Need 3" Quiet Fan that runs on AC

Rekonn · 05/06/2006, 10:57 AM

I'm looking for a fan to mount in my canopy, that ideally be around 3 to 4 inches in diameter. It would be easy to find a computer case fan for this, but all of those run on 12 volts DC. I'd like to have one that plugs right into the wall. I bought one from Radio Shack yesterday, but it's just too loud. Anybody have suggestions?

AZDesertRat · 05/06/2006, 11:18 AM

I have found AC fans will always be louder than DC fans and 3" are louder than 4" because they usually turn faster and lots of them only have sleeve bearings and not ball bearings. Do yourself a favor and get a 4" (120mm) Vantec Stealth DC fan and a $5 WalMart variable voltage DC power supply. You can vary the speed of the fan that way but it is already super quiet to begin with.
YOu can get the Fan at Frys Electronics and they probably have the power supply too. If not Harbor Freight also has cheap power supplies.

The Grim Reefer · 05/06/2006, 11:29 AM

www.hellolights.com has an AC fan that is way quite.

Rekonn · 05/06/2006, 08:16 PM

Thanks! I'll check out Frys this weekend, if I can't find what I need there, the 3.5" fans from hellolights look perfect. It's only May and my tank is already getting up to as high as 83F. Maybe I should get several fans...

FiberLux · 05/06/2006, 08:43 PM

Check out the fans at www.grainger.com. Quiet and cheap!

mattseattle · 05/06/2006, 09:39 PM

I just bought 3 of these....

Manufacturer: ORION FANS
Description: Fan; 4.71 in. H X 4.71 in. W; 1.5 in.; 115 V; 110 CFM (Max.); 15 W; 37 dB; Ball

I bought them from here - http://www.alliedelec.com

mattseattle · 05/06/2006, 09:48 PM

oh yeah i found this link a while back...

http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/120V_AC_Fans.html

AZDesertRat · 05/06/2006, 10:30 PM

The loudest stealth is on 28 dBa though, thats quite a difference.

http://www.vantecusa.com/product-cooling.html#

mattseattle · 05/07/2006, 01:06 AM

the loudest stealth yeah is only 28 db but it only moves 53 cfm of air.

this one moves 105 CFM and has a noise rating of 33 dB - referring to the second link i posted.

AZDesertRat · 05/07/2006, 09:55 AM

You won't need 105 cfm. I have two Stealths in a tall 5' fully enclosed canopy with 2x250MH and 2x140VHO and have no problems whatsoever. In fact they are turned down to less than 3/4 speed.

crumbletop · 05/07/2006, 10:15 AM

Did you really mean the canopy is 5 feet tall? That is a tall canopy -- why so tall?

Jack

AZDesertRat · 05/07/2006, 05:10 PM

18" tall by 5' long by 24" front to back. Completely enclosed except for one 4" fan on each end and 4ea. 4" holes on top directly over the reflectors for heat to escape.

crumbletop · 05/07/2006, 06:28 PM

Whew. I was trying to imagine a 5' tall canopy, LOL. Those fans you pointed out look great. I think I'll order a couple.

Jack

Rekonn · 05/09/2006, 01:12 AM

I found everything I needed at the Frys, and I'm very happy with the solution! Here's the fan I was using before which wasn't very effective due to where the air flow was aimed.

Here's how I set up the two 120mm Stealth fans and universal AC adapter. What I like about this solution is that I can easily add a third fan if needed. Also the adapter lets me select the voltage. The stealth fans are very quiet to start with, but when the voltage is dialed back to 9 volts instead of 12 they're silent. Even at the lower voltage the high temp I'm seeing so far is 81.

crumbletop · 05/09/2006, 06:46 AM

Sweet!

How are you mounting those fans in your canopy? I can't quite tell from your pic. Did you have to buy additional wires/connectors to make things work? Also, are those T5s?

Jack

AZDesertRat · 05/09/2006, 08:10 AM

I used a 4" hole saw to dril a hole in each end of my canopy and have the fans blowing in. I then drilled 4" holes in the top directly over the reflectors so light doesn't hit the ceiling but heat escapes not only with the fans on but by convection when they aren't. Harbor Freight has large hole saw kits for like $6.

Rekonn · 05/09/2006, 08:50 AM

My canopy isn't totally enclosed, so I didn't mount them in the same push/pull way that AZDesertRat did. In the last pic, you're seeing the canopy on the floor with the front side touching the carpet. The entire backside is open except for that one support bracket in the middle.

The lighter color just above the reflectors is the wooden board I mounted the Sunlight Supply T5 retrofit light kit to. For the fan on the left, I drilled holes into the board and used the screws that came with the fan to mount the fan to it. For the fan on the right in the picture, I wanted to mount it a little higher so it could cool the ballasts as well. The ballasts are mounted on the other side of that board. So for that one I took a scrap piece of wood, screwed the fan to it, then screwed the piece of wood to the canopy. Each fan only has two screws holding them at the top, the bottom of each fan isn't attached to anything.

I didn't have to buy any additional wiring. The only things that didn't come with the fans or AC adapter are the two little blue things (forget what they're called) that I used to connect the wires. I had a couple extra leftover from my T5 retrofit kit.

Rekonn · 05/09/2006, 08:58 AM

One more thing I should mention, the 3 pin connectors (the whitest plastic in the pics) can be pulled apart pretty easily. Eventually the weight of wire hanging from the back of the tank may be able to disconnect them. So I made a little knot for each like you'd use if you were connecting two extension cords together.

rstark33 · 05/09/2006, 02:41 PM

What did the two fans and adapter cost?
Trying to price out a quiet/inexpensive solution!!!

Thanks!

Rekonn · 05/09/2006, 06:19 PM

$10 for the adapter and $18 for each fan. Compared to the loud $24 AC fan and $2 power cord from Radio Shack, it's a very good deal. There were even cheaper AC adapters, but I didn't have a good idea of how much amps the fans would draw, so I got the one rated for 1800mAmps. If you have patience you could shop around or order online, I made my purchase very quickly.

perpetual98 · 05/25/2006, 11:00 AM

I just picked up eight 80mm temperature sensitive fans for less than $4 each off of ebay.

crumbletop · 05/25/2006, 11:03 AM

What kind of noise do they make, and what amount of air do they move?

Jack

perpetual98 · 05/25/2006, 11:07 AM

Good question. They're pretty quiet but they don't run at full speed. I took a lighter and put it under the temperature probe and even when the fans sped up they weren't terribly loud. I have a lot of ambient noise in that room though, so fans would have to be noticable loud for me to notice them over everything else. Here's a pic of how I have them mounted.

I'll have to see if there's a CFM rating on them. They use .23A though, I remember that.

perpetual98 · 05/25/2006, 11:09 AM

Ok, here's some info that I found in my ebay auction...

Specification

* Bearing Type: Sleeve
* Size: 80 x 80 x 25mm
* Voltage: 12V
* Current: 0.23A
* Temperature and Fan speed / estimated airflow and noise
- 85C - 3100 RPM / 40CFM - 34dBA
- 65C - 2600 RPM / 33CFM - 29dBA
- 45C - 2100 RPM / 27CFM - 23dBA
- 25C - 1800 RPM / 22CFM - 18dBA
* Designed to cool down computer systems and subsystems
* The fan comes with one 8 cm sleeve bearing fan
* Built-in thermal control for overheat detection
* Extremely quiet when in sleep mode
* Additional 3-pin to 4-pin converting cable included for either connecting to main board or to power supply
* Meets all safety standards, such as UL, CSA, CUL, TUV, CE, etc.

crumbletop · 05/25/2006, 11:20 AM

That looks pretty reasonable. The stealth fans mentioned above are much quieter if you need more flow. The stealth 80x80 is 27 CFM and 21 dBA, but the stealth 120x120 is 53 CFM and 28 dBA. From what I under stand the stealth also uses ball bearings instead of a sleeve bearing and will last longer (and remain quieter) because of this. I may be wrong, though...

Jack

05/06/2006, 10:57 AM	#1
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	Need 3" Quiet Fan that runs on AC I'm looking for a fan to mount in my canopy, that ideally be around 3 to 4 inches in diameter. It would be easy to find a computer case fan for this, but all of those run on 12 volts DC. I'd like to have one that plugs right into the wall. I bought one from Radio Shack yesterday, but it's just too loud. Anybody have suggestions?

05/06/2006, 11:29 AM	#3
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	www.hellolights.com has an AC fan that is way quite. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

05/06/2006, 08:43 PM	#5
FiberLux Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago NW Posts: 1,804	Check out the fans at www.grainger.com. Quiet and cheap! __________________ Former president of CMAS - The best reef club in North America! LED's are the future of lighting, for the World and for reefing! Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience! Current Tank Info: 180 AGA Mixed reef, 55 Hex, 70 Gl frag, ASM G4, 100L sump, 50L refugiam, MH & VHO & LED & Fiberoptic lighting, LPS, SPS Onyx/Picasso Clowns, Tangs, Angels & Wrasses!!!

05/07/2006, 10:15 AM	#11
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	Did you really mean the canopy is 5 feet tall? That is a tall canopy -- why so tall? Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

05/07/2006, 06:28 PM	#13
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	Whew. I was trying to imagine a 5' tall canopy, LOL. Those fans you pointed out look great. I think I'll order a couple. Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

05/06/2006, 11:18 AM	#2
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	I have found AC fans will always be louder than DC fans and 3" are louder than 4" because they usually turn faster and lots of them only have sleeve bearings and not ball bearings. Do yourself a favor and get a 4" (120mm) Vantec Stealth DC fan and a $5 WalMart variable voltage DC power supply. You can vary the speed of the fan that way but it is already super quiet to begin with. YOu can get the Fan at Frys Electronics and they probably have the power supply too. If not Harbor Freight also has cheap power supplies.

05/06/2006, 08:16 PM	#4
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	Thanks! I'll check out Frys this weekend, if I can't find what I need there, the 3.5" fans from hellolights look perfect. It's only May and my tank is already getting up to as high as 83F. Maybe I should get several fans...

05/06/2006, 09:39 PM	#6
mattseattle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: seattle Posts: 1,332	I just bought 3 of these.... Manufacturer: ORION FANS Description: Fan; 4.71 in. H X 4.71 in. W; 1.5 in.; 115 V; 110 CFM (Max.); 15 W; 37 dB; Ball I bought them from here - http://www.alliedelec.com

05/06/2006, 09:48 PM	#7
mattseattle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: seattle Posts: 1,332	oh yeah i found this link a while back... http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/120V_AC_Fans.html

05/06/2006, 10:30 PM	#8
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	The loudest stealth is on 28 dBa though, thats quite a difference. http://www.vantecusa.com/product-cooling.html#

05/07/2006, 01:06 AM	#9
mattseattle Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: seattle Posts: 1,332	the loudest stealth yeah is only 28 db but it only moves 53 cfm of air. this one moves 105 CFM and has a noise rating of 33 dB - referring to the second link i posted.

05/07/2006, 09:55 AM	#10
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	You won't need 105 cfm. I have two Stealths in a tall 5' fully enclosed canopy with 2x250MH and 2x140VHO and have no problems whatsoever. In fact they are turned down to less than 3/4 speed.

05/07/2006, 05:10 PM	#12
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	18" tall by 5' long by 24" front to back. Completely enclosed except for one 4" fan on each end and 4ea. 4" holes on top directly over the reflectors for heat to escape.

05/09/2006, 01:12 AM	#14
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	I found everything I needed at the Frys, and I'm very happy with the solution! Here's the fan I was using before which wasn't very effective due to where the air flow was aimed. Here's how I set up the two 120mm Stealth fans and universal AC adapter. What I like about this solution is that I can easily add a third fan if needed. Also the adapter lets me select the voltage. The stealth fans are very quiet to start with, but when the voltage is dialed back to 9 volts instead of 12 they're silent. Even at the lower voltage the high temp I'm seeing so far is 81.

05/09/2006, 06:46 AM	#15
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	Sweet! How are you mounting those fans in your canopy? I can't quite tell from your pic. Did you have to buy additional wires/connectors to make things work? Also, are those T5s? Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

05/09/2006, 08:10 AM	#16
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	I used a 4" hole saw to dril a hole in each end of my canopy and have the fans blowing in. I then drilled 4" holes in the top directly over the reflectors so light doesn't hit the ceiling but heat escapes not only with the fans on but by convection when they aren't. Harbor Freight has large hole saw kits for like $6.

05/09/2006, 08:50 AM	#17
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	My canopy isn't totally enclosed, so I didn't mount them in the same push/pull way that AZDesertRat did. In the last pic, you're seeing the canopy on the floor with the front side touching the carpet. The entire backside is open except for that one support bracket in the middle. The lighter color just above the reflectors is the wooden board I mounted the Sunlight Supply T5 retrofit light kit to. For the fan on the left, I drilled holes into the board and used the screws that came with the fan to mount the fan to it. For the fan on the right in the picture, I wanted to mount it a little higher so it could cool the ballasts as well. The ballasts are mounted on the other side of that board. So for that one I took a scrap piece of wood, screwed the fan to it, then screwed the piece of wood to the canopy. Each fan only has two screws holding them at the top, the bottom of each fan isn't attached to anything. I didn't have to buy any additional wiring. The only things that didn't come with the fans or AC adapter are the two little blue things (forget what they're called) that I used to connect the wires. I had a couple extra leftover from my T5 retrofit kit.

05/09/2006, 08:58 AM	#18
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	One more thing I should mention, the 3 pin connectors (the whitest plastic in the pics) can be pulled apart pretty easily. Eventually the weight of wire hanging from the back of the tank may be able to disconnect them. So I made a little knot for each like you'd use if you were connecting two extension cords together.

05/09/2006, 02:41 PM	#19
rstark33 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Gresham, OR Posts: 294	What did the two fans and adapter cost? Trying to price out a quiet/inexpensive solution!!! Thanks! __________________ Rich Current Tank Info: 90 Gallon with 100 gallon sump in garage

05/09/2006, 06:19 PM	#20
Rekonn Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: San Francisco CA Posts: 769	$10 for the adapter and $18 for each fan. Compared to the loud $24 AC fan and $2 power cord from Radio Shack, it's a very good deal. There were even cheaper AC adapters, but I didn't have a good idea of how much amps the fans would draw, so I got the one rated for 1800mAmps. If you have patience you could shop around or order online, I made my purchase very quickly.

05/25/2006, 11:00 AM	#21
perpetual98 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oconomowoc Posts: 1,242	I just picked up eight 80mm temperature sensitive fans for less than $4 each off of ebay. __________________ Used to have many SW tanks, now starting over with one...

05/25/2006, 11:03 AM	#22
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	What kind of noise do they make, and what amount of air do they move? Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.

05/25/2006, 11:07 AM	#23
perpetual98 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oconomowoc Posts: 1,242	Good question. They're pretty quiet but they don't run at full speed. I took a lighter and put it under the temperature probe and even when the fans sped up they weren't terribly loud. I have a lot of ambient noise in that room though, so fans would have to be noticable loud for me to notice them over everything else. Here's a pic of how I have them mounted. I'll have to see if there's a CFM rating on them. They use .23A though, I remember that. __________________ Used to have many SW tanks, now starting over with one...

05/25/2006, 11:09 AM	#24
perpetual98 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oconomowoc Posts: 1,242	Ok, here's some info that I found in my ebay auction... Specification * Bearing Type: Sleeve * Size: 80 x 80 x 25mm * Voltage: 12V * Current: 0.23A * Temperature and Fan speed / estimated airflow and noise - 85C - 3100 RPM / 40CFM - 34dBA - 65C - 2600 RPM / 33CFM - 29dBA - 45C - 2100 RPM / 27CFM - 23dBA - 25C - 1800 RPM / 22CFM - 18dBA * Designed to cool down computer systems and subsystems * The fan comes with one 8 cm sleeve bearing fan * Built-in thermal control for overheat detection * Extremely quiet when in sleep mode * Additional 3-pin to 4-pin converting cable included for either connecting to main board or to power supply * Meets all safety standards, such as UL, CSA, CUL, TUV, CE, etc. __________________ Used to have many SW tanks, now starting over with one...

05/25/2006, 11:20 AM	#25
crumbletop Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 4,718	That looks pretty reasonable. The stealth fans mentioned above are much quieter if you need more flow. The stealth 80x80 is 27 CFM and 21 dBA, but the stealth 120x120 is 53 CFM and 28 dBA. From what I under stand the stealth also uses ball bearings instead of a sleeve bearing and will last longer (and remain quieter) because of this. I may be wrong, though... Jack __________________ "Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before." - GK Chesterton Current Tank Info: 90 gallon AGA RR. 20 gal sump. 6x54W T5. AquaController Jr.