Wiring a computer fan for intake?

Proph

Well-Known Member
hey whats up, i am going to putting some intake holes in my grow box here soon and i was planning on using computer fans for the intake / exhaust. But i am not sure on how to wire those fans to an adapter, does anyone have a link to a how to? Ive been looking but any help would be appreciated thanks. Cheers ya digg.
 

Snake

Active Member
Most cell phone chargers are 5V at 500mA, and most computer fans are 5V or 12V (all voltages DC). So check your fan to see what voltage it wants, and also how much current it draws. Some 12V fans will run from 5v but turn much slower. Once you get the fan voltage and current (should be printed on the fan somwhere) go to Radio Shack or some similar place and buy a "wall wart" with that same voltage and with a current capability of at least what the fan wants. Wall warts are the little gadgets that plug into a wall socket at one end, and have usually a microphone type of round plug on the other. Cut the round connector off, strip the insulation off both wires, and use a cheap voltmeter to see which is the +voltage wire and which is the return/ground wire, and wire the the fan accordingly.
 

budz69

Active Member
Proph - you need a 120volt ac to 12 volt dc adapter, which you cant get at radio shack for 30-35$, make sure the adapter has a power switch, Once you have that, just splice the red&black wire from the fan to the adapter's wires, tape..wire nutt..and there ya go
 

tokeiteasy

Active Member
any 12v adapter will do put the black wire into the center part and the red on the metal on the outside and there you go . Use insulation tape to keep them in place
 

pitbill

Well-Known Member
Hey,

they way i've always done it is like this- go to a computer web site like newegg.com (best prices)- order a few 120 mm fans (about 3-4 bucks each) and the cheapest powersupply you can find. - they have one for 11.99 plus about 7 or so bucks shipping. When you get the power supply look at the motherboard connecter- take a paperclip and stick one end in the hole that lines up with the green wire and the other in any hole that lines up with a black wire (there are about 6-8 of these). i usually order the apeva 120mm fan- 4.99 free shipping but it seems they are out of stock. I'd wait for them to come back in as these are real good fans and move a ton of air. The advantage of using the power supply is that it handles multiple fans without any problem. You could use a cell phone power charger, but they tend to bog down after the first fan and you lose fan preformance. Here are a few pics of the power supply motherboard connector (sorry that they are taped, but they are in use as you can see) - just jump it like i said and it works like a chram.

PB:peace:

Ps- those are my Zamal x Haze feminized that are going outside in 2 weeks.
 

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MonsterPot

Well-Known Member
This is a reply of mine to a similar question. Hope it helps.

Didn't read any of the other replys, so prob repeating here, but u can use a mobile charger, or a computer power supply. Charger...is it 9v? i dunno... I've used comp power supply b4. If u wanna do that.......ahhh fuck. from memory u'll need to get the big like 20 wire connector, and with that one snip a black wire and connect it to a green one. Now u dun need a mother board to run the fans. Then with ya fans ignore the yellow wire i think ... If u want a 5 volt fan i.e a lower power fan and quieter, hook up the red wire from the fan to red wire from power supply, and black from fan to back from power supply. If u want 12 volt i.e bbrrrrrr, hook up red wire from the fan to yellow on the power supply and black to black. I'm slightly fucked right now...so i'm only pretty sure. I'm know u can search this...DIY section or som'n.

Intake or exhaust is controlled simply by which direction you point it...not wiring ofcourse...
 

MonsterPot

Well-Known Member
Once again i didn't read the other replys. Looks like pitbill has given you what u need already.
 

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
any 12v adapter will do put the black wire into the center part and the red on the metal on the outside and there you go . Use insulation tape to keep them in place

WHOA!

Most (though, not all) of them wall warts have the positive on the inside/center. This is a safety design. With the positive on the inside/center, it keeps it from shorting easily. But look at the label, it usually says the polarity.

Heat shrink tubing will hold a bit better.
 
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