Simple Ventilation with PC fans

[kninum]

Okay so i posted a version of this in my other thread , but then thought it might worthy of it's own thread it's a fun little project and depending on what you have laying about the house it won't cost much at all....pretty much any old computer fan will work- you can get used ones cheap- or get a nice one that pushes a lot of air for a larger application- PC fans are handy because they lightweight and take very little space to push a good amount of air.

my little fan project/ experiment :
both are very very easy, and safe if you are careful/respectful regarding electricity

first-up, the battery powered version
very compact, and portable.
how long it will last on one batt. depends on your fans consumption and quality of battery. I have a high consumpt. fan w/ led with a super cheap dollar store battery.......it lasted several hours.....fun to make and could be useful.
supplies used-
1 80mm used high quality LED PC fan
1 9v battery connector, can be bought from radio shake or liberated from a broken toy
1 9v battery
good quality electrical tape
and wire cutters (wire strippers would be useful if you have them)



next up, the wired version!
i like this set up very much......i may have to consider building some more complicated circuits for other areas, but for now i have created a dual fan version to serve my masdies.
i connected the fans in parallel so they would each have "full" power, i could have connected them in a single line series but they would have spun almost too slow.
i am pretty sure all PC fans are 12v. however Amps can be different, the more amps the more airflow......i chose one high and one low flow

supplies for this one:
2 x 80mm PC fans-with the plugs snipped off
1 suitable wall-wart without another purpose....wall-what???......them lumpy plugs with the funny plug for your phone or whatnot...they change AC current to DC current (which the fans run on)....a suitable one would be a voltage from 6v-12v (no more!!! read the label)-mine is a 9v
good quality electrical tape
and wire cutters (wire strippers would be useful if you have them)

Note: be careful when you are testing for the wall-wart hot wire, your working with a LIVE (plugged IN) wire and completing a circuit, while 9v is not a large charge it may still be dangerous- that said, i didn't feel a thing when i accidentally completed the circuit with my fingers

[Stelios]

What a great idea! This is not only cheap but it can also be enviromental friendly as recycle of used compyter parts especially in the wired version.

Regarding the battery, 9V should not be dangerous at all, when i was a kid i recall that along other kids, we used to test 9V batteries with our toung to see if they were fresh or dried out. It just gave a slight "sting"

Of course people with medical devices like pace makers should be very carefull with ellectric shocks.

[PhalPal]

GREAT tutorial!!! This is a terrific idea for getting airflow directly on certain plants where a larger fan with diffuse airflow isn't doing the job. Thanks!!!

[kid a]

Knimun! This is exactly what I need! Would you believe I have been powering mine off of 9 volt batteries and they don't even last for more than four hours, lol. I think I have exact same fan too, lol! I was going to ask Jay to do something like this thread but never got around to it. Thank you so much!



I think I have the perfect adapter to use!

[kninum]

OMG KID that must have gone thru a ton of batteries..LOL

for the plug- can't stress enough to check the output DC voltage, first to make sure it is outputting DC (VDC as labeled on plug) and that the voltage is safe ( same or less than the fan).....

if the plug is DC output but a lower voltage you can check it before you clip the end off........here's how

plug in the wall-wart and take the fans black wire and stick it in the hole of the jack then touch the red wire to the outside of the jack......it should spin at the speed it would if did a proper splice ( if it doesn't spin try switching the wires). while i have see a method where you use hot glue and attached the fan wires right to the little jack it is MUCH safer if you make a proper splice like i did.

if you go to the hardware store you could also pick up a switch and wire that in too- i would splice a switch into the slightly thicker wall-wart wire, and not try to directly connect it to a fan.........they are made of lots of super tiny wires, and are too easily damaged for a good switch connection

there are also small inline fan speed controllers available for connecting to the fan wires (red side), with one of these you could also vary the wind speed depending on your need, softer for all the time, and higher for after watering or when it gets really hot.........i have one on these controls n my current computer............. i wonder if it's actually being used.......

i don't have a ton of bits and pieces but i do have a super close source for used electronic bits....and groceries one aisle is tinned food the next is random boxes stuffed with mice, wire, connectors, jacks, plugs.... Fans, and all sorts of random "old" computer bits and pieces.......quite the treasure trove for little project like this....and handy if i also need to pick something up for dinner too.....

[kid a]

I just noticed I spelled your name horribly wrong my fingers type dislexically sometimes, lol. Ok I can't find the plug but that explains why there where huge sparks when I touched the fan wires to the light wires a few weeks ago lol. I'm sure it was too much electricity and it wasn't dc lol! I can't find that stinkin adapter i had grrr! Oh well I will go buy another lol!

[PhalPal]

Kortney where did you get that tiny greenhouse????? I want one!!

[kninum]

Originally Posted by kid a

I just noticed I spelled your name horribly wrong my fingers type dislexically sometimes, lol. Ok I can't find the plug but that explains why there where huge sparks when I touched the fan wires to the light wires a few weeks ago lol. I'm sure it was too much electricity and it wasn't dc lol! I can't find that stinkin adapter i had grrr! Oh well I will go buy another lol!

if you do end up going to buy another one.....try the thrift stores first you should be able to find some old something with a usable plug.....(or if you have a used electronics shop near by check with them) luckily once they get separated from their original device them are a bit of a junk item and can usually be obtained cheaply ........they are often found in yard sales and the trash left by people moving out too......
i got lucky with the one i found....only cost $3 and it's a nice small 2"block (he had 3 other big boxes full of them too....

if you have any uncertainty when you find a plug (wall-wart), just let me know and i will see if i can help.........if you are not sure about the plug just post a pic showing the specs, i'll let you know if it should be okay to try it.

also i can help figure out correct wiring for fancier set ups......if anyone wants to get more adventurous

[kninum]

Okay so i have been tinkering with some wiring again as i found a PC fan speed controller kicking around in an old computer box......plus the hubby wanted some new fans for his computer so i was able to talk him into getting a bundle of 5 really high quality PC fans for me...you know so he could use a couple too
so the 5v-11v controller allows me to adjust the fan from a really soft breeze to a decent cooling draft, which should be handy come the heat of summer for my masdies... another bonus is that it is a really attractive set-up too.

this was just as easy as the other ones: a couple of basic splices and some proper wiring wrapping and it's good to go.....since it only cost me about $5 to make (cost of the fan on sale) i am a really happy girl