overcome the heat of the blower.

Just to clarify for my own knowledge - am I able to run this right to a wall outlet because the blower is 115V and the wall outlet is 110V?

Had I used a lower voltage blower (say 24V) doing this would have burned out the motor? Just trying to enhance my limited electrical knowledge.

Thanks again.

[THE ICEMAN]

Just to clarify for my own knowledge - am I able to run this right to a wall outlet because the blower is 115V and the wall outlet is 110V?

Had I used a lower voltage blower (say 24V) doing this would have burned out the motor? Just trying to enhance my limited electrical knowledge.

Thanks again.

Generally speaking, any electrical motor is rated to work within 10% +/- of rated voltage. So a motor rated at 115v would be safe to use on a circuit anywhere from 103.5v to 126.5v.


THE ICEMAN

[ironmike08]

Q for ICEMAN

Iceman,

What do you think of the idea of wiring a dimmer switch between the blower and the wall outlet?

Good idea? Any issues with that? If ok, would you suggest running it at say 50% of the max power?

Thanks.

[THE ICEMAN]

I'm not absolutely sure but I would tend to say no. It goes back to the rated voltage issue. I know there are motors that are designed to be used on rheostats but I doubt all motors can. Motors still hold some mystery for me a well.


THE ICEMAN

[KingPin461]

I purchased a blower with similar specs from the same place as you. I believe the one I had ran at .53 amps. After running the blower for 2 minutes, I couldn't hold the motor for more than 5 seconds. I ended up getting this one 50 cfm Blower. Its only .23 amps and is very cool to the touch after running for hours. You can also control the output of air. If you look under the notes & restrictions tab, it will tell you if you can or cannot attach a dimmer.

If you have purchased your blower already, please let us know how it runs in regards to heat.

[Jay1]

You do not want to use a dimmer they are not designed for that.

You can get specific fan controls. They use those to control ceiling fans. Just make sure the wattage rating of the fan control is higher than that of the fan. A typically a good fan control goes for $70-$100 so if you are looking to save money on the blower you would be better off purchasing one to suit.

[kzad]

"Shaded pole" motors can be controlled with a fan controller. I have a 60 cfm blower, plugged in to this Dial-A-Temp Rheostat I'm running mine into a 1" hose, turned down pretty low. I found that once I turned it up to a certain point, going higher didn't improve cooling, only heated the motor more.

[ironmike08]

Installed Blower

I hooked the blower up last night and all went well with a basic 16 ga extension cord. I was not able to test the temp of the beer at the facuet or determine if there were still foam issues as I installed it late last night.

It does move a lot of air and is just a little noisy, though nothing serious. There was not any noticeable heat coming off the unit nor was it warm to the touch, but after running for almost 24 hrs straight I will check it again tonight and see if it's giving off much or any heat.

Thanks for the tip on the rheostat, I will pick up one of those and dial things back a little, making sure that enough cooling is still taking place of course.

Thanks again all.