Adding fans to the Nanowave9

[johndestef]

I've found that I can't run my lights for 10hrs without the temps going into the 85degree range. So I've been looking into SilenX cooling fans. I want to fit them into the canopy with no modification to the hood or reflector. It seems their 40x40x10mm, 14dBA fans will fit inbetween the LEDs and give enough clearance to allow the air to come in and dissapate. Anything larger will not fit inside, inbetween the canopy lid and deflector, and provide enough room for the air to blow in.
http://www.supermotors.net/vehicles/registry/media/473752
Stock, the NW9 hood allows nearly NO ventilation for the area which houses the bulbs. This is where I've felt the most heat radiating into/at the water. The majority of the venting is for the area above the deflector. If I install fans with the canopy/vents/deflector as-is, the air will blow across the top of the deflector and out, without circulating around the hot bulbs. With the deflector in place, the vents on each side, in the bulb area, are nearly blocked. I'm looking to change that.

If I mount 2, or 4, 40mm fans, the air will be pushed into the top center of the canopy. Right now, there's almost no way for the air to circulate into the bulb area then vent out. I'm considering blocking the vents on the inside of the canopy above the deflector and drill venting holes in the deflector, and possibly lenghten/lower the side vent slots.
Then there's the noise issue. Does anyone have experience with installing multiple fans? Is there a significant difference in noise between 2 vs. 4, 14dBA fans?

 

[johndestef]

I went with 2 Papst 60x60x15mm fans, 21 CFM @ 16dba. Wow, they are silent! I also got a Y connector for power, a DC jack to 3 pin fan adapter, a variable voltage AC adapter and fan grills.

Additional vents were cut in the canopy to properly exit hot air from the bulb/splash guard housing.
Before & after:

Cuts were also made in the deflector to direct incoming air around the front and rear of the newly installed Coral Life 50/50s.

The blue LEDs were nearly rendered useless, buried behind the bigger bulbs and inside the deflector. I relocated them towards the back, on top of the reflector, added two more LEDs, and sanded/polished out the texture at the rear of the NW9 splash guard.

Why are some of the LEDs brighter than others? ...it's not like the brightest one is the first in-series from the transformer either...

After a couple days with the updated/improved canopy, my water temps have varied from 79 to 82 degrees.

Do a little dance....... for now anyway! Much better than 85 degrees, ouch! Our house was at 73 or 74 degrees all weekend, so I'm sure that helped keep the bulbs cool. During the week, the A/C shuts off until 78 degrees, from 9am till 5pm. Sooooooo we'll see how the warmer air cools the canopy then.........
We want fishies, we want fishies, we want fishies
.............. and some corals too...........
-the newly completed canopy, ready to go on the tank-

 

[johndestef]

more pics pending

 

[johndestef]

Polishing out the textured finish in the splash guard...
400 grit on a dual action sander
600 grit wet sandpaper
1000 grit wet sandpaper
2000 grit wet sandpaper
Partially polished with a wool pad and 3M Perfect-It III compound
Polished splash guard w/ lit LEDs

 

[johndestef]

Originally Posted by JohnDeStef
Why are some of the LEDs brighter than others? ...it's not like the brightest one is the first in-series from the transformer either...

 

[demartini]

are they all pointing straight or are they sort of at an angle? they look straight... I'm not sure why some are brighter than the others.

 

[johndestef]

They're all mounted on pre-cut 1/2" plastic spacers. No matter how you look at the lights, which ever angle, some are brighter that others.