Problems with 12" Max Fan - Please Help!

[Bad Habits]

Hey guys-

So I'm in week 1 of flowering right now. I just hooked up my 12" max fan to my can 100 last night, and plugged it into an idea air speed controller (http://www.ideal-air.com/products/accessories/ideal-air-fan-speed-controller.aspx), and set the speed controller at about 75%. After about an hour or two the fan just completely quit on me. Tried multiple different outlets and it wouldn't start at all. So I took it off the filter and noticed it was putting out a lot of heat.

Wake up this morning, try plugging it in, and it's working fine. So my question is, do you think it's safe to use, or is there any possibility I like melted a wire or something and it would potentially be a safety hazard?

I was doing some research on fan speed controllers, and saw you're not supposed to use them on certain types of fans, but didn't quite understand the classifications. I had previously used the fan on the same speed controller for a few weeks to help dry out a flooded bathroom (not connected to the can filter) and had no issues with it.

Any advice is much appreciated!! My room is about to start getting real smelly, so I need to get this figured out ASAP and see if I need to get a new one or not.

 

[the gnome]

you can't use that kind of speed controller or you'll fry the fan motor eventually,
you have to use a variac to control the speed with motors with brushes,
like the 12" max fan,
go to the can site and punch up the 8 and 12"max fans, it will tell you to use a variac, can sells one for a couple hundred but you can find them a lot cheaper other places.

even tho you previously used that controller,
the slower you try to run the fan and more load on it will cause it to over heat.

oh hell...
I just noticed it was you bad, causing trouble again i see
somewhere in the gro room design there's thread on using variacs for fan motors w/brushes

 

[Bad Habits]

Thanks for the reply, Gnome!

I do find it a bit odd I ran it previously (although not attached to a carbon filter) at a lower setting and had no problem, but as soon as I hooked it up to the carbon filter and had it set at about 75% it went haywire

I'm testing the waters with it today... had it plugged in for about 3 hours now and so far no problems. It does scare me a bit though; what if there's melted a wire or something and there's a hazard just waiting to happen? Not something I like to have to think about!

And I don't think I'll end up needing a fan speed controller for it after all... It was being super noisey because of some weird thing with the can filter flange. I have a 12" fan and bought a 12" flange, but for some reason the flange is a bit bigger and the fan doesn't sit flush in it, causing it to vibrate against the metal.

To help combat this, I lined the bottom of the flange where it meets the filter with 3/4" weather stripping, and will probably get another neoprene clamp (in addition to the one I have connecting the fan to the silencer) to tighten down on the flange, which should further help.

Just hope I don't wake up in the middle of the night to my house burning down from a fried wire or something!

 

[the gnome]

you should be fine with the fan not catching fire,

and thanks for the heads up on the the 12" max fan and the flange that goes with it.
I got the same flange when i ordered mine but never hooked it up to a scrubber,
but i did try the speedster controller and the more i tried to slow it down
the more of a HUMMMMM was going on

 

[JointOperation]

is there a reason you cant run it on 100%?