wiring canopy fans

[Craig]

I currently have a canopy with 2 circular cutouts for canopy fans.
I am considering buying 2 icecap variable speed fans, but can't stomach the price and would prefer not to have separate power adapters.

If I purchased two 4" pc fans can someone link me to the adapter and parts I'd need and give me instructions on how to wire them so I can plug both of them into my controller using one adapter?

 

[scumonkey]

Can't help you with a link but...
If you don't want to do it yourself, a few of people sell them already wired and ready to install on epay.

 

[Craig]

looked on ebay. can't find a set of two 4'' fans with adapter

 

[Tonyscoots84]

i would personally go with either the icecap fans or go with a reg. clip on fan depending if you have room... either of those that i have mentioned are very quiet...

 

[Omega]

Craig when I get into work on Monday I'll forward you the site for fans, wiring, and a variable speed control for 4 fans. Send pics of canopy. Hope all is well.

 

[Craig]

hey scoots...two of the icecaps would run over $100...buying low decibal pc fans, adapters, and cool custom grills hopefully wont cost more then $20

 

[TimberTDI]

But how long will the pc fans hold up under the moist salt air?

 

[fritz]

Setup those PC fans to blow air in NOT Exhaust! Salty air will kill the motor very quickly. As long as the fan blows in it will last a long time. I used old Linksys adapters to power my fans. Just cut the cord and wire them up.

 

[Psycho graphic]

Check e-bay for a vendor Windydays or Windydaze. I don't know the quality of them but they are fairly cheap for 2 fans and a temp control.

On another note I have been running a $7 dollar PC fan as an exhaust fan for over a year with no problems at all. I'm not suggesting you do so, as many people say they don't last long, maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[Falco]

All you would need to wire them would be a AC to DC power adapter which you can get at Radio Shack, Wall-Mart or anywhere online. You just need to find a fan that you like (price, air movement and sound should be your factors) and then you need to check the specs of the fan to decide what size adapter you need.

If you want to run both fans on a single adapter then you need to find out how many volts the fans use and also how many amps or milli-amps.

If the fans are 12v and run at .2 amps (or 200 milli-amps) and you are using 2 of them then you need a 12v adapter rated for at least 500mA. Here is a link to one at RadioShack http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...&kw=12v&numProdsPerPage=100&parentPage=search

I would suggest getting a larger rated adapter and only using 60% of the adapter capacity but thats really up to you. Just remember that the amount of volts needed for one fan or 4 fans are the same for the adapter but the amps needed goes up as the number of fans you add goes up.

Then you just cut the ends of the wires on the fans and the adapter and splice them together. Easy as that!

 

[FRY]

if you want i have fans at work you can have,115 volt and 12 volt dc

 

[tosiek]

yeah i wired two 120mm to a ac/dc 300 mA for my stand to cool my fuge.

 

[meschaefer]

Untill about a year ago I used PC fans I bought at Radio Shack. They on average would last me about two years. The trick is that they need to be blowing into the hood, not drawing salt air out. IMO you want every fan in your hood blowing in anyway, as it is more efficient at cooling the tank through evaporation, as long as the fan is blowing across the top of the water.

Last year I bought a variable speed Ice Cap Fan. I can't say that it works any better than the PC fans. At this rate, in order for it to match up economicaly with the PC fans, it would need to last 8 years?

 

[NYreefNoob]

fans

if you want ill take a picture of mine. in process of building now, but the canopy is done. i have 2 4" fans that are heat controlled that i got off ebay. a lfs in fishkill sells the coralife setup also. i can check price next week if i am up there. if you want to call the place is called fishtopia in fishkill,ny

 

[Craig]

can you link me to the heat controlled fans? got any pics of how they are wired?

what are the benefits of the icecaps? Are they built specifically for a marine setup and work better and quieter, or are they just pc fans made in asia and rebranded with an Icecap logo to charge 10x the price?

lots of people on this board have canopies, what are all of you using?