Computer Fan Wiring

[FallenHero]

This is posted other places i'm sure but latley i have been saying this over and over again, and i havent really given full instructions, so i'm going to write a diy here for it.

You will need:

Electric Tape
PC Fan(s)
Cell Phone Adapter
Something to strip wire. (i use needle nose but you gotta be good to do it properly)

I'm going to wire two pc fans at once, for the heck of it. I'm no electrical expert, so you may want to look this up further - but i have had no problems yet. you want to match the voltage, and outputs from the fan, to the cord, as close as possible, i havent had a problem with any cell phone charger yet.

Here is the cell phone charger:

Here are the fans i will be using, if your fans have a yellow wire, ignore it, we are only worried about black and red here.

Now if you look close, on the cell phone charger, one of the wires has a white line, this has gone both ways before, but it's susposed to tell you what is postivie (black) and what negative (red). As i said it's gone both ways, but don't worry - it will only work one way, so before you tape them up and call it done, make sure it works, if it doesnt, switch them around. I reccomend trying Red to the white lined wire first, as so far for me it's mostly been negative(red).

Now you need to strip the wires on the fans, like you should have already done with the charger.

You can connect them with the wire connectors at a hardware store - but we are homeade here, a little electric tape will do, match your wires up, make sure black doesnt touch red, when you tape them you will do so seperatly, like in the image below, now remeber to make sure it works before you go taping it up, but dont touch the wires when you plug it in.

Now mount your fans wherever you want. Tell me if i missed anything as i just threw this together real fast.

 

[mogie]

How to turn a PC fan into an exhaust or intake fan?

Contributed by: Flowerman
Images archived: 2001

Just for fun, I wanted to show how easy it is to turn a PC fan into an intake, or into an exhaust fan. The fan I am using is quite small, but the objective is still the same. The first step is to find or buy a 12v DC plug adapter. This fan here is rated at 80cfm, which will work for a small box set-up.

Here's is some info on the 12v DC adapter: (Model 420A4141)

Output (DC) 12.0V @ 500mA
Output Voltage VDC(1)
Input 108VAC
Output Volts @ 100% Load 10.20
Input 132VAC
Output Volts @ 100% Load 13.60
Input 132VAC
Output Volts @ 10% Load 17.40
UL(2) UL*
CSA(3) L
Plug(4) 1



Simply cut the wires at the end, and strip down about a ¼ inch of bare wire is showing.

If you don’t know which wire to wire up, for instance they’re all black wires, don’t worry, it will only work one way, and if wired wrong, will simply not work at all. But the idea is, black to black, red to red. This one here that I used, had one black and one red coming from the fan, and from the adapter, one black and one black and white. The black and white wire from the adapter got wired to the all black wire from the fan. And the all black wire from the adapter, gets wired to the all red wire from the fan.

To add another fan, just connect the wires of the same together. All black goes with black, all red goes with red. So you would still only use 2 connectors all together. Here’s a few more pictures. But for the most part, I just wanted to show how simple it is. Make sure you get an adapter which is rated DC for the output.



Finished


Testing


Also a worthwhile consideration is places like radio shack and grainger also have nice 4" muffin fans that move as much as 200 cfm and more, which run on 110 vac. They come with a handy power cord that has a special connector on one end for the fan and a plug on the other end for plugging into the wall socket or humistat / thermostat.​

 

[420penguin]

I don't know the difference between a computer fan and a muffin fan. I googled it and they look the same to me: muffin fans - Google Image Search

 

[le1337need]

heh i used pretty much the same thing. took this fan and attached this wire. works like a charm.

 

[ILoveUMaryJane]

you can also attach a 12v 8/12cm computer fan to a 12v battery, and then you don't have to worry about the dodgy wiring going up in flames and taking your babies with it!

 

[Garden Knowm]

thanks russ

 

[bleorg]

heh i used pretty much the same thing. took this fan and attached this wire. works like a charm.

That's a DC fan and an AC wire, are you sure you don't mean this?
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102825

 

[le1337need]

here's a pic of how i hooked up my fans. Click here to see it close up

 

[Bigbud]

OK SO I Have just gone through 3 phone chargers trying to get the fan which i spent the last of my money on to work
now i thought only the red and black mattered it wasnt in till i tried the yellow on both that it worked

so just want to let ppl know if it doesnt work try putting the yellow on both red and then black then it should work..!

 

[FallenHero]

Really? hmmmm, that's wierd. i've always cut my yellows off, maybe the colors were mixed up? thanks for the input.

 

[castewalpha]

Thanks for the how to. I've been wondering how to wire the fans.

 

[battosai]

OK SO I Have just gone through 3 phone chargers trying to get the fan which i spent the last of my money on to work
now i thought only the red and black mattered it wasnt in till i tried the yellow on both that it worked

so just want to let ppl know if it doesnt work try putting the yellow on both red and then black then it should work..!

dude u need like a 12v plug to run a computer fan not a 3v plug. anything too low and the fan wont move an inch

 

[Bigbud]

dude u need like a 12v plug to run a computer fan not a 3v plug. anything too low and the fan wont move an inch

one of my phone chargers was a 9 volt <close enough for me and it works as i dnt have anything that is 12v around the house

 

[mcgrathm17]

I have a small setup in my cabnet, its 4.81 cubic feet. Would 2 computer fans be enough to keep this at the right temp? Im running 3 x 45 W CFL and the walls are lined with tinfoil, this is getting the temp up at around 45 degrees witch is no good.

 

[Bigbud]

the walls are lined with tinfoil, quote]


I dont know much but I do know mcg that tinfoil isnt a good idea your trying to reflect light not cook a chicken...!

Have a look online for mylar / black in white plastic or white paint will do just as well as any of them but lose the tin foil

 

[mcgrathm17]

Yeah ill change that. Do you think this will greatly drop my temp though? I kinda thought that might have been why it was so hot, but the bulbs are giving off a lot of heat since its in such a small space.

 

[Bigbud]

i couldnt say if the tin foil is the cause of your heat problem or not

what lights do you have and how big is your grow space?

also just one pc fan did drop the temp for me but not by much only by 2-4c so i leave the door open a little i have blacked the windows out so no light can get in and have my off time from 12-6 when its dark anyway then the lights on allday so doesnt matter to me about the door being open a little

 

[mcgrathm17]

I have 2 45 Watt CFL's and one 42 Watt CFL. The area is very small, im only trying to grow one plant and keep it there till it grows out of the space then move it to my attic (its too cold up there right now but will be warmer in spring). My space is 4.8 cubic feet (18.5"x15"x30"), and i cant leave any door open because my dad would see.

 

[Bigbud]

do you have any type of vent in there ? even a hole in the side? just to get a bit of fresh air in?

first off get rid of the tin foil and see if that makes any diffrence to the overall heat if you dont have a hole and can make some cut one out near the top and one at the bottom and have the pc fan sucking in air at the bottom and even one blowing air out at the top.. that should help you heat problem

but if you cant make a hole then im stuck for ideas and you will have to make a post and get some one that has done it all to help

 

[mcgrathm17]

I can make holes, but i havnt yet. My setup is in a dresser thing, and half of it is like a mini closet, with a door. But yeah im gonna make holes for the fans, i just wanted to make sure that these fans will help before i cut the holes to their size.