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How To: Connect PC/Axial fans to 12v DC Adapter for Micro/Cab Grows

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TheOneWill

How do make a 120mm fan go faster. I got a 12v 1000a dc cord hooked up to it an its not spinning that fast. For the 90mm and 80mm it makes them go pretty fast. Any one know what I should hook this thing up to, to make it go faster?
 
MushuHappiness

MushuHappiness

Member
120mm usually have a slower RPM to begin with and that is what makes them so silent, the still move more air, just more silently and more efficiently
 
microRU

microRU

Member
MushuHappiness said:
120mm usually have a slower RPM to begin with and that is what makes them so silent, the still move more air, just more silently and more efficiently
Click to expand...
Has refused use 120мм fans because of critical noise level. 2*80мм. Much more silently..
 
G

Guest

Hey Mushu! I've got a 120mm silent cat fan but it has much smaller wires, one of each: black, red, and yellow and a different connector than your fans. I also have a 12v, 1.5a ac to dc adapter. Black to black and red to white but nothing, any ideas? Does yellow need to go somewhere?

Its this fan

http://www.xoxide.com/thermaltake-120mm-cat-fan.html
 
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MushuHappiness

MushuHappiness

Member
Right now i cant tell you whats up... I'm tryin to figure out what the yellow wire does for your fan, all my fans are just a 2 wire molex connection so i just clip and go... I'm trying to search around for a wiring guide.

Usually it goes:
Black - Positive
Red - Negative
Blue - A RPM reader for fan controllers
Yellow - no clue yet =/

Maybe someone else has an idea?

Off to go find info on the fan connections ^_^


Edit... Just put in an inquiry on one of the PC forums im apart of.. Hopefully an answer soon.
 
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treble

Active member
thanks for that SMP. I have 2 fans, 1 x molex and 1 x 3 wire... wasn't sure if the 3 wire was something special. I can wire these up I think to a 12v 1Amp power adapter without too much trouble.

treb
 
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treble

Active member
got a question about series though, speed is way high for my cab. too noisy as well.

for series is it:
adapter white to red fan1
black fan1 to red fan2
black fan2 to black adpater???

thx
treb
 
S

smokeymacpot

Active member
Veteran
um, wire the positive from one fan and the negative from the other fan to the adapter and join the remaining wires together, which would be negative to positive.

i hope your fans are the same type or at least use the same 0.5ma or whatever it says on the sticker. i dont really recommend using different ones as im not sure if it can cause a problem or not. that is at your risk :)
 
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treble

Active member
thanks smokey. I think the amperage on these 2 are slightly different. 0.13A & 0.17A.

I have 2 new ones comming which will be identical. Of course I could just get a couple of speed controllable ones and be done with it. Either way they will be identical FANS & Amps before I do this.

if you dont hear from me again....
 
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donutsandwich

Member
nice... this is my last construction to my rubermaid! i thought it was this easy, but i wanted to check this post before i went ahead and did some soldering! the problem was i had to install mac osx leopard! but now i have many things accomplished today and i can post pics tomorrow of my assembled rubbermaid veg / top half of a flowering cab! great thread, use ful piece of info that really saves me time from looking up this online and poring thorugh sea of useless info... icmag really has the best info.
 
V

Villain

Member
MushuHappiness said:
Right now i cant tell you whats up... I'm tryin to figure out what the yellow wire does for your fan, all my fans are just a 2 wire molex connection so i just clip and go... I'm trying to search around for a wiring guide.

Usually it goes:
Black - Positive
Red - Negative
Blue - A RPM reader for fan controllers
Yellow - no clue yet =/

Maybe someone else has an idea?

Off to go find info on the fan connections ^_^


Edit... Just put in an inquiry on one of the PC forums im apart of.. Hopefully an answer soon.
Click to expand...
As a PC enthusiast I can answer that question for you if you are talking about a PC PSU that is.
Black = ground
Red = 5v line
Blue = wait no blue on a molex lol.
Yellow = 12v

For fans the yellow is usually a auto RPM adjustor, and blue is the sensor.

You can use a PC PSU to power all the fans you could ever need in your grow fellas. You will need to jump the PSU to work outside of a PC though. It can simply be done by sticking a wire into the green pin on the 20+4 pin cable. Then connect the other end to any ground (black wire). I am powering my diaphragm pump and fans with a 580w 25amp PSU check it out.


 
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haze12421

Member
Didnt feel like reading this whole thread to see if someone else already said this. But you can use a cell phone charger instead. This is good because they layin around from old cell's friends old cell's. You def. find one for free
 
FlyinHawaiian

FlyinHawaiian

Member
does it have it be AC to DC?
I have a AC adaptor that says

CLASS 2 TRANSFORMER
MODEL #
INPUT:AC 120V 60Hz
OUTPUT:AC 12V 1000mA Max 12W

I thought I read somewhere that you cant use just AC adaptors? :chin:
 
MushuHappiness

MushuHappiness

Member
bong - Yes you can use those, and those type of fans do tend to get VERY noisy, so if this fan is in a place where you dont mind a loud humming, then i'd go for it.

Haze - Yes you can use a cell phone charger, problem with those is they tend to be very lower amperage

Flyinhawaiian - The reason it needs to be AC to DC, is because most PC fans run on DC power, not AC. Need to read your fans to see what kind of power they use. If they don't say, it is more than likely 12v DC, not AC
 
FlyinHawaiian

FlyinHawaiian

Member
:1help: Uhh what would happen if its just AC and not AC to DC? the fans are 12v DC
I just went to radioshack and bought a 12V 1500mA AC to DC adapter,well it says AC to DC on the box on the adapter it doesnt say DC anywhere it just says

AC ADAPTER
input:120v~60Hz 0.5A
output:12V 1.5A

it cost $30 and I could use that $30 dollers elsewhere right now so if I can use the adapter I found--specs in earlier post above and return the radioshack adapter i'd be a happy camper.

so I guess my question is how do I find out if my adapter is AC to DC even tho it only says AC adapter? Whats the risk of setting up 80mm12v dc pc fans to a AC only Adapter? any help is greatly appriciated.
 
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bongasaurus

bongasaurus

king of the dinosaurs
Veteran
so, if i have 2 identical fans and wire them in parallel it will be safe and theyll both run at full speed?
 
FlyinHawaiian

FlyinHawaiian

Member
FlyinHawaiian said:
:1help: Uhh what would happen if its just AC and not AC to DC? the fans are 12v DC
I just went to radioshack and bought a 12V 1500mA AC to DC adapter,well it says AC to DC on the box on the adapter it doesnt say DC anywhere it just says

AC ADAPTER
input:120v~60Hz 0.5A
output:12V 1.5A

it cost $30 and I could use that $30 dollers elsewhere right now so if I can use the adapter I found--specs in earlier post above and return the radioshack adapter i'd be a happy camper.

so I guess my question is how do I find out if my adapter is AC to DC even tho it only says AC adapter? Whats the risk of setting up 80mm12v dc pc fans to a AC only Adapter? any help is greatly appriciated.
Click to expand...
bump :confused:
 
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