"Rewiring" a Computer Fan

[adsantos13]

Hey All,
Im not electrician, but Ive read MocoBird's "Humi Fan" thread and am going to try doing this as it seems simple enough.

A couple questions: The RC Connector Kits available at my local Radio Shacks are all for either 7.X or 9.X Volts (Ive checked about 4 of them over the past couple days).

The Fan and AC/DC Converter I have are 12. Is this a problem if the number dont match? My gut told me it did, but I took a closer look at the pics in the "Humi Fan" thread and the one MocoBird is using _I think_ it is a numer smaller than 12v's. I asked the Radio Shack guy today and although he admitted this sort of thing wasnt his area of expertise, but he had never seen a 12 connector kit in the store. Nobody else in the store could tell me if this would work, go figure.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[moosebrew]

Originally Posted by adsantos13

Hey All,
Im not electrician, but Ive read MocoBird's "Humi Fan" thread and am going to try doing this as it seems simple enough.

A couple questions: The RC Connector Kits available at my local Radio Shacks are all for either 7.X or 9.X Volts (Ive checked about 4 of them over the past couple days).

The Fan and AC/DC Converter I have are 12. Is this a problem if the number dont match? My gut told me it did, but I took a closer look at the pics in the "Humi Fan" thread and the one MocoBird is using _I think_ it is a numer smaller than 12v's. I asked the Radio Shack guy today and although he admitted this sort of thing wasnt his area of expertise, but he had never seen a 12 connector kit in the store. Nobody else in the store could tell me if this would work, go figure.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Using a power supply that is less voltage is fine, it will only run slower if you use less than 12vdc. The biggest thing is to make sure you are talking DC not AC power.

One thing I would do before purchasing a lower power supply from Radio Shack, if they don't have a 12vdc one, would be to stop into a 2nd hand store, Goodwill style around where I live. I have found several 12vdc power supplies for 0.50 or so. Amp's really don't matter if you are only running one or two computer fans.

Hope this helps
Mark

[kvm]

It's been a while since I read that thread, are you going to set the fan up on a timer? If you just want to have it running all the time you can get a 120v fan at RS and just splice on a power cord and plug it in. You won't need a converter.

[adsantos13]

Originally Posted by kvm

It's been a while since I read that thread, are you going to set the fan up on a timer? If you just want to have it running all the time you can get a 120v fan at RS and just splice on a power cord and plug it in. You won't need a converter.

Really? I think I will go this route only 'cause it's easier

Just to confirm, you wrote "120v" not "12v", correct?

[Architeuthis]

I've had the absolute best luck in the 84 quart coolerdor by using an Oust fan. Runs on a single D size battery, and cycles on for 5 minutes, off for 15 minutes. Two months and the battery is still chugging along. No wiring necessary and costs about $7. NOTE: do *not* use the scented oil cannister that comes with it, unless your favorite cigar is the Liga IV!

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by Architeuthis

I've had the absolute best luck in the 84 quart coolerdor by using an Oust fan. Runs on a single D size battery, and cycles on for 5 minutes, off for 15 minutes. Two months and the battery is still chugging along. No wiring necessary and costs about $7. NOTE: do *not* use the scented oil cannister that comes with it, unless your favorite cigar is the Liga IV!

Oust® Fan, I think I will give that a try. You are one ingenious fellow, what with the cigar label lighters and all. Some kind of Mcgyver of the Cigar world.

I know of what you speak concerning the notorious Liga IV.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=55129

Oust® Fan...you betcha

[Architeuthis]

And instead of humidity beads or credo devices in the coolerdor, check out that Pearl Lite Kitty Litter; the white stuff made of silica beads. Holds around 70% RH all day long.Squid: giving away all the good secrets.

[kvm]

Originally Posted by adsantos13

Really? I think I will go this route only 'cause it's easier

Just to confirm, you wrote "120v" not "12v", correct?

Correct. For the power cord I used one for a boombox because of the small diameter. You can get them at RS also.

[muziq]

Originally Posted by kvm

Correct. For the power cord I used one for a boombox because of the small diameter. You can get them at RS also.

This is the route I went as well, and no problems to date after a couple years <knocks on wood>

[adsantos13]

Thanks for all the replies!

Oust fans are great, but in the wine cooler they just arent strong enough.

Im going to return the small 12v fan I got to Radio Shack for the 120v AC model, then just splice it into the thinnest wire I can find. Just to make extra sure, any regular old two prong power cord will do, right?

One more thing, can I use those rubber heat shrinker tubes for this project in lieu of a solderer?

[kvm]

Originally Posted by adsantos13

Thanks for all the replies!

Oust fans are great, but in the wine cooler they just arent strong enough.

Im going to return the small 12v fan I got to Radio Shack for the 120v AC model, then just splice it into the thinnest wire I can find. Just to make extra sure, any regular old two prong power cord will do, right?

One more thing, can I use those rubber heat shrinker tubes for this project in lieu of a solderer?

Should be fine. I just used electrical tape.

[Architeuthis]

Originally Posted by adsantos13

Thanks for all the replies!

Oust fans are great, but in the wine cooler they just arent strong enough.

Im going to return the small 12v fan I got to Radio Shack for the 120v AC model, then just splice it into the thinnest wire I can find. Just to make extra sure, any regular old two prong power cord will do, right?

One more thing, can I use those rubber heat shrinker tubes for this project in lieu of a solderer?

I don't know about that. Those little Oust fans move a hell of a lot of air. I guess your unit already has some sort of a blower if it's temp controlled? An Oust fan can move the entire cubic footage of air in a 12'x12' room in two cycles of the 5 minute run-time.

[adsantos13]

Originally Posted by Architeuthis

I don't know about that. Those little Oust fans move a hell of a lot of air. I guess your unit already has some sort of a blower if it's temp controlled? An Oust fan can move the entire cubic footage of air in a 12'x12' room in two cycles of the 5 minute run-time.

Arch,

I dont doubt it, but according to all the research Ive done, I going to need a bigger fan blowing on the cooling coils pretty much constantly.

I live in an apartment where the ambient temp is consistently vey high. I believe this is due to 2 things: being on the corner of the building and thus getting blasted with sun all day and heating pipes running through the apartment that feed the rest of the building. I turned on the heat once all winter, and Im in the Northeast.

When summer really hits and we get that lovely 100 degree heatwave, I suspect this baby's cooling unit is going to be kicking on quite a lot, and I figure I'm going to need a bigger fan basically blowing the coil all the time in order to get rid of condensation and keep the RH in a reasonable range.

[wharfrathoss]

Originally Posted by Architeuthis

I don't know about that. Those little Oust fans move a hell of a lot of air. I guess your unit already has some sort of a blower if it's temp controlled? An Oust fan can move the entire cubic footage of air in a 12'x12' room in two cycles of the 5 minute run-time.

i wonder if we're talking about the same oust fan-runs on a d battery, about 5" high?-both of mine barely make a breeze in front of them-think they'd take a few years to move the volume of a 12x12 room-they're ok for a 48qt cooler, but not much more than that IMHO

[The Korean]

Originally Posted by wharfrathoss

i wonder if we're talking about the same oust fan-runs on a d battery, about 5" high?-both of mine barely make a breeze in front of them-think they'd take a few years to move the volume of a 12x12 room-they're ok for a 48qt cooler, but not much more than that IMHO

When I got mine, I kept looking at it asking myself is it on?