12v or 120vac fans?

[pete]

I need to add 2 fans to my canopy. Which is quieter or recommended for this purpose. I plan on getting them at radio shack.

 

[Snook65]

Pete, I just installed two of the 120vac fans from RS this morning. You will have to buy a pigtail for each fan in order to be able to plug it into an electrical outlet. Otherwise, I would think you would have to buy an AC/DC converter for each if you got the 12v. The fans are not noisy at all in my opinion and seem to push a fair amount of air. Time will tell if these fans will help keep my MH250's from heating up my tank too much. Good luck.

 

[MattM]

The 12V ones are a bit quieter, but they also move much less air, and you have to buy a transformer for each.

We usually go with the 120V fans, but you should get the 4" one instead of the 3" if it will fit. The 3" is a bit noisier than the 4".

[ July 14, 2001: Message edited by: MattM ]

 

[Jrsydevi1]

I have one of the 3 inch fans from RS mounted in my DIY hood.. just wired it in before the ballast..

Its not too noisy.. just a bit more so than my comp, which is in the same room.. The combination of the two make a nice white-noise drone in the background.. very soothing.. tranquilizing, really... almost .. makes you want to... go... to...

 

[pete]

I think I'll go with the 120vac. Thanks

 

[Jeff_S]

I had 2 of the 12V fans from RS. One quit afer a month of operation, the other after about 2.5 months. They were not very quiet either. I ordered some AC fans from http://www.sacelec.com/muffin_fans.htm
They have been running about a month now. One is rated for 70 cfm and the other is rated for 50. Both are pretty quiet.

 

[SnoopDog]

I have had both and the 120 volt are stronger, last longer and less costly because the only need a cord. After you buy AC/DC adapters you could buy the 120 volt fans anyway. I have two 120v RS fans and they are doing great. Just remember they need to blow over the water and not pull from it.

 

[Joey1]

This is sorta related,has anyone had any experience with the fan sets from Monolith Marine Monsters?I was thinking of getting the largest sized one,I think it's for a 70 gallon,for my 55 gallon,cause I live in S.C.and it's freakin'hot here...the reason I'm asking is because it says they can't offer a warranty because of salt creep and such,but I think it would be worth it to purchase it,as I'm not really a diy person when it comes to electrical current

Any experiences with this company,anyone?Thanks

 

[mgk65]

Hosfelt has NMB fans for $11.95:

Mfg. - NMB
Mfg. # 4715MS -12T-B40
Size: 4-5/8" sq x 1-1/2", 115 VAC, 140 mA, 13 watt 95 CFM , 39 dB. Metal housing, plastic blades (5). Standard terminal hook-up

Link: http://www.hosfelt.com/Fans/115vac.htm

mgk

 

[suckair]

I purchase AC fans from Alpha Omega corporation. They are located in City of Industry Califorina.

I pay about 8 bucks for a 120mm ball bearing fan with finger guard!..

I like ball bearing fans as they last forever. The problem I have with them is they are very noisy, but I have a cool fix for that. Use AC fan speed control. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you use a fan speed control not a dimmer or you will cause damage to the fans! These little units are made for home celing fans and are avaliable at most hardware stores for less than $20.00.

If you run a X-10 system that monitors temperature you can wire up two supplies to the fan.. One that goes thru the controller direct to the fan and the other out put from the controler to the speed control for a dual speed aproach depending on your tank temperature. I would recomend that both outputs not be energized at the same time as I don't know what would happen, as the output from the speed control is at a differt frequency! The ball bearing fans move way more air but are very loud.. This way you can move the air if you need to other wise enjoy the quiet.

I have just set up a system like this.. I use the fans on high while I am at work and by the time I get home they are in quiet mode If you are not on a X-10 system you can just use timers for this little trick.

Well I just thought I would share.
Thanks for reading..

Suckair,

 

[Anonymous]

I have run AC and DC fans and prefer DC. Atleast with the radio shack ones. First off for the equivalent price the DC put out an additional 20 cubic feet/m than the AC's. There is an extra expense of $10-15 for the AC/DC converter but that is paid off within a few months in energy savings. The DC fans are much more efficient than the AC fans. My dc fans use 4 watts/h each and push 85cfm. My old AC fans used 24 watts/h and pushed only 65cf/m. Do the math and you come up with almost $60 difference in electricity if you run your fans 24hrs a day all year long.


Chris