Fan Question

A

Aldente P.

Premium Member
Have a cabinet i want to put my ballast and chiller in. I know the chiller should be in the open. But if i installed 2 fans in the back of the cabinet and the front is open. Would this be enough air for the chiller. And if so what kinda fans would you recomend for the most flow and the least sound? Thanks for your opinions. Jesse
 
I would want very quiet fans. Perhaps the large 120mm fans would be better than 80mm computer fans. IceCap makes good ones that can handle hot moist salty air.

One or two of them blowing out would work, or you could have them blow in against the chiller and force the air out the open front of your stand instead.
 
It's not that hard, but I guess it depends on your definition of "hard" :). PC fans run off 12v DC, so all you really need is an AC/DC "wall wart" power adapter. Walmart, Fry's, etc. have them for about $10. Just look for one that outputs 12v DC, then wire the PC fans to it.

Most of the power adapters at Fry's are variable in that you can set them to output in different voltages up to 12v DC. If you decide that the fans are too loud at 12v, then just reduce the voltage to get them to run at a lower speed. Of course, you'd be pushing less air, too.

Another consideration is the capacity of the power adapter. You need to make sure it can handle driving both of your PC fans. To do this, look at your PC fans - there should be an Amp Rating on the sticker somewhere - say 0.6 Amps or 600 mA. Add the Amp Rating of your fans together (in this case 1.2 Amps), and make sure the corresponding Amp rating of your power adapter is equal to or greater (I prefer greater) than that. If it's not, you risk burning out the power adapter.

Depending on the PC fan you get, there might be 2 or 3 wires coming out of it. You're interested in the black and red wires. There might be a third wire, and that is for speed control in a PC. You don't use that one.

Finally, wire the fans to the power adapter in parallel (let us know if you need help with this). This will ensure both fans get the same voltage.

Hope that helps! :)
 
Be sure to check the decibel rating on the fans. The higher the number the louder the fan.
 
i used a desktop power supply form MPJA.com just cut the wire and soldered the wire to the fan. i actually have 4 fans running on this one power supply. I ordered my fans from newegg.com they offer a broader range of fans from mini fans to 360mm fans if you want you probably one 360mm fan it moves 127cfm at 22db. I run 4 80mm thermaltake fans because i like the variable speed

this is the power supply i have
http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16918+PS


this is the 360mm fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010110573%201372745218&name=360mm
 
Wow! Great info thanks. Looks like ill be making a trip to frys on my next day off.My wife will be soooo pleased! haha
 
have had a lot of luck with Antec tri-speed fans & a 1500 ma power supply 2 sit on my bong cooller & 3 over my sump plus on a 1000 ma P/S 2 more tri-speeds w/led's in the canopy
 
when I was at fry's I asked about a power source for my 2 12volt fans. You would have though I asked him how to build the space shuttle.

I went to radio shack and got a 12volt converter for $20.
 
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