bountyhunter23
Member
I have a bunch of computer fans laying around. I was just wondering how to wire them up to use on my canopy?
How to wire a computer fan
- Thread starter bountyhunter23
- Start date
bountyhunter23
Member
wow never mind..... I actually looked at my fan... Its quite easy....... I looked at it from a stand point of when i built my computer. I couldn't figure out what to do with the yellow wire. But if i had just looked at it i could have solved it my self.....
J
jetskiking
Guest
Yellow wire is the speed control.
xcali1985
Active Member
Originally Posted by jetskiking
http:///forum/post/3124340
Yellow wire is the speed control.
Yup put a fuse on it and you can control speed. I would actually use a variable resistor that way you can can turn it up and down as needed.
http:///forum/post/3124340
Yellow wire is the speed control.
Yup put a fuse on it and you can control speed. I would actually use a variable resistor that way you can can turn it up and down as needed.
bountyhunter23
Member
yeah i remembered that when i was wiring it up. I cant seem to get it working. Idk why. Its pretty basic. Im using an AC-DC plug i found. So far no luck.
xcali1985
Active Member
Originally Posted by Bountyhunter23
http:///forum/post/3124378
yeah i remembered that when i was wiring it up. I cant seem to get it working. Idk why. Its pretty basic. Im using an AC-DC plug i found. So far no luck.
Weird, most computer fans are DC, meaning the more power you put in the faster it will spin, basically until the motor overheats and burns up. Try a direct connect to a 9V battery, the red and black only. should work. If not then i would say the fan is dead.
http:///forum/post/3124378
yeah i remembered that when i was wiring it up. I cant seem to get it working. Idk why. Its pretty basic. Im using an AC-DC plug i found. So far no luck.
Weird, most computer fans are DC, meaning the more power you put in the faster it will spin, basically until the motor overheats and burns up. Try a direct connect to a 9V battery, the red and black only. should work. If not then i would say the fan is dead.
bountyhunter23
Member
I know the fan works but ill try anyways. They are both 12v... I tried looking it up. And most places that ppl want to know how to do this is on Weed forums? hahaha.
bountyhunter23
Member
well the battery worked. Maybe its the converter. I have tons laying around ill find another one
bountyhunter23
Member
yup it was the converter. I might get a speed controller. Any suggestions to what i should get?
scsinet
Active Member
You can get speed controllers from computer stores that are designed to run these fans.
Contrary to what was posted above, the yellow wire is not a speed control wire, it's a tachometer output so the PC can read the speed of the fans. Speed controlling a fan needs to be done by varying the input voltage, up to, but not exceeding the rated voltage of the fan (the new 4 wire fans use a different method but that's another topic). Variable resistors can do this job, but only special wirewound potentiometers can do it without burning up, and they are so expensive you'd be better off getting one designed specially for the purpose. You can get them at computer stores for $10 or so.
Really though... it's far easier to just use a lower voltage adapter... 9v usually works great for 12v fans.
If the fan didn't work with a certain adapter even though the voltage is correct, my guess would be the current was insufficient.
Contrary to what was posted above, the yellow wire is not a speed control wire, it's a tachometer output so the PC can read the speed of the fans. Speed controlling a fan needs to be done by varying the input voltage, up to, but not exceeding the rated voltage of the fan (the new 4 wire fans use a different method but that's another topic). Variable resistors can do this job, but only special wirewound potentiometers can do it without burning up, and they are so expensive you'd be better off getting one designed specially for the purpose. You can get them at computer stores for $10 or so.
Really though... it's far easier to just use a lower voltage adapter... 9v usually works great for 12v fans.
If the fan didn't work with a certain adapter even though the voltage is correct, my guess would be the current was insufficient.
bountyhunter23
Member
yeah it wouldn't work with the 12v one so i found a 9v one and it worked. I really dont need to control the speed. I can just put it on a timer. Thanks