quiet fans

gixxerboy707 · 02/14/2008, 06:47 PM

I need to instant two 4" fans in my hood, my tank is in my living room. I'm looking for a good set of fans that are extremely quiet and very functional. Anyone have any opinions on what company I should go with.

i dont eat fish · 02/14/2008, 07:08 PM

I recommend pc fans, at 120mm. Particularly yate loons. I get mine from jabtech.com. You'll need a 12 volt power transformer for them. The fans are cheap enough that when the salt and humidity kills them you can painlessly replace them. I'd get a few extras for this reason. Speed will determine the volume level. The lows are almost silent, and the highs move quite a bit of air.

As for the transformer, check ebay. I'd type in 12 volt transformer. Get something between 500ma (12 watts) and 1amp (25 watts) for two to four fans.

AZDesertRat · 02/14/2008, 07:33 PM

I use two Vantec stealth 120mm (4") fans, one in each end, both blowing in, powered by a variable voltage DC power supply. The fans are almost silent at full speed (53 CFM each) and totally silent when you reduce the voltage and slow them down. Fans are about $12 each at newegg.com and the power supply can be found at WalMart for less than $10.

rbursek · 02/14/2008, 08:02 PM

Newark .com all the fans you want.
Bob

gixxerboy707 · 02/14/2008, 10:37 PM

thanks everyone I have heard about vantecs before, are they really that quiet?

sjm817 · 02/14/2008, 10:44 PM

What can you fit? 4" fans are actually 120mm (4.72"), or 92mm (3.62")

PJSEA · 02/14/2008, 10:51 PM

You might want to consider the Scythe S-FLEX series 120mm fans with Sony fluid bearings.
Look here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...TabStoreType=1

badpacket · 02/15/2008, 02:01 AM

Check out this from the silentpc forum. They know silence and fans.

Assuming they used the same test procedures for marketing their different fans

SFF = S-Flex
*SY12 = Slipstream
*SY1225SL12SL-----500-rpm-------7.5-dBA----25CFM----0.07A--0.8w
SFF21D-------------800-rpm-------8.7-dBA----34CFM----0.10A--1.2w
*SY1225SL12L------800-rpm------10.7-dBA----40CFM----0.10A--1.2w
SFF21E------------1,200-rpm------20.1-dBA----49CFM----0.15A--1.8w
*SY1225SL12M----1,200-rpm------24-dBA------68CFM----0.26A--3.1w
SFF21F-----------1,600-rpm------28-dBA------64CFM----0.20A--2.4w
*SY1225SL12H----1,600-rpm------33-dBA------88CFM----0.41A--4.9w
*SY1225SL12SH---1,900-rpm------37-dBA-----110CFM----0.53A--6.4w

carlisimo1969 · 02/15/2008, 10:38 AM

I'm running 4 120mm Stealth's on the variable speed controller.
All 4 run on lowest speed, silent, expensive, but silent.

an411 · 02/15/2008, 11:10 AM

How do you convert the computer connection fan to something that you can plug in?

db_triggerfish · 02/15/2008, 11:22 AM

I have two i did not like the noise, now one runs on 6.5v silent the other at 9v very very quiet. 12v is too loud for me. so the trick is getting a variable speed controller from Radio Shack or online.

AZDesertRat · 02/15/2008, 12:24 PM

You use a power supply like used to charge cell phones or other DC appliances. I get a variable voltage power supply at Harbor Freight for less than $5 that will power 3 or 4 fans but you can get then at WalMart in the electronics dept for less than $10. Cut off the DC plug and wire the red and black wires from the fan to the two DC wires. You control fan speed by varying the voltage from 12v down to 10.5, 9, 7.5 or whatever.

badpacket · 02/15/2008, 03:06 PM

FYI, just remember that most wall warts are un-regulated power supplies.
What this means is that a 12v wart may actually put out 12-15v when either nothing is connected, or if you are connecting a low ma load to a beefy adapter.

Example I have in my pile: AC/DC adapter 12v 1000ma
It will run (3) 300ma fans with no problem.
However when plugged in with no load/connection, voltage output about 14.7v.
When I put a 12v fan on it, which draws 300ma max, it drops down to about 13.2v.
When I add another 12v fan to the circuit, which is drawing about 600ma total, the volatage is at 11.9-12.1v.

Don't trust the label on the adapter.

If you are going to run 12v pc fans, and undervolt them, then you want to find a psu that is closest to 7.5-9v. Be aware that there are a number of fans which will not start spinning at 7v becuase the torque required to start the mass spinning can not be reached by the motor at 7v.
I've never had a fan not start, and run quieter by simply running them at 9v.

I haven't tested a cell phone charger adapter in a while, however many of them are I believe regulated power supplies. Which means they should put out the indicated voltage at most any current.
Harbor freight also sells cheapie multi-meters, usually loss leader for $4-5.

02/14/2008, 06:47 PM	#1
gixxerboy707 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 51	quiet fans I need to instant two 4" fans in my hood, my tank is in my living room. I'm looking for a good set of fans that are extremely quiet and very functional. Anyone have any opinions on what company I should go with.

02/14/2008, 10:44 PM	#6
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	What can you fit? 4" fans are actually 120mm (4.72"), or 92mm (3.62") __________________ - Scott

02/15/2008, 02:01 AM	#8
badpacket Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Western NY Posts: 1,459	Check this out Check out this from the silentpc forum. They know silence and fans. Assuming they used the same test procedures for marketing their different fans SFF = S-Flex SY12 = Slipstream SY1225SL12SL-----500-rpm-------7.5-dBA----25CFM----0.07A--0.8w SFF21D-------------800-rpm-------8.7-dBA----34CFM----0.10A--1.2w SY1225SL12L------800-rpm------10.7-dBA----40CFM----0.10A--1.2w SFF21E------------1,200-rpm------20.1-dBA----49CFM----0.15A--1.8w SY1225SL12M----1,200-rpm------24-dBA------68CFM----0.26A--3.1w SFF21F-----------1,600-rpm------28-dBA------64CFM----0.20A--2.4w SY1225SL12H----1,600-rpm------33-dBA------88CFM----0.41A--4.9w SY1225SL12SH---1,900-rpm------37-dBA-----110CFM----0.53A--6.4w Last edited by badpacket; 02/15/2008 at 02:22 AM.

02/15/2008, 10:38 AM	#9
carlisimo1969 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Green Bay Posts: 360	I'm running 4 120mm Stealth's on the variable speed controller. All 4 run on lowest speed, silent, expensive, but silent. __________________ Celebrating sunshine and you... Current Tank Info: 70g corner reef, 2-250 Pheonix 14k DE, 75g basement sump, 75g basement frag tank, Reeflo Hammerhead, OMSupersquirt, Aquaeuro 265recirc

02/15/2008, 11:22 AM	#11
db_triggerfish Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South Florida Posts: 1,127	I have two i did not like the noise, now one runs on 6.5v silent the other at 9v very very quiet. 12v is too loud for me. so the trick is getting a variable speed controller from Radio Shack or online. __________________ FMAS - Florida Marine Aquarium Society Member . Current Tank Info: AGA 75g RR 6 x 54w T5 overdriven (510w) with 2 x Icecap 660, DAS EX-1 Skimmer, OR 2500, Reefkeeper II

02/14/2008, 07:08 PM	#2
i dont eat fish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 166	I recommend pc fans, at 120mm. Particularly yate loons. I get mine from jabtech.com. You'll need a 12 volt power transformer for them. The fans are cheap enough that when the salt and humidity kills them you can painlessly replace them. I'd get a few extras for this reason. Speed will determine the volume level. The lows are almost silent, and the highs move quite a bit of air. As for the transformer, check ebay. I'd type in 12 volt transformer. Get something between 500ma (12 watts) and 1amp (25 watts) for two to four fans.

02/14/2008, 07:33 PM	#3
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	I use two Vantec stealth 120mm (4") fans, one in each end, both blowing in, powered by a variable voltage DC power supply. The fans are almost silent at full speed (53 CFM each) and totally silent when you reduce the voltage and slow them down. Fans are about $12 each at newegg.com and the power supply can be found at WalMart for less than $10.

02/14/2008, 08:02 PM	#4
rbursek Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: germantown,wi Posts: 2,339	Newark .com all the fans you want. Bob

02/14/2008, 10:37 PM	#5
gixxerboy707 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 51	thanks everyone I have heard about vantecs before, are they really that quiet?

02/14/2008, 10:51 PM	#7
PJSEA Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pawleys Island, SC Posts: 295	You might want to consider the Scythe S-FLEX series 120mm fans with Sony fluid bearings. Look here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...TabStoreType=1

02/15/2008, 11:10 AM	#10
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	How do you convert the computer connection fan to something that you can plug in?

02/15/2008, 12:24 PM	#12
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	You use a power supply like used to charge cell phones or other DC appliances. I get a variable voltage power supply at Harbor Freight for less than $5 that will power 3 or 4 fans but you can get then at WalMart in the electronics dept for less than $10. Cut off the DC plug and wire the red and black wires from the fan to the two DC wires. You control fan speed by varying the voltage from 12v down to 10.5, 9, 7.5 or whatever.

02/15/2008, 03:06 PM	#13
badpacket Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Western NY Posts: 1,459	FYI, just remember that most wall warts are un-regulated power supplies. What this means is that a 12v wart may actually put out 12-15v when either nothing is connected, or if you are connecting a low ma load to a beefy adapter. Example I have in my pile: AC/DC adapter 12v 1000ma It will run (3) 300ma fans with no problem. However when plugged in with no load/connection, voltage output about 14.7v. When I put a 12v fan on it, which draws 300ma max, it drops down to about 13.2v. When I add another 12v fan to the circuit, which is drawing about 600ma total, the volatage is at 11.9-12.1v. Don't trust the label on the adapter. If you are going to run 12v pc fans, and undervolt them, then you want to find a psu that is closest to 7.5-9v. Be aware that there are a number of fans which will not start spinning at 7v becuase the torque required to start the mass spinning can not be reached by the motor at 7v. I've never had a fan not start, and run quieter by simply running them at 9v. I haven't tested a cell phone charger adapter in a while, however many of them are I believe regulated power supplies. Which means they should put out the indicated voltage at most any current. Harbor freight also sells cheapie multi-meters, usually loss leader for $4-5.